Amanda Hernández

State and local legislators are cracking down on the use of “license plate flippers,” devices that allow drivers to obscure or conceal their license plates at the press of a button.

Transportation |
‘License plate flippers’ help drivers evade police, tickets and tolls

September 14, 2024 at 9:36 a.m.

State and local legislators are cracking down on the use of “license plate flippers,” devices that allow drivers to obscure or conceal their license plates at the press of a...

More than 750,000 incarcerated students could potentially become eligible for Pell Grants. But to qualify, they must be below the family income limits and be at a prison that offers a college program approved by the federal Department of Education.

National News |
More college programs are slowly coming into prisons

May 13, 2024 at 10:26 a.m.

More than 750,000 incarcerated students could potentially become eligible for Pell Grants. But to qualify, they must be below the family income limits and be at a prison that offers...

State legislators and some local and state agencies are moving to relax the rules on high-speed vehicular pursuits largely because of concerns about crime, according to news reports and a review of testimony by Stateline.

National News |
In reversal, more states allow high-speed police chases

April 20, 2024 at 1:12 p.m.

State legislators and some local and state agencies are moving to relax the rules on high-speed vehicular pursuits largely because of concerns about crime, according to news reports and a...

Carjackings and car thefts are up significantly compared with the number of incidents before the pandemic, prompting fear and calls for action in many American cities.

Crime and Public Safety |
Car thefts and carjackings are up. Unreliable data make it hard to pinpoint why.

February 14, 2024 at 7:27 a.m.

Carjackings and car thefts are up significantly compared with the number of incidents before the pandemic, prompting fear and calls for action in many American cities.

Recidivism rates across the country can vary greatly because of how they’re defined, how the data is collected and how it’s presented to the public. So it can be difficult to say that, for example, one state is doing better than another in rehabilitating formerly incarcerated residents.

National News |
Virginia among states reporting lower rates of inmates returning to prison, but data doesn’t tell the full story

December 14, 2023 at 8:17 a.m.

Recidivism rates across the country can vary greatly because of how they’re defined, how the data is collected and how it’s presented to the public. So it can be difficult...

AI is quietly transforming how non-emergency calls are handled in dispatch centers. An AI-powered system can triage and coordinate the flood of reports, promptly alerting the relevant agencies.

National News |
AI bots are helping 911 dispatchers across the country with their workload, including in Virginia

October 23, 2023 at 2:59 p.m.

AI is quietly transforming how non-emergency calls are handled in dispatch centers. An AI-powered system can triage and coordinate the flood of reports, promptly alerting the relevant agencies.

State anti-hazing laws, most of which were approved in the past 15 years, differ in their definitions and the criminal penalties they impose. Depending on the state, participating in hazing activities may result in a fine, misdemeanor charge or a felony charge if the hazing results in serious bodily harm or death.

National News |
As hazing season on college campuses approaches, state safeguards are uneven

October 9, 2023 at 8:12 a.m.

State anti-hazing laws, most of which were approved in the past 15 years, differ in their definitions and the criminal penalties they impose. Depending on the state, participating in hazing...

National News |
Reveal law enforcement misdeeds vs. protect officer privacy: More states require release of disciplinary records

August 13, 2023 at 9:41 a.m.

Fueled by public outrage over the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and other high-profile incidents of police violence, state policymakers have offered a variety of...

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