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.
Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems
SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions