Latest news with #publicsafety
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Head of Utah Department of Public Safety announces retirement
After more than 25 years of service to the state, Jess Anderson on Thursday announced his retirement as head of the Department of Public Safety, a position he's held for seven years. 'Under his guidance, the department made significant strides in emergency response coordination, community safety initiatives, and legislative engagement. His tenure has been marked by incredible commitment to the mission of 'Keeping Utah Safe,'' the department stated in announcing Anderson's retirement. 'Serving as commissioner of the Department of Public Safety has been the honor of a lifetime,' Anderson said in a prepared statement. 'I'm incredibly proud of the work we've accomplished and the dedicated professionals I've had the privilege of leading. It's time for me to step into a new chapter with my family, and I leave knowing the department is in capable hands.' Anderson's last day will be July 16. Gov. Spencer Cox has appointed Beau Mason as the new commissioner of public asfety, effective July 17. Mason has been with the Department of Public Safety for 20 years and in 2023 was appointed as a deputy commissioner overseeing emergency medical services and the state's school safety program. Anderson's career began with the Utah Highway Patrol and spanned into multiple leadership roles within DPS. Utah Senate President Stuart Adams issued a statement on Thursday publicly congratulating Anderson. 'Commissioner Jess Anderson's quiet strength, unwavering integrity and deep commitment have shaped the safety and well-being of Utah in meaningful and lasting ways. More than a public servant, he has been a steady hand in uncertain times, a trusted adviser and someone who truly cares about the people of this state,' Adams said. 'On behalf of the Utah Senate, and with deep personal gratitude, we thank Commissioner Anderson for his tireless service, steady leadership and the positive difference he has made. We wish him and his family joy and well-deserved rest in this next chapter of their lives.'
CTV News
2 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Coast Guard hovercraft grounded
Coast Guard hovercraft grounded A pair of highly specialized vessels that serve public safety on the West Coast have been grounded by a lack of staff.
SBS Australia
2 hours ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
'Recipe for disaster': advocates condemn plan to bring in guns for bus and public housing officers in the NT
Alyawarra and Luritja woman Chrystal Roberts says she is "appalled" by the latest move from the Northern Territory Government that will see officers with guns on busses and in public housing. "It's targeting our mob," Ms Roberts told NITV News. "There are language barriers, we've got our mob suffering from mental health, people with drug and alcohol [issues] ... put the money back to where we really need it." The CLP Government and NT Police, this week announced they are developing a new Police Public Safety Officer (PPSO) stream, which will see existing public safety officers trained and armed as NT police officers. In addition to carrying guns, the PPSOs will wear NT Police uniforms and operate under NT Police command targeting antisocial behaviour and high-visibility patrols. Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) chief executive Dr John Paterson said the move continues a worrying trend of reactive, punitive policies that weaponise public safety. 'This will not make anyone safer," he said. "It will instead escalate confrontations, increase the likelihood of violent incidents, and put the lives of vulnerable people – including those sleeping rough – at serious risk." Dr Paterson said the proposal distracts from addressing the root causes of violence and disadvantage. "It's a worrying sign of the Territory Government's continued militarisation of public spaces and its ongoing failure to invest in the real solutions," he said. 'While community safety matters, equipping more people with weapons is not the answer." The reform will see 34 current Public Housing Saftey Officers and 22 Transit Saftey Officers, trained and re-deployed by 2026. 'What's next — arming school crossing attendants?' Brendan Ritchie, a member of Justice Not Jails – a grassroots community group based in Garramilla Darwin – says the latest changes under the CLP's 'tough on crime' agenda will disproportionately impact First Nations people. 'The NT has a tragic history of over-policing and violence against First Nations people," he said. "Giving more weapons to less-experienced 'officers' only compounds this injustice. "What's next – arming school crossing attendants?' The union that represents police also appears to have reservations about the plan, with NT Police Association president Nathan Finn telling the NT News that they needed to see more details. It follows the recent death in custody of a 24-year-old Warlpiri man, who was living with a mental disability, in Alice Springs last month. Ally Sara, also a member of Justice Not Jails, says giving more people guns will increase the risk of violence. "Putting under-trained and over-armed transit officers onto crowded buses with lethal weapons is a shockingly shortsighted recipe for disaster," she said. "Given the recent tragedy in Alice Springs, I have very little confidence in the NT Police's ability to train their staff to exercise reasonable force." Last week the NT CLP Government announced a 12-month trial to allow members of the public to buy and use pepper spray (also known as oleoresin capsicum spray or OC spray). The trial, set to begin on 1 September, makes the NT the second jurisdiction in Australia to legalise the sale and use of pepper spray, joining Western Australia. 'This is now the second step in a matter of weeks to arm underqualified individuals with weapons, first OC spray for the public and now firearms for public safety officers," Dr Paterson said. What does the NT Government say? When announcing the new changes, NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who is also the minister for police, said the new Police Public Safety Officer model is about boosting frontline presence and delivering real community outcomes. 'We're cutting duplication, boosting visibility, empowering our PPSO's to tackle antisocial behaviour head-on,' Ms Finocchiaro said. 'Police are doing an outstanding job, especially dealing with domestic and family violence, which now makes up around 60 per cent of their work. "This model gives them the backup they need while delivering stronger community safety outcomes.' The first intake of PPSOs is expected to commence training in December 2025, with officers operational in early 2026. Comment has been sought from the NT Police Association.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tracking heat, humidity, and sunshine
The hottest days of 2025 so far lie ahead for Northwest Missouri and Northeast Kansas as a heat wave builds into the region starting Friday and continuing through the weekend. A Heat Advisory has been posted area wide from 1 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday. Heat index values of 100 to 106 degrees are expected both Friday and Saturday afternoon, increasing the risk for heat related illness. A sunny and toasty Thursday afternoon will give way to a pleasant evening, with temperatures falling into the 70s after sunset and clear skies through the overnight hours. Sunshine will continue on Friday with afternoon highs reaching the mid to upper 90s, and southerly winds of 10 to 15 mph. High humidity will result in triple digit heat indices Friday afternoon. Saturday will bring a repeat performance, with highs in the mid to upper 90s, abundant sunshine, and heat indices in the triple digits. Southerly winds will pick-up Saturday, at 15 to 25 mph with gusts occasionally over 30mph.
CBS News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
National Guard troops deployed to crime-plagued Albuquerque are unarmed and not in military uniform
Albuquerque, New Mexico — Outside his motorcycle shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, James Grice every day clears trash before he can open his doors to customers. "All around the building, it's just a daily thing," said Grice, owner of J&L Motorsports, who added that he also sometimes has to clear away unhoused people. "Yeah...I got someone sleeping right there right now." There are bullet holes in his shop's windows, and Grice and officers with the Albuquerque Police Department told CBS News they have a name for this part of the city, known as the Central Avenue Corridor: the "war zone." The Central Avenue Corridor has seen shootings, assaults and drug abuse, including fentanyl, which reached a level that drove Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina in late March to issue a memo asking New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for reinforcements. "As you may know, we have made significant progress in reducing shootings and aggravated assaults along Central Avenue Corridor through a comprehensive approach to public safety centered on proactive police activity," the memo read. "However, sustaining this momentum requires immediate reinforcement." According to a violent crime survey conducted by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, an organization representing police executives, the Albuquerque Police Department reported a drop in violent crime in recent months. It recorded 11 homicides in the first quarter of 2025, down from 21 in the same period in 2024. There were 48 rapes reported in the city in the first quarter of this year, down from 63 over the same period last year. The police department received 153 robbery reports, down from 232 robberies last year, and there were 895 aggravated assaults in the first quarter, down from 1,095 in the same period of 2024, the survey said. Grisham, a Democrat, responded to the memo by declaring a state of emergency in April and authorizing the deployment of about 70 New Mexico National Guard members to the city. The National Guard spent May in training and arrived on Albuquerque's streets on June 5. "I see drug dealing, drug use, prostitution," Grisham recently told CBS affiliate KRQE regarding the Central Avenue Corridor. "I worry about human trafficking. I see violence on the streets." Those Guard members have been training in crisis intervention and de-escalation. And unlike the California National Guard troops that were deployed by President Trump earlier this month in response to protests in Los Angeles, the Guard members deployed by Grisham in Albuquerque are not armed or in military uniform, according to city officials. "The intent of it all is to free Albuquerque police officers to be more available to the community, to answer calls for service, so that's in the capacity we'll be doing this," Maj. Gen. Miguel Aguilar, adjutant general for the New Mexico National Guard, said in briefing last month in Santa Fe. Aguilar also said that 53 of the 71 Guard members deployed are from the Albuquerque area. "We coach in the community, we work in the community, it's a little different when you talk about the national guard. I think it's important to understand that," Aguilar said. During two homicide calls and a SWAT activation this week in Albuquerque, the job of the Guard members was to secure a perimeter. That freed up police officers who would have done that job to go back on the streets and respond to other calls, according to Albuquerque police. "We need to stop playing games with crime," Det. Shaun Willoughby, president of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, the department's union, told CBS News. Willoughby has his doubts about the effectiveness of the Guard's impact so far. He believes the violence is too fierce for unarmed Guard members to help with. "What are they going to do?" Willoughby asked. "They can't intervene. They don't have the authority to take anybody to jail. They're not armed. They're going to be in one of the most violent communities in this country, in a polo shirt, recognizing themselves as this helper, and they're limited onto what they can do." Civil liberty advocates are uneasy with any plan that increases policing. Still, Grice says the city needs all the help it can get. Grice said he has remained in Albuquerque because he needs to "make it work." "I've got to support my family," Grice said. "I've got employees to worry about." After CBS News finished speaking to Grice, it came across a crime scene in which Albuquerque police were investigating a possible homicide, just a block from the front door of Grice's business.
