police departments

5 Stories

911 Calls in NYC Will Soon Draw a New 'First Responder'

NYPD says it plans on deploying drones in response to 'certain' emergency calls

(Newser) - If you call 911 in New York City in the coming months, drones may show up to assist as the NYPD's newest first responders. Per the New York Daily News , station houses in five precincts—including the one that covers Central Park, as well as three in Brooklyn and...

Coronavirus in Meth? Cops Defend the Hoax

A health expert argues 'they're undermining their credibility'

(Newser) - Police across the country are issuing fake warnings about meth infected with coronavirus—and a health expert is none too pleased. Police departments in St. Francis County, Ark.; Johnson City, Texas; Taveres, Fla.; and Decatur County, Kan.; are among those that have shared the warning about COVID-19, which has killed...

Pot Use No Longer a Deal-Breaker for Police Recruits

'I want people who have lived a life just like everybody else'

(Newser) - Police departments are relaxing age-old standards for accepting recruits, from lowering educational requirements to forgiving some prior drug use, to try to attract more people to their ranks, reports the AP . The changes are designed to deal with decreased interest in a job that offers low pay, rigorous physical demands,...

No More Grenade Launchers, Bayonets for Local Police

Obama puts new rules on military equipment transferred to local departments

(Newser) - If a police department wants to outfit itself with military equipment, it will now have to make a very strong case for why it needs to. After an uproar over a program that allowed law enforcement to get surplus military gear—including armored vehicles, grenade launchers, bayonets, and camouflage uniforms—...

Time to Stop Turning Police Forces Into Armies

Pentagon, Homeland Security have militarized departments: columnists

(Newser) - Critics such as Sen. Claire McCaskill say the initial police response in Ferguson, Mo., actually made things worse because cops were equipped like soldiers of war. No wonder, write Elizabeth Beavers and Michael Shank in the New York Times . The Pentagon and Homeland Security Department are keeping police forces across...

5 Stories