The post Police agencies turn to virtual reality to improve split-second decision-making appeared first on My Blog.
]]>The goal is to help officers respond quickly and safely to any call, according to tech company Axon, and more than 1,500 police agencies across the United States and Canada are now using Axon’s virtual reality training program to make that happen.
Recruits at the Aurora Police Department in Colorado are among those training with the technology.
“You get to be actually in the scene, move around, just feel for everything,” recruit Jose Vazquez Duran said.
AMAZON DEFENDS AMBITIOUS AI STRATEGY THAT COULD PREVENT 600,000 FUTURE HIRES THROUGH INNOVATION
Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are increasingly adopting virtual reality training programs to better prepare officers for real-life, high-pressure situations. (Kennedy Hayes/FOX News)
Fellow recruit Tyler Frick described it as “Almost like… a 3D Movie. Except this is exactly what we are going to be doing when we graduate the academy.”
Aurora PD uses Axon’s virtual reality program to prepare recruits for scenarios including de-escalation, Taser use and other high-stress interactions.
“It’s filmed with live actors who are re-enacting scenarios. And we have a lot of content there focused on a wide range of topics, from mental health to people who are experiencing drug overdose or encountering domestic violence,” said Thi Luu, vice president and general manager of Axon Virtual Reality.
EX-POLICE CHIEF WARNS CHICAGO COPS WILL GET HURT BECAUSE MAYOR JOHNSON WON’T HELP ICE
In Aurora, Colorado, police recruits are training with VR to prepare for real-life scenarios, including de-escalation, Taser use and other high-stress interactions. (Kennedy Hayes/FOX News)
The Aurora Police Department has used Axon’s virtual reality training program for three years. Officials say the technology keeps getting more advanced and easier to use, which helps free up other resources.
“Really helps on manpower for my staff, the training staff, when we can have, you know, 10 or 15 recruits all doing the exact same scenario at the same time. That means we are getting the most out of our training hours and having well-trained, well-rounded officers is really important,” said Aurora Police Sgt. Faith Goodrich.
Axon said the artificial intelligence in its newest training program can adjust how virtual suspects act – making them friendly, aggressive or anything in between. They can answer questions, talk back or even refuse to cooperate, just like in real life.
Every session is different, depending on how officers handle the situation.
Police recruits interact with virtual reality to sharpen their skills. (Kennedy Hayes/ FOX News)
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A study from PwC found that virtual reality can speed up officer training and boost confidence in applying new skills compared with classroom-trained counterparts.
According to the study, VR learners showed a four times faster training rate and a 275% boost in confidence when applying learned skills compared to their classroom-trained counterparts.
Kennedy Hayes joined Fox News in 2023 as a multimedia reporter based in Denver.
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]]>The post Arrests made as anti-ICE agitators caught on camera clashing with federal officers outside Portland facility appeared first on My Blog.
]]>The clip, just over a minute-long, shows officers shouting commands as a woman in a keffiyeh steps past a blue line painted on the property.
Within seconds, several officers pull her toward the entrance of the facility as others move to hold back the crowd. Protesters can be heard yelling as the confrontation unfolds, and pepper spray is deployed.
TPUSA Frontlines told Fox News Digital that the woman “crossed the line ICE does not want them passing” and appeared to make contact with an officer before she was detained. Frontlines added that the crowd was expected to grow later in the evening once the rain cleared.
PORTLAND ANTI-ICE DEMONSTRATORS CONFUSED WHEN PERSON IN FULL-SIZE ELMO COSTUME SHOWS UP
An anti-ICE protester wearing a keffiyeh was detained by law enforcement outside an ICE facility in Portland on Saturday. (TPUSA Frontlines)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Portland Police Bureau confirmed two arrests connected to Saturday’s protests.
“PPB has arrested two people for crimes committed today. I do not have names or charges yet. The officers haven’t even transported them back to the precinct yet, so it will be a while,” the spokesperson said. “As we have every night for many weeks, PPB continues to monitor the area for criminal behavior.”
ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry seeking confirmation of whether the woman’s arrest was carried out by its personnel or whether pepper spray was used by agency officers.
PORTLAND POLICE ARREST CONSERVATIVE JOURNALIST ON ANOTHER NIGHT OF CHAOTIC ANTI-ICE CLASHES
Officers clashed with protesters Saturday after a woman reportedly crossed a line outside an ICE facility in Portland, Ore. (TPUSA Frontlines)
Protests outside the ICE facility in Portland have become a near-nightly occurrence in recent weeks, with activists opposing detentions and deportations.
TPUSA Frontlines also claimed that demonstrators appeared to have a so-called “safe house” near downtown Portland where they stored materials and coordinated activities. That claim has not been independently verified by Fox News Digital.
Portland police have repeatedly said they will continue to monitor gatherings near the ICE building for unlawful behavior..
ANTI-ICE PORTLAND RIOTERS WITH GUILLOTINE CLASH WITH POLICE IN WAR-LIKE SCENES
An anti-ICE demonstrator wearing a keffiyeh is led away by authorities in handcuffs Saturday in Portland, Ore. (TPUSA Frontlines)
The Portland facility is one of several ICE locations nationwide that have been targeted by demonstrators in recent months, often resulting in property damage and arrests.
The two individuals arrested Saturday have not yet been publicly identified. Officials said additional information would be released once booking is completed.
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ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s inquiry seeking confirmation of the arrest or comment on enforcement activity outside the facility.
Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.
The post Arrests made as anti-ICE agitators caught on camera clashing with federal officers outside Portland facility appeared first on My Blog.
]]>The post Eight Americans arrested in Bahamas after authorities discover 'high-powered weapons' cache, ammunition appeared first on My Blog.
]]>The Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) said in a news release that officers from the Alice Town Police Station worked with the Bahamas Customs Department to search a vessel docked at a port on Bimini, a chain of western islands some 50 miles east of Miami, Florida, on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. The officers were “acting on intelligence,” the RBPF said, but they did not specify what information they had.
The 10 occupants aboard the boat, which included eight Americans, one South African and another from Guyana, were taken into custody, the RBPF said. Those who were arrested range in age from 21 to 62, police noted. The RBPF did not identify them.
Exuma is a district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands and cays. Its white sand and turquoise waters make it a world-famous destination. (mr-fox)
US MILITARY SEIZED SURVIVORS AFTER CARIBBEAN DRONE STRIKE ON SUSPECTED DRUG SMUGGLING BOAT: REPORT
Onboard, authorities found a trove of weapons, ammunition and cash.
During the search, officers discovered three “high-powered weapons”, 11 firearms, a substantial quantity of ammunition and a “considerable sum of undeclared cash,” the agency said.
A view of the beach in Bimini, Bahamas, on May 1, 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
DRUG-SMUGGLING BOAT STRUCK BY US WAS CARRYING MORE THAN A TON OF SUSPECTED COCAINE, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SAYS
The investigation remains ongoing, police said. It was not immediately clear what charges the Americans face. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. State Department for additional information.
Members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force SWAT team stand guard outside the Magistrate’s Court in Nassau, Bahamas. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The RBPF has not indicated whether more arrests are expected and did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Writer at Fox News Digital.
You can follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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]]>The post Woman charged with abandoning newborn child at NYC subway stop appeared first on My Blog.
]]>Police say Assa Diawara, 30, of Queens, was the woman caught on camera before allegedly abandoning a baby girl who was found alive at Penn Station in Manhattan Monday morning.
She was arrested on charges of abandonment of a child and endangering the welfare of a child early Wednesday morning, an update from the New York Police Department said.
Police had asked the public for help identifying the woman seen on video carrying the baby.
POLICE RELEASE PHOTO OF SUSPECT WHO ABANDONED BABY WITH UMBILICAL CORD STILL ATTACHED
Police searched for this person, who they say entered the 34 Street-Penn Station Subway station on the southbound platform of the “1” train and left a female infant unattended and wrapped in a blanket on Oct. 20, 2025. (NYPD Crime Stoppers)
The infant was discovered around 9:30 a.m. local time Monday on the stairway leading to the southbound No. 1, 2, and 3 trains at the 34th Street–Penn Station stop, according to police reports.
Officials were alerted after an anonymous caller reported seeing the baby left unattended on the steps at West 34th Street and 7th Avenue.
MOTHER’S STORY QUESTIONED BY AUTHORITIES AS 7-MONTH-OLD REMAINS MISSING AFTER ALLEGED KIDNAPPING
Construction near Penn Station in New York, US, on Thursday, July 13, 2023. (Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
When first responders from the FDNY and NYPD arrived, they found the baby wrapped in a blanket, conscious and alert. The baby was then taken to Bellevue Hospital.
Her umbilical cord was still attached, FOX 5 New York reported.
The identity of the infant’s parents has not yet been publicized.
A newborn was discovered wrapped in blanket on subway stairs at Penn Station New York. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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Per New York’s Safe Haven Law, parents are allowed to legally and safely surrender newborns at hospitals, police precincts, or fire stations without facing criminal charges as long as the child is left in the care of responsible personnel.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
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]]>The post Dramatic video shows NYPD officers rescuing a missing dog named Moose from beneath a Manhattan subway train appeared first on My Blog.
]]>The small black dog slipped away from its owners and ended up hiding under a northbound 2 train at the 14th Street station Thursday.
The animal was hit by the train before seeking refuge beneath one of the cars, a spokesperson for the NYPD told People magazine.
WOMAN CHARGED WITH ABANDONING NEWBORN CHILD AT NYC SUBWAY STOP
“When Moose the dog got loose and went hiding underneath a 2 train, our [NYPD Special Ops Emergency Service Unit] officers came to the rescue,” the NYPD posted to X.
The small black dog slipped away from its owners and ended up hiding under a northbound 2 train at the 14th Street station Thursday, according to the NYPD. (NYPD)
Bodycam footage released by the NYPD shows an officer climbing down a ladder onto the tracks, shining a flashlight to search for the missing pup.
WHO SAVED WHO? DAVE PORTNOY REFLECTS ON LIFE-CHANGING BOND WITH HIS RESCUE DOGS
“Where is it?” the officer can be heard saying before spotting the small dog hiding in the shadows.
Bodycam footage released by the NYPD shows an officer climbing down a ladder onto the subway tracks, shining a flashlight to search for the missing pup. (NYPD)
“Come here,” the officer says, luring the dog. “Come on. Come on, buddy.”
VIDEO SHOWS HURRICANE MILTON-IMPACTED FAMILY, DOGS RESCUED FROM FLOODWATERS
Moments later, the officer scoops Moose up and carries him away from the tracks before lifting him onto the subway platform where other officers are standing.
“Yay!” one person can be heard saying.
Moose was showered with pets before being reunited with his owners, according to People.
Moose was reportedly showered with pets before being reunited with his owners. (NYPD)
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“Thanks to [NYPD Transit] officers, Moose was safely reunited with its owner!” the NYPD posted to X.
Earlier this year, NYPD officers similarly jumped into action to save a small dog spotted swimming in the East River, according to FOX 5.
The NYPD did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Sophia Compton is a Writer at Fox News Digital. Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer. She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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]]>The post 1 dead, 6 injured after shooting at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania: police appeared first on My Blog.
]]>The university’s police chief, Marc Partee, confirmed at a news conference that one person was killed in the shooting, and six others were wounded and taken to a hospital.
One suspect was taken into custody, according to police.
“Law enforcement has responded to the scene and are actively investigating,” the Chester County District Attorney’s Office wrote in a statement. “Please avoid the area at this time.”
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS SHOOTINGS LEAVE 1 DEAD, ANOTHER INJURED
An active shooter opened fire at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania Saturday night, according to officials. (Lincoln University/Getty Images)
Lincoln University is a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and is located about 45 miles southwest of Philadelphia and about 25 miles west of Wilmington, Delaware.
This weekend marked the school’s homecoming festivities, with the main football game taking place at 1 p.m. Saturday.
“I’ve been briefed on the shooting at Lincoln University tonight, and my Administration has offered our full support to President Allen and local law enforcement,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro wrote on social media.
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“Please avoid the area, continue to follow the guidance of local law enforcement, and join Lori and me in praying for the Lincoln University community,” the governor added.
The City of Chester, Chester County, Chester County Police Department, Chester County Sheriff’s Office and Lincoln University did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates
Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
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]]>The post Trump postpones federal troop deployment to San Francisco appeared first on My Blog.
]]>“The Federal Government was preparing to ‘surge’ San Francisco, California, on Saturday, but friends of mine who live in the area called last night to ask me not to go forward with the surge in that the Mayor, Daniel Lurie, was making substantial progress,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. “I spoke to Mayor Lurie last night, and he asked, very nicely, that I give him a chance to see if he can turn it around.”
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie also confirmed the move. He said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reaffirmed that direction in a morning conversation, FOX 2 San Francisco reported.
SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR REJECTS TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT PLAN OVER DRUG DEALER ARREST AUTHORITY
President Donald Trump on Thursday called off a plan for a “surge” of federal agents and troops in San Francisco over the weekend to combat crime and illegal immigration. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“I am profoundly grateful to all the San Franciscans who came together over the last several days,” Lurie said. “Our city leaders have been united behind the goal of public safety. And our values have been on full display — this is the best of our city.”
Lurie said he will monitor the situation and remain “prepared for any scenario.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
Trump said he told Lurie that he thought the mayor was making “a mistake, because we can do it much faster, and remove the criminals that the Law does not permit him to remove.”
“I told him, ‘It’s an easier process if we do it, faster, stronger, and safer but, let’s see how you do?’” Trump wrote. “The people of San Francisco have come together on fighting Crime, especially since we began to take charge of that very nasty subject.”
TRUMP’S IMPENDING SAN FRANCISCO CRACKDOWN SPARKS BACKLASH FROM NEWSOM, MAYOR
A split image of San Francisco and homeless people on city streets, a problem that has persisted for years. (Getty Images)
He said that internet entrepreneurs like Jensen Huang and Marc Benioff called him to say “the future of San Francisco was bright.”
“They want to give it a ‘shot,’” Trump said. “Therefore, we will not surge San Francisco on Saturday. Stay tuned!”
FOX 2 initially reported that roughly 100 U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were conducting an operation with “pre-identified” targets, which could include visiting Home Depot locations around the Bay Area.
Meanwhile, about 200 to 300 protesters were seen singing and chanting Thursday morning in front of the entrance to Coast Guard Island in Alameda.
Trump had threatened to send federal agents and National Guard troops to San Francisco to conduct immigration enforcement operations similar to missions in Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago.
The move was heavily criticized by California officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, who threatened to sue the administration if Trump followed through with his plans for San Francisco.
Video
“Donald Trump, himself a convicted felon who pardoned felons convicted of assaulting federal law enforcement officers, is misleading the public with his false narrative that America, and especially California, is some lawless wasteland,” Newsom said Tuesday. “But California is proving him wrong — in the courts and on the facts.”
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“The notion that the federal government can deploy troops into our cities with no justification grounded in reality, no oversight, no accountability, no respect for state sovereignty — it’s a direct assault on the rule of law,” he added. “We’re drawing a line: California will always defend the Constitution, our people and our values from authoritarian overreach.”
Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.
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]]>The post ‘He knew how to swim’: Family rejects ‘accident’ as Houston bayou death mystery deepens appeared first on My Blog.
]]>“I agree with their assessment,” Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-certified forensic pathologist, said of the autopsy performed by Dr. Edward Kilbane, of the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. “There’s nothing definitive at autopsy to say why he died and if it was before or after the body entered the bayou.”
She declined to speculate about what may have happened and said the answer Cutting’s family is seeking “hinges on investigation.”
A Houston police spokesperson told Fox News Digital she would look into the case last week.
HOUSTON POLICE DISCOVER 16 BODIES IN BAYOUS THIS YEAR AS MAYOR DISMISSES SERIAL KILLER SPECULATION
Kenneth Cutting Jr. in this undated family photo. He was last seen alive on June 28, 2024, and later washed up in Houston’s Buffalo Bayou on July 1 of that year. His cause and manner of death were undetermined after an autopsy, and the toxicology report found no drugs in his system. (Courtesy of the Cutting family)
The official autopsy lists Cutting’s cause and manner of death as undetermined. Although he had fluid in his lungs, Dr. Banerjee said there’s no way to know whether it was present before his death, making the assertion that he had accidentally drowned impossible to confirm medically.
Food particles in his throat but an empty stomach were consistent with normal decomposition, Dr. Banerjee said. It happens naturally as the muscles relax.
“I think his electronic footprint is more important,” she said.
DROWNED 63-YEAR-OLD ILLINOIS MAN’S DEATH DEEMED A HOMICIDE: COOK COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE
Kenneth Cutting Jr., left, took this selfie image at a bar in downtown Houston shortly before he vanished on June 28, 2024. (Courtesy of the Cutting family)
Cutting was last seen alive on June 28, 2024, according to his family. Although he lost his cellphone earlier in the evening, his roommates had it in their possession after he went missing, relatives said. It was later given to police for a forensic analysis, but his father, Kenneth Cutting Sr., said detectives came back with no answers.
Surveillance video reviewed by Fox News Digital places Cutting at Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar in downtown Houston roughly between 8 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. He was with two roommates — and he shouted at one of them to “f— off” as he stormed away from the venue.
They later reunited, however, but for reasons that remain unclear, Cutting never made it home.
DEMOCRAT MAYOR’S ‘GASLIGHTING’ AMID SERIAL KILLER FEARS CALLED OUT BY GRIEVING FAMILY
Houston fire and police personnel recover a body from White Oak Bayou near the Heights in Houston, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025 (Jill Karnicki/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
The roommates sent his father a 2 a.m. text message stating he’d gone “crazy” and demanded to be let out on Interstate 10 in Houston. He was later found dead in the Buffalo Bayou, which is part of the city’s 2,500 miles of waterways.
Kevin Gannon, a retired NYPD detective who monitors water deaths around the country, said Cutting’s death doesn’t fit the pattern of the controversial “Smiley Face Killers” theory — but it still seems suspicious.
“I don’t think this young man drowned, though it’s possible,” he told Fox News Digital. “Believe me, this is a tough one.”
FORMER DETECTIVE SAYS STRING OF HOUSTON DEATHS MAY BE LINKED TO ALLEGED ‘SMILEY FACE’ KILLER NETWORK
The Bayou running through Piney Point Village on Friday, April 18, 2025, in Houston. (Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Cutting’s father agrees.
“Police told me that they think it was an accidental death, and I said, I don’t think my son fell in the bayou and drowned,” Cutting Sr. told Fox News Digital last week. “First of all, he knew how to swim. Second of all, he shouldn’t have been nowhere near that bayou.”
MISSING NEW ORLEANS BOY, 12, DIED AFTER ALLIGATOR ATTACK, DROWNING: AUTHORITIES
The Sims Bayou Greenway near the Houston Botanic Garden and the Glenbrook Park is shown in Houston, Friday, April 4, 2025. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
He said his son didn’t appear to be blackout drunk in the surveillance video and noted that the toxicology report found no drugs in his system.
“Houston police need to do further investigation,” said Lauren Freeman, Cutting’s cousin. “They need to ping his phone the night he went missing, to see where his location was.”
Houston leaders have been publicly downplaying concerns of a potential serial killer with 16 dead in the city’s bayous so far this year, including five discovered in a one-week span last month.
HPD Police Chief Noe Diaz listens as Mayor John Whitmire comments on a recent number of bodies found in Houston bayous during a news conference in Houston, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
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But Mayor John Whitmire’s explanation, in which he blamed homelessness and substance abuse, prompted Cutting’s family to blast the excuse as “gaslighting” and call for thorough investigations into all of the deaths.
Whitmire slammed misinformation and “wild speculation” online and from political candidates surrounding the cases at a news briefing on Sept. 23.
“We do not have any evidence that there is a serial killer loose in Houston, Texas,” he said, calling the number of deaths “alarming” and urging patience from the public.
“Undetermined means kick back to the investigators for more information so that the medical examiner can make a better informed decision,” said Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and criminal justice professor at Penn State Lehigh Valley. “You treat it like a homicide until proven otherwise.”
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]]>The post NYC socialist mayoral candidate Mamdani's 911 plan called 'worst idea' by former NYPD appeared first on My Blog.
]]>During a mayoral debate last night hosted by Spectrum News New York 1, Mamdani said he would reorganize the NYPD and “trust” dispatchers to “make the determination as to whether there was any indication of violence.” He asserted that this approach has been proven to work “elsewhere in the country.”
“That’s probably the worst idea I’ve heard of in a long time,” said Joseph Giacalone, a retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor of criminal justice at Penn State Lehigh Valley.
“I don’t have a clue what he’s talking about and neither does he,” he added. “My question is, what happens when the dispatcher is wrong and someone dies? Is it an oops? The liability the city would be taking on with this idea will be off the charts.”
MAMDANI DODGES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THREATS TO NYPD IN FIRST PRESSER SINCE DEADLY MANHATTAN SHOOTING
New York mayoral candidate, state Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY), speaks to supporters during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC on June 24, 2025, in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Mamdani has supported replacing police officers with social workers and “transit ambassadors” on certain 911 calls.
If it’s been done elsewhere, Giacalone questioned where that was, what happened and how that city’s population stacked up against the Big Apple’s.
“This is NYC, not Sheboygan,” he said.
Sheboygan is a Wisconsin city on Lake Michigan with about 50,000 residents. New York has more than 8 million.
Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani (R), Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa (L) and Independent candidate and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo participate in the second New York City mayoral debate at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, Queens, New York, on Oct. 22, 2025. (Hiroko MASUIKE / POOL / AFP)
MAMDANI’S ATTEMPTED POLICE PIVOT CONTINUES AFTER ADAMS ASKS ‘WHERE WAS HE?’
Mamdani’s campaign did not immediately respond to emailed questions about the proposal.
“Zohran Mamdani’s plan to shift the responsibility of determining—over the phone—whether or not a law enforcement response is needed for a 911 call involving an emotionally disturbed person is reckless and dangerous,” said retired NYPD lieutenant and “Finest Unfiltered” podcast host John Macari. “This proposal will not save lives or reduce the workload of law enforcement; it will make their jobs harder and endanger civilians, dispatchers and first responders alike.”
He said anyone who has experience responding to calls involving emotionally disturbed people knows they are both “unpredictable and volatile.”
“I’ve personally responded to hundreds of them during my career, and I can tell you firsthand, no one can safely assess the threat level of an emotionally disturbed individual over the phone,” he told Fox News Digital.
A police officer’s NYPD shoulder patch. (Susan Watts/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
He said under the stress of making the wrong decision, dispatchers could likely err on the side of caution and send police anyway.
“Mamdani’s idea isn’t a plan, it’s a talking point,” he said. “It appears to have been drafted without any consultation with dispatchers, first responders or the families of those struggling with mental illness. If implemented, it will cost lives and further strain a system already stretched to its limits.”
Macari, who supports Republican Curtis Sliwa in the race, added that he believes Mamdani’s primary win over Andrew Cuomo was the result of voters rejecting the former governor, not widespread support for his agenda.
Mamdani, who this year has insisted he would not defund the NYPD if elected mayor, has previously called for doing so and tearing the department down.
REPLACE COPS WITH SOCIAL WORKERS, ‘TRANSIT AMBASSADORS’ ON SOME 911 CALLS: MAMDANI
“Defund it. Dismantle it. End the cycle of violence,” he wrote on X in December 2020, complaining about NYPD overtime and calling the department “wicked & corrupt.”
Before that, he claimed the department “is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety.” Separately, he has called for taking money from the NYPD budget and spending it on homeless services.
“Together, we can tax the rich, heal the sick, house the poor, defund the police & build a socialist New York,” he wrote.
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Giacalone said that while Mamdani’s rhetoric may have changed, he still views him as a “defund the police” candidate.
“Like the saying goes, when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time,” he said. “He is a defund the police, abolish the police candidate. Plain and simple. Once again, the people voting for a candidate like this don’t live in the crime areas where things will turn worse.”
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]]>The post Michigan babysitter accused of sexually abusing children in her care faces 47 charges, police say appeared first on My Blog.
]]>Gaila Bennett of Midland, about 120 miles northwest of Detroit, was arraigned Monday on 47 counts of criminal sexual misconduct after a family alleged their children were abused while in her care between 2013 and 2020, Michigan State Police said.
The charges include 24 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child younger than 13, 12 counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child younger than 13 and 11 counts of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, the Midland Daily News reported.
SOUTH CAROLINA DANCE TEACHER ARRESTED AFTER QUESTIONABLE ROUTINE UNCOVERS SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS
Gaila Bennett, 63, of Midland, Mich., was arraigned Monday on 47 counts of criminal sexual misconduct. (Midland County Sheriff’s Department)
Michigan State Police said the alleged abuse took place at Bennett’s home on Prairie Road in Midland County. The investigation began earlier this month after a Bay County family contacted authorities.
One victim told investigators she was sexually assaulted nearly every day since kindergarten while Bennett was babysitting. Investigators also allege Bennett took photos of the abuse, according to the Midland Daily News.
TEXAS MEGACHURCH FOUNDER TO SPEND 6 MONTHS IN JAIL FOR SEXUALLY ABUSING GIRL
Prarie Road in Midland County, Mich., where police said the alleged abuse took place at Bennett’s home. (Google Maps)
Bennett was arrested Oct. 17, and police seized several electronic devices from her home to be examined for evidence.
“This incident remains under investigation, and more charges may be sought,” Michigan State Police said.
DOCTOR’S DOUBLE LIFE EXPOSED AFTER HIDDEN CAMERA DISCOVERY LEADS TO PRISON MURDER PLOT
Bennett was arrested Oct. 17, and police seized several electronic devices from her home that are being examined for evidence. (Getty Images)
Bennett is being held on $5 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court again Nov. 4, CBS News reported.
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Michigan State Police and the Midland County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Sophia Compton is a Writer at Fox News Digital. Sophia was previously a business reporter covering finance, energy and tourism and has experience as a TV news producer. She graduated with a journalism degree in 2021 from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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