The SITREPBlog posts made by the authors of the website.
On June 28th, House Bill 971 was signed into law, and will become effective starting December 1st, 2024. This new bill changes the purchase or solicitation of sex for money from a misdemeanor to a felony in the hopes that the demand for commercial sex, and thus the demand for sex trafficking victims, will decrease.
To learn more about this bill and its effects on law enforcement, visit here:
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/article289914144.html
On May 28th, Officer Kayla Wallace was conducting routine patrol on Highway 17 in Myrtle Beach when she witnessed a Jeep run a red light. When she pulled the car over, she saw a female driver and a male passenger, but it wasn’t until the female driver mouthed “Help me” that Officer Wallace understood the gravity of the situation and acted accordingly.
To learn more about the incident and Officer Wallace’s quick thinking, visit here:
On April 27th, one of our own MACJ graduate students, Kenedra Smith, was promoted to Sergeant at the Henderson Police Department. She is pictured here with Chief Marcus W. Barrow (left) and Captain Joseph Ferguson (right).
The MACJ program congratulates her on this excellent achievement!
On April 12th, a new piece of legislation titled the “Supporting Women COPS Act” was proposed in order to influence more gender diversity within law enforcement. Many North Carolina Police Chiefs are in support of this legislation, include Raleigh’s Chief Patterson, Durham’s Chief Andrews, and Chapel Hills Chief Lehew.
To learn more about the women who proposed this legislation, and what it all may mean for the future of law enforcement, visit here:
In Henrico County, Virginia, Irvo Otieno died while in the custody of Sheriff’s deputies and State Hospital Staff on March 6th. Otieno was being transferred to the psychiatric unit of the hospital when, police claim, he became uncooperative in the admission process. The family was able to watch the surveillance footage from the hospital and Otieno’s mother, Caroline Ouko, claims her son’s death was unlawful.
To learn more about the incident and what Ouko has to say, visit here:
Family of Virginia man who died in custody views surveillance video (newsbreak.com)
The population of women within the prison system has continued to increase since 2018, and yet the mass amount of research on the correctional population focuses on men. Incarcerated women have different experiences within the system than their male counterparts, thus such research is important on both ends.
To learn more about the disparities and the stats behind them, visit here:
The Gender Divide: Tracking women’s state prison growth | Prison Policy Initiative
Reports from the Bureau of Justice Statistics released on Thursday show that correctional populations fell 1% from the end of 2020 to the end of 2021 and continue to decline. The number of US residents under correctional supervision fell from 1 in 48 to 1 in 47.
To learn more about this decline and the impact of COVID-19 on this population, visit here:
US Correctional Population Continued to Decline in 2021 | Office of Justice Programs (ojp.gov)
A report from the Justice Department’s inspector general found that about 47% of female officers have had inmates expose themselves to them, a type of sexual harassment. According to the department, this is a widespread issue across the prison system.
To learn more about this report and its specifics, visit here:
Prison inmate sexual harassment of female officers ‘widespread,’ watchdog finds – ABC News (go.com)
Mapping Police Violence, a nonprofit database, found that in 2022 one in 20 gun homicides were committed by police officers. That is about 1,192 people that year, the highest number in a decade.
To learn more about how this compares to other countries as well as previous years, visit here:
On February 4th, 65-year-old incarcerated individual Marvin Pines died in Rikers Island after suffering a seizure in the shower. He had been sick in the bathroom hours before, but no officers came to check on him. The cause of death hasn’t been announced, but two assistant deputy wardens, two corrections officers, two nurses and a captain have been suspended for his death.
To learn more, visit here:
7 staff members suspended after elderly man dies at Rikers – Gothamist