A Galveston SWAT Team Wrecked an Innocent Family's Home. Then They Kept It From the City.
Police went silent on city officials following the botched raid that caused $5,000 in damages.
Militarization of Police
What Tyre Nichols' Killing Tells Us About Policing: Live With Walter Katz, Nick Gillespie, and Zach Weissmueller
Join Reason on YouTube and Facebook on Thursday at 1 p.m. ET for a discussion of Tyre Nichols, police reform, and violent crime in America, featuring Walter Katz.
We Should All Be Nervous About Killer Police Robots
The San Francisco Police Department assured the public it had "no plans to arm robots with guns." But assurances aren't guarantees.
San Francisco Votes To Allow Killer Robots
Plus: Same-sex marriage bill passes Senate, Montana "mountain man" takes property rights case to SCOTUS, and more...
Arizona Town To Pay $8 Million to Widow of Daniel Shaver, Shot While Crawling Unarmed Toward Police
The cop who killed Shaver was fired. But he will receive a disability pension for the rest of his life because he claims he has post-traumatic stress disorder.
'Riotsville, U.S.A.' Explores the Origins of Police Militarization
Sierra Pettengill's documentary focuses on the fake towns, built by the Army in the 1960s, to train law enforcement.
Netflix's Athena Is a Masterpiece About Police Violence and Social Unrest
A technically astounding film that turns a French housing block into a political warzone.
Unnecessary SWAT Raid Ended in the Death of an Albuquerque Teen
This was an attempted arrest of a man wanted for questioning and parole violations, not a hostage situation.
This Innocent Woman's House Was Destroyed by a SWAT Team. A Jury Says She's Owed $60,000.
Such victims are often told they have no right to sue.
Do Small Town Cops Need Training in Israeli Counterterror Techniques?
U.S. taxpayers have been paying for training that encourages aggressive policing.
Biden Signs Executive Order Restricting Chokeholds and Limiting Transfer of Military Equipment to Police
The order restricts chokeholds and no-knock warrants at the federal level, but the White House has little power over the state and local departments where the majority of policing occurs.
Minneapolis Bans Police Use of No-Knock Warrants
After the tragic shooting of Amir Locke, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has made changes to the controversial practice. But are they enough?
Civilian Cops Don't Need Military Weapons
Police are supposed to be part of a community, not an occupying military force armed to the teeth.
Federal Grants Brought the Equipment of the War on Terror Home to American Police Departments
Twenty years after 9/11, weaponry and surveillance gear originally developed for the military have become commonplace in police departments around the country.
Police Reforms Make Progress Against Entrenched Opposition
Every time cops denounce reform efforts it is evidence of a win.
ACLU Study Finds Obama-Era Restrictions Failed To Slow Flow of Military Gear to Police
The study comes as House Democrats press to completely abolish the Pentagon program.
Massive Illinois Police Reform Bill Ends Cash Bail, Limits Deadly Force, Mandates Body Cameras, and Makes It Easier To Dump Crooked Cops
Unfortunately, qualified immunity remains intact.
Prosecutor's Office Clears Maryland SWAT Officers in Fatal Shooting of Duncan Lemp
A report cites his "anti-government," "anti-police" ideology as an impetus for the fatal no-knock raid.
Massachusetts Starts 2021 by Adopting a Process To Fire Bad Cops
The Bay State finally creates a police certification system.
Bad Cop, No Robot
The case for legally constraining what police departments can do with robots.
Cops Clash with Protesters in America and Around the World
Plus: Pennsylvania restaurant wins lockdown lawsuit, Pakistan bans TikTok, and more...
The Portland Protest Shooter's Death Looks More and More Like Excessive Force—but Trump Keeps Bragging About It
Plus: A tale of two townhalls, Matt Welch interviews Jo Jorgensen, Bill Gates talks antitrust, Ajit Pai moves on Section 230 study, and more...
The Police Tactics That Caused Breonna Taylor's Death Should Infuriate Second Amendment Advocates
Heavy-handed police raids are trampling on the basic rights of all Americans.
Police Are Using $1.6 Billion in Surplus Military Gear Doled Out Since 9/11
That includes 1,114 armored personnel carriers.
Regulate Use of Force
"When you're conditioned to believe that every person...poses a threat to your existence, you simply cannot be expected to build out meaningful relationships."
Washington Post Journalist Radley Balko on Civil Rights, Militarized Policing, and the Power of Video
The Washington Post's Radley Balko was a pioneer in reporting on the disastrous consequences of police militarization and the need for criminal justice reform. Now everyone else is catching up.
Tennessee Cops Raid Wrong Home, Point Guns at Naked Woman While Looking for Teen Suspect
Nashville officers tried to smooth things over with groceries. A traumatized Azaria Hines says what she really needs is "a peace of mind."
Secret Service Asked CBP for Helicopters and Spy Planes in Response to White House Protesters
The Secret Service wanted the helicopter to deploy a "fast ropes" commando team if necessary.
Lots of Talk But Much Less Action on Police Reform
Getting government officials to put their packs of enforcers on shorter leashes is the definition of an uphill battle.
After Failing To Quell Unrest, the Feds Will Depart From Portland
President Trump sent federal agents to squash protests, but the situation has continuously escalated.
A SWAT Team Blew Up This Family's Home in Pursuit of a Suspect Who Wasn't Even There
Nor did the suspect live at the residence.
The Feds Are Still the Jackbooted Thugs We Were Warned About
Government agents brutalizing people are in the wrong, whether or not we sympathize with those on the receiving end.
Trump Administration Justifies Federal Police Surge With Fake News
Plus: "learning pods" are an unfair target, COVID-19 reinfections are unlikely, and more...
Rand Paul: It's Time To Demilitarize the Police
The line between peace officer and soldier of war has become far too blurry.
Don't 'Abolish the Police.' Privatize Them.
"A lot of people think that law enforcement must be provided by a [government] monopoly," says economist Edward Stringham. But "there are plenty of private examples of people working to create order and safety in society."
Sen. Brian Schatz Says 'Libertarians Should Be Freaking Out About Portland.' Where Has He Been?
The Hawaii senator fails to fully consider the causes of bad policing.
Department of Homeland Security Reportedly Sending 150 Agents to Chicago in Expansion of Federal Crackdown
Trump and other White House officials say the feds may soon be coming to other major cities as well.
Sending Secret Police To Do Protester Snatch-n-Grabs Is Bad, Mmmkay?
The Reason Roundtable talks Portland, policing, federalism, coronavirus, and the perennially dumb discourse.
Feds Send Outside Agitators To Escalate Conflict in Portland
Plus: How H-1B visa restrictions cost U.S. jobs, a woman sues the British health service over hormone blockers, and more...
ACLU Sues Federal Agents Deployed in Portland
The ACLU of Oregon says it's the first of many lawsuits regarding the Trump administration's deployment of federal law enforcement to Portland.
Homeland Security Acting Like 'An Occupying Army' Says Sen. Wyden, After Federal Agents Shoot Peaceful Portland Protester
Plus: Free press threats, marriage licensing woes, Fiona Apple fights for prisoners, Trump spox talk up masks, and more...
Why Haven't We Seen the Body Cam Footage of Duncan Lemp's Killing?
It's been nearly four months since a Maryland SWAT team killed Duncan Lemp, and there's been no transparency.
To Demilitarize the Police, We Need To Change More Than Just Their Uniforms
The problem isn’t just that cops look like occupying soldiers, it’s that too many think and act like them.
How Police Reform Bills in Congress Compare
Everybody is talking about changing law enforcement, but not all proposals are equally worthy—or serious.
The War on Drugs Drug Spurred America's Current Policing Crisis
Police strategies have changed dramatically in the past few decades—and not because of soaring crime. America's War on Drugs is a prime culprit.
The Libertarian Roots of Police Reform: Q&A with Radley Balko
How to stop police killings and enact real, lasting reforms.
Police Reform Should Match the Needs of Different Communities
Leave people room to experiment with approaches to protecting life, liberty, and property.
We Filmed the Cops. People Changed Their Minds.
Videos of police abuse haven't stopped police brutality. But they've helped build a consensus for police reform.