In this article, @tonymess.bsky.social connects evidence and crime-fighting, both in St. Louis and beyond. Pleased to have been a part of it and glad to see the @vrcinfo.bsky.social's work mentioned. www.stltoday.com/news/local/c...

Pleased to see the lessons from Bleeding Out are still getting out there. Focus. Balance. Fairness. iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/09/19/d...

Last week, VRC Director @thomasabt.bsky.social gave the keynote at Sacramento Police Department's Violent Crime Summit. Thank you to Dr. Nicole Clavo-Barclay and Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester for the opportunity to discuss the work of the VRC!

I somehow missed this important op-ed a couple of weeks ago from David Kennedy. Don't make the same mistake! www.nytimes.com/2025/09/10/o...

If scientists are viewed simply as a tribe, other tribes will be inclined to reject their wisdom. Smart stuff from @ellaalshamahi.bsky.social. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

As Peter and Barry point out, there are better ways to support localities in fighting crime than sending in the national guard. www.nationalreview.com/2025/09/a-be...

The weaponization of law enforcement, if unchecked, only ends in one place: autocracy. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

For better or worse, Trump is generating attention and energy around the issue of violent crime. The challenge policymakers face is to channel that energy into policies informed by rigorous evidence and respectful of civil rights and liberties. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Some good, hopeful news on a Sunday morning. I see these sentiments in my own students as well. www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...

As @nytimes.com highlights, VRC-partner cities, City of Knoxville, @boston.gov, and @cityofstl.bsky.social are seeing violent crime drop faster than the national avg. Memphis is on track to reach this level. Violence reduction should be evidence-based, not partisan. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/u...

🚨 There's still time to apply! 🚨 The VRC is looking for an experienced Deputy Director to lead research, policy guidance, as well as day-to-day management and mid- and long-term planning. Apply today for best consideration. tinyurl.com/applyvrc

Data is now available through August for 29 of the 30 cities that had the most murders in 2024 (data through July for Indianapolis). Murder is down more than 21 percent in that sample.

I spoke recently with @nbcwashington.com about Trump's takeover. As I've noted here and elsewhere, federal support for local crimefighting is nothing new, but there's a right way and wrong way to go about it. www.nbcwashington.com/investigatio...

Political violence has no place in a democracy. Period. Charlie Kirk and I didn't agree on much, but that doesn't make his brutal murder any less despicable. I hope his killer(s) are brought to justice soon.

VRC Director @thomasabt.bsky.social shared with @nytimes.com temporary crime surges may reduce violence briefly but doesn’t address the underlying issue. Lasting change comes from sustained investment in strategies that are focused, balanced, and fair. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/31/u...

Join Our Team! The VRC is seeking an experienced Deputy Director to advance our mission to save lives by stopping violence, using science. Apply by 9/12 for best consideration! tinyurl.com/applyvrc

Apparently DOJ's Office of Justice Programs is no longer funding CrimeSolutions, its evidence-based program registry. Big mistake and a loss for science-backed crimefighting nationwide. crimjj.wordpress.com/2025/09/08/d...

The VRC is hiring! This is an important leadership position in a growing and dynamic organization that is saving lives. Please consider applying and joining us!

New @jhucgvs.bsky.social survey: 72% of Americans support funding Community Violence Intervention programs. Investing in the people and places most at risk can save lives and deliver major returns. Survey: publichealth.jhu.edu/center-for-g... doi.org/10.1162/daed...

Despite this article’s aggressive title, it’s important to note that good crime policy depends on cooperation and collaboration. Pleased to see the nonpartisan work of the @vrcinfo.bsky.social highlighted as an example. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/u...

Nice @nytimes piece questioning the effectiveness of the DC takeover. Lots of smart people commenting, and also me. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/31/u...

It’s not too late to apply! @cityofstl.bsky.social is hiring a Commissioner of Violence Prevention. This important leadership role guides strategies, partnerships, and solutions to reduce violence and build safer neighborhoods. Closes August 29, 2025 Apply now: careers.stlouis-mo.gov/careersectio...

This powerful piece highlights ROCA Inc's early work and how they are reaching young men in Baltimore at the highest risk of gun violence. A must-read on what real change looks like. www.thebanner.com/community/lo...

Republican or Democrat, conservative or progressive, if you love freedom, moves like these should scare you. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/25/u...

Was pleased to play a small part in supporting Ganesha Martin and former chief Michael Harrison bringing this strategy to Baltimore.

Prosecutors are not legislators, and they shouldn’t take the law into their own hands, refusing to prosecute certain offenses but not others. Wrong when progressives do it, wrong when conservatives do it.

Last week Adam Gelb and I spoke to @npr.org about how best to understand the crime situation in Washington, DC. Take a look. www.npr.org/2025/08/19/n...

Last week Adam Gelb and I spoke to @npr.org about how best to understand the crime situation in Washington, DC. Take a look. www.npr.org/2025/08/19/n...

THIS. A great summation of everything that's wrong with Trump's takeover.

Trump wants to instill fear, that’s the authoritarian way. Emphasizing dystopian scenes of crime across our cities creates a pretext for more. More intimidation, more distractions, more unchecked authority. Eight things to know about the National Guard in D.C. www.ifyoucankeepit.org/p/eight-thin...

@boston.gov reported 17 homicides in the first half of 2025—up 143% from 7 in the same period last year. The city ended 2024 with 24, the lowest in nearly 70 years. Experts like @thomasabt.bsky.social note that small increases can seem large after major progress. Link: www.axios.com/local/boston...

As @thomasabt.bsky.social, a former Justice Department official told me, there are a ton of fixes that could help D.C., but they require real policy change and won't fit on a bumper sticker. For one, fix the city’s long-troubled crime lab.

DC homicides are down. Violent crime is at a 30-year low. But the city still suffers from persistent gun violence. Trump's guard deployment and MPD takeover, however, won't solve DC's chronic problems — and could make some worse. In short, it's a missed opportunity to address real needs.

Myself and others smarter than me weigh in on Trump's DC takeover in this @bychipbrownlee.com @thetrace.org piece. www.thetrace.org/2025/08/trum...

Here's a conversation I had with @shirinali.bsky.social from @slate.com concerning crime, violence, politics, and our nation's capital. Give it a read. slate.com/news-and-pol...

Smart piece from @charlesflehman.bsky.social: DC does have a chronic crime problem, Trump's takeover is just the wrong solution. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

As this explainer shows, basically everything Trump said at his press conference Monday about DC crime was a lie or an exaggeration. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/u...

"The most promising results we’ve seen in driving down these rates are not from cracking down on crime with aggressive force. They’ve come, and should come, from strong community investment and intervention strategies matched with smart, targeted enforcement." @jeffasher.bsky.social

“If violent crime has been dropping for 18 months, it’s unclear to me how those two people – neither who have local law enforcement experience – can improve upon the good job that local law enforcement is doing.” www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Trump's EO cites "rising crime" as a justification for temporarily taking over the MPD. That's wrong - violent crime has dropped 46% this year and dropped 35% last year according to MPD's latest numbers.

FBI agents are not trained to patrol streets. And every agent that is assigned to do that is NOT investigating: *foreign spies stealing gov’t and trade secrets *foreign and domestic terrorist threats *crimes like fraud, corruption, trafficking, and violent crimes (among others) Do you feel safer?

One thing that didn't make it into today's piece: Washington, DC already has by far the highest number of law enforcement officers per capita of any city of 250k+.

New this week, assessing violent crime in Washington, DC: Murder's plunging, carjacking's plunging, & overall violent crime is near modern lows, though it's probably not falling as fast as the public data says it is. jasher.substack.com/p/assessing-...

This administration’s assault on the rule of law is deeply disturbing and goes far beyond the efforts of any previous administration, Democratic or Republican. Do not let anyone tell you this is normal.

1/ The FBI's 2024 crime numbers are out. Violent crime overall decreased 4.5% compared to 2023, murder and declined 14.9%. Rapes, aggravated assault, and robberies dropped 5.2%, 3.0%, and 8.9% respectively. Property crime decreased 8.1%.

Pleased to see this from @ejdionne.bsky.social highlighting what's gone right with crime and violence over the past few years. As some might not know, violent crime nationally is way down from its recent peak in 2021, and property crime is also down. Read on. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Join one of VRC’s partner cities, @cityofstl.bsky.social, as the next Commissioner of Violence Prevention. This is a unique chance to lead meaningful, community-focused change in a city committed to public safety innovation. Apply now! careers.stlouis-mo.gov/careersectio...

Releasing convicted murderers is not tough on crime. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

We're launching a new YouTube channel today with short videos and (eventually) a podcast designed to communicate crime/policing data and trends better. Come subscribe for all the fun! www.youtube.com/@Aggregated_...