September 2024 Newsletter

Over the past few months, concerns about crime have been a central part of our political conversation, often accompanied by misguided critiques of justice reforms. Against that backdrop, the voice of law enforcement leaders who believe that reducing both crime and incarceration is essential for public safety is more critical than ever. This summer, we brought that perspective, which resonates across the political spectrum, to the Hill. We co-hosted a bipartisan congressional briefing highlighting the most recent crime data as well as LEL members’ work to prevent crime and promote safer and healthier communities for all. Our next event on this theme will be an upcoming live webinar discussing the latest crime trends and showcasing LEL expertise (more information below!). 

We’re also excited to announce that we will be launching our new website in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for updates.

EVENTS

Crime Data and Solutions Congressional Briefing (July 30, 2024)

In late July, LEL co-sponsored a bipartisan Congressional briefing with the Brennan Center’s Justice Program focused on research on recent crime trends as well as effective solutions for preventing and reducing crime. The conversation was co-hosted by Representative Kelly Armstrong (R – ND At-large), who delivered opening remarks, and Representative Glenn Ivey (D – MD-04).

Ruby Nidiry moderated the discussion, which attracted a bipartisan audience of over 50 Hill staffers and partner advocates. 

Some Highlights:

• Opening Remarks: In his introduction, Representative Armstrong applauded our efforts to provide accurate crime data and spoke on the importance of supporting bills such as the EQUAL Act, addressing the lasting impact of youth felony records and collateral consequences, and emphasizing the need for bipartisan cooperation for smarter crime. 
• Data Overview: Ames Grawert of the Brennan Center provided compelling crime data showing that violent crime has decreased significantly since the pandemic. He also pointed out that there is no evidence linking criminal justice reforms to rising crime.
• On-the-Ground Solutions: LEL Members Sheriff Kalvin Barrett (Dane County, WI) and County Attorney John Choi (Ramsey County, MN) shared successful public safety approaches from their jurisdictions. Sheriff Barrett highlighted his focus on transforming Dane County’s jail into a rehabilitative facility offering comprehensive MAT services for substance use, providing reentry coordinators, and ensuring humane treatment. CA Choi discussed policies he has implemented in Ramsey County, including reducing “non-public safety,” or pretextual, traffic stops, improving clearance rates for non-fatal shootings, and increasing community collaboration, that have improved safety and fairness in his community. Ramsey County has seen a 70% reduction in prison admissions since 2013 without a rise in crime.
• Bipartisan Collaboration: Nationally-renowned conservative justice reform advocate Vikrant Reddy of Stand Together Trust spoke optimistically about the potential for bipartisan criminal justice reform, mentioning key legislative efforts such as EQUAL and the VICTIM Act, as well as various reentry bills, among others. He also emphasized the need for cross-party collaboration to advance meaningful reforms.

Watch the entire briefing here!

Upcoming Virtual Event: Promoting Justice and Public Safety Since the Pandemic (October 17, 2024 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET)

Join us for an upcoming event, part of the Brennan Center’s “BCLive” virtual series, produced in partnership with LEL, that will build on the successful bipartisan Congressional briefing in July and continue our work lifting up law enforcement voices in support of reform policies as critical components of public safety. Our panel will feature Denver (CO) District Attorney Beth McCann and Madison (WI) Police Chief Shon Barnes along with experts on crime data. Brennan Center events, symposia, and seminars reach more than 50,000 people a year. This event is open to the public so stay tuned for further details and registration information.  

WELCOME TO LEL’S NEWEST MEMBERS!

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to four new LEL members!

Sheriff Kalvin Barrett
Dane County, Wisconsin
As the first African American to be elected sheriff in Dane County in 2022, Sheriff Barrett brings over 15 years of experience as a peace officer, educator, and trainer to build an agency that reflects the communities it serves. In 2017, he became a full-time Madison College Criminal Justice Studies Program and Law Enforcement instructor. In addition to his extensive experience teaching courses on criminal justice and policing, he also participates in several national organizations such as the Major County Sheriffs of America, National Sheriff’s Association, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement, and Large Jail Network. Sheriff Barrett serves with his five core leadership values of character, competence, compassion, courage, and communication and uses those in his daily mission to build relationships and solve problems through evidence-based decision-making and procedural justice. 

Sheriff Elias Diggins
Denver, Colorado
Sheriff Diggins has been with the Denver Sheriff Department since 1994 and was sworn in as Sheriff in July 2020. He is a nationally recognized law enforcement official and a past-president of the American Jail Association (AJA). During his term as AJA President, he introduced an initiative titled “Gender Equity in Jails Across America,” which has also been adopted by the Department of Justice-National Institute of Corrections. He is the recipient of several honors from various organizations, including the prestigious Legacy Award from the Association of Women Executives in Corrections. As an advocate for the mental health community, he created a cabinet-level position in his administration titled, “Chief of Mental Health Services,” and hired a licensed psychologist to fill the role. Sheriff Diggins is also Certified Correctional Executive through the American Correctional Association (ACA), where he is also a former auditor, former commissioner, and the past-chair for ACA’s Commission on Accreditation for Corrections.

Executive Director Chauncey Parker
New York, New York
Chauncey Parker has served for almost thirty years as the Executive Director of the New York/New Jersey HIDTA, a federally-funded grant program that invests in law enforcement partnerships to build safe and healthy communities. He also serves as the Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public Safety for NYC. Parker began his career in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in 1986, where he served for five years. He next served for 10 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. In 2002, Governor George Pataki appointed Parker as the Director of Criminal Justice for New York State, where for five years he oversaw all state criminal justice agencies. In 2010, Parker returned to the Manhattan DA’s Office as an Executive Assistant District Attorney. In 2019, he was appointed as the New York City Police Department’s Deputy Commissioner for Collaborative Policing, where he served until his current appointment to the Mayor’s Office in July 2024.

Former Deputy Commissioner Jeff Schlanger
Palm Beach, Florida
Jeff Schlanger currently serves as the Independent Monitor for the City of Aurora, Colorado, where he ensures that the Aurora Police Department and Fire Rescue comply with reforms aimed at improving community relations, accountability, and operational transparency. He also serves as the Independent Police Auditor for the cities of San Leandro and Petaluma, California, where he is responsible for overseeing police reform efforts and guiding departments toward best practices in law enforcement. In 2014, Schlanger was appointed as the Chief of Staff in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office where he had previously served as Senior Trial and Senior Investigative Counsel.  In 2018, he was appointed as the first-ever Deputy Commissioner for Risk Management at the NYPDwhere he oversaw reform and compliance efforts arising out of the department’s earlier “stop-and-frisk” policy, and where he implemented crucial reforms such as establishing an early intervention program, enhancing supervisory oversight and officer accountability, and overseeing the city-wide rollout of body-worn cameras. In 2021, he founded IntegrAssure, a firm dedicated to risk management through quality assurance.

ADVOCACY

Over the past few months, LEL has continued to amplify the voice of law enforcement in public safety and justice reform at the federal level. 

In June, LEL joined the newly launched Traffic Safety for All coalition, led by the Center for Policing Equity, ACLU, Vera Institute, and the Policing Project with AAA as an advisor. This coalition is committed to advancing reforms that reduce low-risk pretextual traffic stops, aiming to reallocate law enforcement resources toward creating safer roads for everyone. 

In July, LEL joined the Safer Supervision Coalition in support of the Safer Supervision Act, a bipartisan bill requiring courts to conduct individualized assessments to determine supervision, creating positive incentives for early termination of supervision to encourage rehabilitation, and providing courts with discretion to determine how to assess minor controlled substance possession violations. 

In September, LEL submitted a public comment in support of a proposed policy change by the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to narrow the definition of who is considered “in custody” for Medicare eligibility. This modification will expand access to Medicare’s services for older adults and people with disabilities on bail, probation, parole, home confinement, and for some in halfway houses. This was part of an effort organized by the Legal Action Center (LAC), Justice in Aging (JIA), and the Health and Reentry Project (HARP).

Also in September, we joined the National Clean Slate Coalition, which is working to advance federal “clean slate” legislation either this year or in the next Congress, in collaboration with advocacy partners across the country. The coalition’s priorities are the Clean Slate Act of 2023, which will automatically seal certain federal criminal records after a period of time, and the Begin Again Act, which will remove the age requirement for expungement, allowing judges to give people of any age with a minor possession offense a second chance.

LOCAL EFFORTS BY MEMBERS 

In their own jurisdictions, LEL members continue to advocate for and lead the implementation of a wide array of innovative criminal justice strategies to enhance public safety and foster stronger community relationships. Here are some highlights:

Community Engagement & Outreach

• The Madison (WI) Police Department, led by Chief Shon Barnes and other community leaders, hosted a Public Safety Summit, giving residents an opportunity to engage with community leaders to discuss concerns about violence and other crime in Madison. 
• Chief Shon Barnes also served as a guest speaker at the Human Relations Commission’s public safety roundtable where residents and stakeholders shared thoughts on crime prevention. 
• Tampa (FL) Mayor Jane Castor joined the third annual free fishing clinic for over 100 youth, sponsored by the Yerrid Foundation, Rise Tampa, and the Our Police Foundation to foster positive relationships between youth and law enforcement.
• Dallas County (TX) District Attorney John Creuzot participated in the 8th annual Expunction Expo, which has granted over 2,750 expunctions since 2017 providing community members a fresh start to pursue employment and education.
• Brooklyn (NY) District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and members of the New York Police Department joined community members for the annual National Night Out, a campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie in communities across the country.
• Richland County (SC) Sheriff Leon Lott spoke about the importance of community policing, the rise of gun violence among youth and providing mental health support to his officers in an interview with a local radio station.
• Prince William (VA) Police Chief Peter Newsham participated in a telephone town hall, addressing safety concerns and updating listeners on legislative efforts aimed at enhancing community safety, preventing gun violence, tackling overdoses, and improving law enforcement effectiveness. 

Innovative Crime Prevention Strategies

• Chief Shon Barnes has been inducted into the Evidence-Based Policing Hall of Fame, recognized by the Center for Evidence-Based Policing for his leadership in using scientific methods to analyze crime and improve the criminal justice system. 
• Dane County (WI) Sheriff Kalvin Barrett served as a panelist on a webinar titled “Commanding Success: Police Leadership and Operational Strategies for the Modern Era” organized by Police1 where he presented methods for integrating mental health support with community policing efforts through proactive strategies. 
• Under Police Commissioner Michael Cox’s leadership, Boston (MA) has achieved a 78% reduction in homicides this year through targeted violence prevention strategies, including focused outreach to past offenders and victims, leveraging historical data, community collaboration, and addressing basic needs like housing, food, and job training.
• Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough successfully negotiated a budget increase for Forsyth County’s (NC) Juvenile Intervention Team, better equipping them to respond to criminal calls involving juveniles and set up youth mentorship programming.
• San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the city’s new public safety drone program has been transformative in reducing crime and increasing arrests for the city’s most challenging crimes while ensuring safeguards to protect the privacy rights of citizens.
• Under Sheriff Dawanna Witt, Hennepin County (MN) has established a new auto theft team dedicated to recovering stolen vehicles and proactively preventing car thefts, leading to a 25% reduction in auto theft incidents. 

Transparency & Accountability 

• Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot submitted a letter in favor of a proposal to give further independence to the city’s Office of Inspector General to report directly to the City Council and serve as an independent investigative authority regarding misconduct involving fraud, corruption, ethics, waste and abuse.
• After spending 16 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, a Brooklyn man was exonerated following a re-investigation by District Attorney Eric Gonzalez’s Conviction Review Unit uncovering a surveillance video that proved his innocence was previously withheld. 
• Will Johnson, former Police Chief of Arlington (TX), has successfully expanded the Texas Blue Chip Program, a local initiative providing mental health support to law enforcement officers so they can effectively and safely perform their duties, to a statewide level. 
• Dr. Nneka Jones Tapia, former Warden of the Cook County (IL) Department of Corrections and now Managing Director for Justice Initiatives at Chicago Beyond, spoke at a virtual panel on September 24th to discuss how to transform jail conditions in New York City.  
• Hennepin County (MN) Deputy County Attorney Mark Osler co-authored an op-ed with Rachel Berkow, a professor at NYU Law School, calling on President Biden to make clemency a priority in his remaining months in office. 
• Former Colorado Department of Corrections Executive Director Dean Williams called for measures to cool Texas prisons to safe temperatures, emphasizing the need to protect the health and safety of both prisoners and staff.
• The Hennepin County (MN) Sheriff’s Office launched a new dashboard, providing the public with up-to-date information on those in custody at the local jail, as part of Sheriff Dawanna Witt’s commitment to openness and transparency.

SOME RECOMMENDED RESOURCES…

Real-Time Crime Index, AH Datalytics (September 2024)  — Jeff Asher and the team at AH Datalytics have created this data tool that provides timely and accessible data on national crime trends, gathered from approximately 300 law enforcement agencies dating back to January 2017, allowing users to visualize and download monthly crime statistics.

Justice Department Issues Letter to State and Local Police Departments and Governments Explaining that Certain Housing Programs May Violate Federal Law, The Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs (August 2024) — The Justice Department explains how “crime-free” and “nuisance” programs may violate federal law if they unfairly penalize communities of color, individuals with disabilities, or survivors of domestic violence.

Analyzing the First Step Act’s Impact on Criminal Justice, Brennan Center for Justice (August 2024) — Jessie Brenner co-authored this piece that evaluates the impact of the First Step Act on sentencing and prison reforms based on the Justice Department’s 2024 Annual Report.

Unlocking Medicaid’s Potential for Reentry and Correctional Conditions, American Jails Magazine (July 2024 ) — Dave Ryan, Senior Director of Criminal Justice Initiatives at HARP (and former Senior Policy Advisor to Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, Middlesex County (MA)), explores recent policy changes expanding access to Medicaid coverage in jails to support a continuum of care throughout reentry.

The Police Killing of Sonya Massey Argues for Alternatives to Reform, The New York Times (July 2024) — In this op-ed, Tahir Duckett, Executive Director of Georgetown Law’s Center for Innovations in Community Safety, advocates for alternative response programs to reduce the scope of police responsibilities, reduce incidences of police violence, and improve public safety outcomes.

Community Responder Liability Report, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (May 2024) — Amos Irwin, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) Program Director, analyzes case law and statutes from the federal system and all 50 states, concluding that sending unarmed community responders rather than armed police officers can reduce a city’s civil liability exposure.

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