Violent crime has been rising sharply in many American cities after two decades of decline. Homicides jumped nearly 17 percent in 2015 in the largest 50 cities, the biggest one-year increase since 1993. The reason is what Heather Mac Donald first identified nationally as the “Ferguson effect”: Since the 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, officers have been backing off of proactive policing, and criminals are becoming emboldened. This book expands on Mac Donald’s groundbreaking and controversial reporting on the Ferguson effect and the criminal-justice system. It deconstructs the central narrative of the Black Lives Matter movement: that racist cops are the greatest threat to young black males. On the contrary, it is criminals and gangbangers who are responsible for the high black homicide death rate. The War on Cops exposes the truth about officer use of force and explodes the conceit of “mass incarceration.” A rigorous analysis of data shows that crime, not race, drives police actions and prison rates. The growth of proactive policing in the 1990s, along with lengthened sentences for violent crime, saved thousands of minority lives. In fact, Mac Donald argues, no government agency is more dedicated to the proposition that “black lives matter” than today’s data-driven, accountable police department. Mac Donald gives voice to the many residents of high-crime neighborhoods who want proactive policing. She warns that race-based attacks on the criminal-justice system, from the White House on down, are eroding the authority of law and putting lives at risk. This book is a call for a more honest and informed debate about policing, crime, and race.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports Section selected and analyzed 51 incidents of police officer killings in order to evaluate the psychology of the offender, the behavior of the police officer, and circumstances in which the police officer lost his or her life. The study was conducted over a 3-year period; the 51 incidents resulted in the death of 54 police officers and involved 50 offenders. Results demonstrated that, while no single offender profile could be established, most killers of police officers had been diagnosed as having some type of personality disorder. Behavioral descriptors of victims were frequently similar in that they were good-natured and more conservative than their fellow officers in the use of physical force. The incidents themselves revealed that killings were often facilitated by some type of procedural miscue (e.g., improper approach to a vehicle). Type of assignment, circumstances at the scene of an encounter, weapons involved, and the environment in which events occurred all played a role in the preponderance of police officer deaths in the South. The report presents extensive information on the victims, offenders, and incidents studied. It identifies personality types of offenders, provides guidance on how individuals of a given personality type interact with authority figures, and offers approaches to interrogation. The report also points out specific areas where law enforcement training and procedures may be improved. Appendixes contain the study methodology and a description of personality types.

Documents the 62 law enforcement officers that were slain while serving and protecting the citizens of America. Covers: when, how, where, when and by who; circumstances, profiles, disposition and much more. Also includes detailed analysis of law enforcement officers assaulted; and assaults on Federal officers. Fascinating, detailed descriptions of how the 62 officers were killed. Over 30 charts and tables.

Documents the 65 law enforcement officers that were slain while serving and protecting the citizens of America. Covers: when, how, where, when and by who; circumstances, profiles, disposition and much more. Also includes detailed analysis of law enforcement officers assaulted; and assaults on Federal officers. Fascinating, detailed descriptions of how the 65 officers were killed. Over 30 charts and tables.

Ambush attacks against law enforcement officers remain a threat to officer safety, with the number of attacks per year holding steady since a decline in the early 1990s and the proportion of fatal attacks on officers attributable to ambushes increasing. Concerns about targeted violence against police are on the rise, while officers must not only be guardians of the public but also be prepared to respond to violence targeting them. This report details findings from four inquiries on the topic: 1. A series of focus groups with police leaders to discuss ambushes, including definitional issues, preparation and protection strategies, and recovery after ambush incidents. 2. A quantitative analysis of environmental (agency and jurisdictional) characteristics associated with increases in the number of ambushes experienced by agencies over a five-year period. 3. A quantitative analysis of ambush incident survivability rates associated with officer, suspect, and incident characteristics. 4. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of organizational learning in the wake of ambush incidents based on survey data collected as part of this study.