Public Safety
-
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Bus industry group launches scholarship for human trafficking survivors
Traffickers often use intercity buses to transport victims, according to the American Bus Association.
By Dan Zukowski • March 27, 2026 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Extreme heat is here. Here’s how 2 cities plan to deal with it.
From data-driven targeting to cross-agency coordination, Miami-Dade County and Philadelphia are mitigating heat risk with concrete interventions.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 26, 2026 -
Elijah Nouvelage via Getty Images
5 tools local governments are using to block ICE detention centers
Local governments can’t override federal authority, but they’re leveraging zoning, infrastructure limits and litigation to stop detention projects tied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s expansion plans.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 18, 2026 -
Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
Amid nationwide extreme weather, scientists and Colorado leaders fight to save NCAR
Dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research will have “severe consequences” for protecting lives and the economy, the American Meteorological Society warned.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 16, 2026 -
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
What is a ‘sanctuary’ city? Lawmakers still can’t agree.
Sen. Lindsey Graham’s bill would punish local officials for not cooperating with immigration enforcement. But no consensus exists on what qualifies as a “sanctuary” jurisdiction or how many there are.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 13, 2026 -
Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
Federal funding at risk as House advances anti-sanctuary bill
The Shut Down Sanctuary Policies Act would redirect law-enforcement funding to cities and states that cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and would allow crime victims to sue local governments.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 10, 2026 -
Jim Vondruska via Getty Images
Better weather forecasts, disaster reviews the goal of new federal bills
As emergency managers warn NOAA and National Weather Service cuts threaten public safety, the proposals would further investigate major weather disasters and invest in forecasting technology.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 6, 2026 -
Heather Diehl via Getty Images
DHS funding impasse freezes security grants, stalls local law enforcement
The shutdown “has essentially paralyzed local operations by delaying funding and grant rollouts and by furloughing critical personnel,” a sheriffs coalition said in a letter to Congress.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 5, 2026 -
Getty Images
NYC public housing has a vacancy problem, an investigation found. Squatters are filling the gaps.
The number of vacant New York City Housing Authority apartments increased nearly 140% from 2022 to 2025, a New York City Department of Investigation report found. The vacancies are posing safety risks.
By Ryan Kushner • March 5, 2026 -
Getty Images
Can AI close the language gap in disaster warnings? A federal watchdog raises concerns.
The National Weather Service lacks clear goals and a funding strategy as it attempts to scale AI-powered multilingual alerts, a Government Accountability Office report warns.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 2, 2026 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Traffic deaths declined an estimated 12% in 2025: National Safety Council
Despite that decline, the Governors Highway Safety Association highlights drowsy driving risks in a new report.
By Dan Zukowski • Feb. 26, 2026 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Transit agencies, bus companies take on human trafficking
Training frontline workers and educating passengers about how to spot trafficking may increase “the possibility of saving the victim,” a transit leader said.
By Dan Zukowski • Feb. 25, 2026 -
Permission granted by City of Los Angeles
Before the world arrives for the LA28 Olympics, the goats are going to work
Los Angeles is deploying 500 four-legged landscapers to clear vegetation in the Sepulveda Basin as the city readies for the 2028 summer games.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 25, 2026 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
California DOJ probes civil rights violations in Eaton Fire response
Investigators will examine whether evacuation delays in West Altadena, a historically Black community, reflect discrimination tied to race, age or disability.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 17, 2026 -
Al Drago via Getty Images
FEMAFEMA shutdown threatens local reimbursements, training and long-term recovery
As Congress fails to reach a DHS funding deal, emergency managers are bracing for delayed payments, stalled grants and deeper uncertainty in an already strained federal disaster system.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Feb. 23, 2026 -
Heather Diehl via Getty Images
A US senator introduced a bill to ‘end sanctuary cities.’ The cities are doubling down.
The new Senate bill, introduced Thursday, would condition federal dollars on cooperation with immigration enforcement. On Friday, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani expanded restrictions on ICE operations and data access.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 9, 2026 -
US House bill would fund transit safety ambassadors
The bill aims to provide federal grants for programs based on a successful initiative to reduce crime on San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit system.
By Dan Zukowski • Feb. 5, 2026 -
Getty Images
HHS launches $100M program to address homelessness, substance abuse in 8 localities
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the pilot program will be open to faith-based organizations.
By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 4, 2026 -
Getty Images
The Smart Cities outlook for 2026: Pressure points for city leaders
As cities navigate housing reform, transportation needs, climate resilience, AI and changes in federal funding, 2026 will be a consequential year for how they govern, budget and protect their autonomy.
By Smart Cities Dive Staff • Jan. 30, 2026 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Local officials nationwide move to hold federal immigration agents accountable after Alex Pretti’s death
Mayors, attorneys general and lawmakers are advancing new laws and coalitions to prosecute federal agents who exceed their lawful authority. “It can happen anywhere,” a Minnesota mayor said.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Jan. 29, 2026 -
Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
Q&AHow Trump could make good on his threats to cut ‘sanctuary’ city funding
The administration could quietly squeeze cities through discretionary grants, a legal expert says. Here’s how cities should prepare for Trump’s Feb. 1 deadline.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Jan. 28, 2026 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Federal immigration agents to begin leaving Minnesota, Frey says
A judge asked for supplemental briefings in Minnesota’s bid to halt Operation Metro Surge as the Minnesota secretary of state refused the U.S. attorney general’s request for access to voter registration data.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Jan. 27, 2026 -
Stephen Maturen via Getty Images
After Pretti shooting, Minneapolis warns immigration operation is straining public safety resources
The Minnesota National Guard is deployed as a judge blocks DHS from altering evidence in the shooting. “This is taking an enormous toll,” the Minneapolis police chief said.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Jan. 26, 2026 -
Getty Images
Supreme Court broadens police authority for warrantless home entry
The Case v. Montana decision replaces the Fourth Amendment’s “probable cause” requirement with “objective reasonableness” when officers believe someone is in danger.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Jan. 22, 2026 -
Stephen Maturen via Getty Images
Minnesota police chiefs call out federal immigration agents while mayors face DOJ subpoenas
The Department of Justice demanded records from the governor, mayors and prosecutors, while law enforcement leaders warned that immigration enforcement tactics are eroding public trust in policing.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Jan. 21, 2026
