The popular navigation app Waze includes a feature that rewards users for revealing the location of police officers. A debate over the public safety impacts of that feature is gaining traction, and some police officers want the feature removed.
Fidel Martinez reports on a growing coalition that opposes the use of a feature from one of the darlings of the mobile apps scene—Waze. The feature in questions allows users to report the location of police. Here's how Martinez sums up the viewpoint of the police that support the feature's removal from the app:
"For those who live in a congested city with poor city planning, Waze is a godsend. For police officers, however, the popular app is putting their lives at risk."
As Martinez explains, the movement to remove the feature of the app that allows users to report the location of police officers is led by Sergio Kopelev, "a reserve deputy for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department who spent many years running the cybercrimes unit for the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia."
Koplev is citied in the article, making his case against the Waze feature: "'When you pin an officer’s location, you don’t know who you’re broadcasting that information to,' Kopelev explained. He cited how Ismaaiyl Brinsley had allegedly posted a screengrab of him using Waze to track police movement before killing NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos."
FULL STORY: Cops want Waze to get rid of its police-tracking feature
Memphis: Crime-fighting Camera Sheds Light on Police Abuse
The irony is unmistakable. Public surveillance cameras, long controversial in the criminal justice community, provided pivotal video footage of the beating of motorist Tyre Nichols by five Memphis police officers at a traffic stop on January 7.
Investigation: Walmarts Abuse Local Police Force Resources
An investigation by the Tampa Bay Times finds Walmart stores treating local police forces like their own personal security forces.
German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie