public safety

Sunday night saw another protest by the Springfield branch of the Party of Socialism and Liberation. This time, demonstrators went downtown to denounce the death of Tyre Nichols after he was severely beaten by Memphis, Tennessee police earlier this month.

On Thursday, Dec. 15, Branson City Administrator Cathy Stepp named a new police chief for the Taney County town, effective immediately.

KSMU's Gregory Holman was joined by Springfield Daily Citizen public affairs reporter Cory Matteson to talk about the Nov. 3 incident at Hillcrest High School — and how police, first responders and journalists use police scanner information in ways that try to limit the spread of misinformation.

Can big data promote public safety? Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams is betting that the answer is yes, as shown by his most recent monthly update to City Council. Here's more on how police are identifying crime hotspots around Springfield.