Crime News
The Daily Signal reports on crime news with analysis and commentary on policies, crime rates, and policing debates.
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news
How a Catholic Cardinal Is Responding to the Assault on Marriage and Family
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio—Pope Francis’s visit to the United States next week will coincide with a meeting of Catholics from all over the world to discuss some of the most pertinent issues facing the church. For a society that’s become increasingly secularized, the upcoming World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia will be an opportunity for bishops to discuss… -
opinion
What’s Missing From the Washington Debate on Criminal Justice Reform
There has been a lot of talk lately on Capitol Hill about criminal justice reform, and it is expected that both the House and the Senate will take up the issue now that Congress is back in session. Rumor has it that behind-the-scenes discussions are taking place to try to forge bipartisan, bicameral compromise on… -
news
In 12 Oklahoma Counties, Millions Seized From Property Owners Who Were Never Charged With Crimes
In Oklahoma, law enforcement agencies across 12 counties took $6 million in cash over a five-year span. Less than half of the money came from property owners who were charged with a crime. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma analyzed records regarding cash seizures that took place in a dozen counties along Interstate 40,… -
news
Will Government Officials Be Held Accountable for Kate Steinle’s Death? Her Family Filed a Lawsuit.
In an attempt to hold government officials accountable for the shooting death of their 32-year-old daughter Kate, the Steinle family filed a lawsuit against three government agencies. The suit alleges that those agencies are in part responsible for Steinle’s death, but experts say the family has little chance at prevailing. "Unfortunately, prior lawsuits against cities… -
opinion
Haiti Struggles to Restore Democracy and Fight Corruption
Haiti finally held legislative elections last month. As Jacky Charles of the Miami Herald reported, they were “violent” and “chaotic.” But at least they happened. President Michel Martelly, in office since 2011, has weakened Haiti’s fragmented institutions and heightened political instability. He is surrounded by a network of friends and aides who, according to the… -
opinion
This Government Jobs Program Is Ineffective, Ridden With Crime
A job training program for disadvantaged youth—sounds like a good thing. Except maybe when it is plagued by violent crime and doesn’t boost participants’ wages or help them secure full-time jobs. Each year, Congress spends in excess of $1.65 billion on Job Corps, even though Department of Labor research found years ago that Job Corps does… -
news
Friends, Colleagues Remember Murdered Reporter: She Was ‘Going to Rise to the Top’
Alison Parker, 24, was a “go-getter” who was “going to make it big” in broadcast journalism. But her life was cut short after she and Adam Ward, 27, were fatally shot early Wednesday morning during a live WDBJ broadcast at a shopping center in Moneta, Va., located just outside Roanoke. Both were journalists for the… -
opinion
How Should Sexual Assault Be Managed on Campus? Two Bills’ Different Approaches
There is no doubt that American colleges should be safe for all students. A recent University of Virginia case is any example, however, of the difficulty college communities often face dealing with those accused of crimes, as well as those who are victims. In the recent Virginia case, allegations of sexual assault were repeated in… -
opinion
‘Hide No Harm Act’ Won’t Improve Car Safety, Promotes Overcriminalization
At least fifteen people have died since 2005 due to defective ignition switches in General Motors cars. Congress can’t fix these tragedies, but this sure hasn’t stopped them from trying to legislate a response. General Motors CEO Mary Barra purportedly discovered a defect in some of their cars in January 2014 and issued recalls. After… -
opinion
Lois Lerner Claimed Lincoln Was Worst President. Why She’s Wrong.
Lerner, the former IRS official who is at the center of a scandal involving the targeting of conservative groups, claims in a newly-released email that Abraham Lincoln is the worst president in the nation’s history. In an email responding to a friend, Lerner wrote, “Look my view is that Lincoln was our worst president not… -
news
Martin O’Malley Says Criminal Justice Reform Would ‘Save and Redeem Lives’
GRUNDY CENTER, Iowa—Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley spoke at a small-town library here Friday afternoon saying he feels incarceration rates can be reduced in the U.S. by reforming the criminal justice system. O’Malley, a Democrat running for president, would like to make greater investments as a nation “to make sure people are represented in all… -
opinion
The Poll Numbers on the Planned Parenthood Scandal CNN Left Out
Regardless of one’s point of view on an issue, you can usually find a poll that shows that a majority of people agree with you. I’d suggest that is exactly what we saw happen on CNN Wednesday, when anchor Alisyn Camerota interviewed Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., about the debate surrounding Planned Parenthood. A May 2015… -
opinion
Remembering the Man Who Exposed Communist Russia’s Murders of Millions
Conservative historian, poet and Presidential Medal of Freedom winner Robert Conquest passed away on Monday, leaving behind a legacy of vital support for freedom. Robert Conquest was born in 1917, the son of a British mother and an American father. He is best known for his book “The Great Terror: Stalin’s Purge of the Thirties,”… -
opinion
Justice Department Should Enforce Rules Mandating Voter Rolls Updates
Why isn’t the Justice Department enforcing the law and requiring state local election officials to keep voter rolls updated and current? Last week, the Public Interest Legal Foundation launched a project to clean up America’s voter rolls. Their lawsuit is based on a decades-old statute that requires states and counties to make reasonable efforts to… -
opinion
Why Conservative Governors Are Embracing Criminal Justice Reform
It used to be that, like entitlement spending, criminal justice reform was a third rail in politics—touch it, and you could be sure that your next opponent would run a commercial saying you were “soft on crime.” It was a one-way ticket to “Loserville.” That has changed, most notably in conservative states. Listen to what… -
news
Illegal Immigrant Charged With Murder Was Previously Detained
An illegal immigrant accused of attempted rape and murder during a violent crime spree Monday was released by Ohio sheriff’s deputies three weeks ago after U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents told the officers not to detain him. Juan Emmanuel Razo-Ramirez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, was arrested after a shootout with police in Lake… -
news
University Cop Who Killed Unarmed Motorist Charged With Murder
The University of Cincinnati police officer who fatally shot Samuel DuBose during a routine traffic stop on July 19 was indicted on murder charges Wednesday. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters called the shooting “senseless” and said he would treat the officer, Ray Tensing, “like a murderer.” “I’ve been doing this for over 30 years,” Deters… -
opinion
Anti-Corruption Protests Continue in Central America
For eight consecutive weeks, tens of thousands of people have flooded the streets in Guatemala and Honduras to protest government corruption in what Hondurans are calling “marcha de las anatorches,” or March of the Torches. The protests are a positive step for Hondurans and Guatemalans to keep government officials accountable. Accusations of bribery and tax… -
opinion
The Clinton Emails: Will DOJ Conduct a Real Investigation?
The debate over the revelation of the referral to the Justice Department of Hillary Clinton’s email activities as Secretary of State missed several important points, particularly the preferential treatment she has been given so far. Any other federal employee found to have discussed high-level, sensitive government business in her personal emails, including possibly classified materials,… -
news
Study Finds IRS Targeted Organizations in Biased Way
A report released on Thursday morning by the Government Accountability Office unveiled that the Internal Revenue Service specifically audited organizations in a biased manner. “The control deficiencies GAO found increase the risk that [the Exempt Organizations unit] could select organizations for examination in an unfair manner—for example, based on an organization’s religious, educational, political, or…