Police using AI

Good morning!

Dana DiFilippo dives deep into the issue of policing and AI today.

She talked to police chiefs, lawyers, mayors, and more about whether public safety is more important than the prospect of AI-powered tools tracking our every move.

For Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, whose administration installed AI-powered surveillance cameras, public safety wins out.

“I have a bigger fear of getting shot,” Gusciora said. “We’ve done a remarkable job of bringing down crime, and I’ll take my chances with the cameras.”

Someone like Tamar Lerer, who heads the state public defender’s forensic science unit, notes that tools like license plate readers don’t stop at your plate.

“They can often capture who’s in a car, or at least part of them. They’re also capturing where someone is, whether you’re at home with your lawn signs or you’re at the strip club or at the abortion clinic,” Lerer said.

Read more from Dana.

Immigration: A Roxbury warehouse that may or may not end up as a federal immigration detention center is the focus of a new fight, with immigrant advocates alleging the feds are using it to house migrants in violation of a court order. “We don’t want a detention facility in our town. We don’t want ICE officers bringing people to detention facilities. And here they are, doing the exact thing they said they wouldn’t be doing,” said David Broderick of Project Ninja (No ICE in North Jersey Alliance).

Courts: An Alloway school board member can’t sue the state yet over an ethics complaint targeting her for making public statements about school board business, a federal judge has ruled. The judge said the lawsuit could be filed again if the state’s school ethics commission investigates the complaint and finds the board member violated school ethics laws.

Lists: No. 1 is Clifton and No. 3 is BAYONNE.

Commentary: Chris Widelo, state director of AARP New Jersey, argues that a new state auditor’s report on nursing homes shows why we need greater transparency on nursing home ownership: “Greater transparency can help regulators identify problems, hold low-performing facilities accountable, and ensure taxpayer dollars support the people they are intended to serve. Nursing homes should be able to earn a reasonable profit, but excessive profits should never come at the expense of resident care.”

NJ-07: Looks like Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s bid for reelection is going to get $3M+ in help from President Trump, part of a $138M spend by Trump to boost Republicans as his party seeks to retain control of Congress after November.

D.C.: The Fed raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday from 3.75% to 4% as inflation continues to dog the economy, largely driven by soaring gas and fuel oil prices while the war in Iran drags on. The central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee released an upbeat statement touting economic growth at “a solid pace.” “While uncertainty remains elevated owing, in part, to geopolitical developments, domestic spending has been resilient. Productivity growth is strong, and capital investment is robust. Job gains have kept pace with the workforce, and the unemployment rate has changed little,” according to the statement released Wednesday afternoon.