Public Safety
-
Mathieu Lewis-Rolland via Getty Images
Secure America Act expands ICE funding, puts new pressure on ‘sanctuary’ cities
The new law rewards local participation in federal immigration enforcement and directs funds toward operations in jurisdictions that limit cooperation. “Sanctuary” cities vow to fight back.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • June 11, 2026 -
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
Pedestrian death rates remain high: Smart Growth America study
More than three-quarters of cities studied saw higher average fatality rates over the past five years, but federal programs for pedestrian safety are at risk.
By Dan Zukowski • June 10, 2026 -
Spencer Platt via Getty Images
FEMAIs FEMA ready for disaster season?
While a new report warns of staffing shortages, vacant leadership posts and strained federal-state relationships, the agency’s acting administrator insists it is prepared for hurricane and wildfire season.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • June 10, 2026 -
Lindsey Wasson via Getty Images
What the World Cup reveals about cities’ growing heat risk
Extreme temperatures and wildfire smoke threaten athletes’ and fans’ health, highlighting the need to adapt infrastructure and public safety plans for a warming climate, scientists say.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • June 9, 2026 -
Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
How do transportation agencies address human trafficking? US DOT awards recognize innovation
New “counter-trafficking tools, initiatives, campaigns, and technologies” can qualify for monetary awards in a program accepting applications through June 22.
By Dan Zukowski • June 3, 2026 -
Alex Wong via Getty Images
Sanctuary from what? Abortion, gun rights, other measures test the limits of local sanctuary policies.
As cities adopt protections for trans people, reproductive care, the unborn, gun owners and even bears, questions about enforcement, legal stakes and the cost of defying higher governments remain.
By Danielle McLean • May 18, 2026 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
DOJ targets ‘sanctuary’ rules in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico, joins a growing list of cities facing federal lawsuits over immigration enforcement policies. “We are ready to defend our community,” the city’s mayor said.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 11, 2026 -
Octavio Jones via Getty Images
FEMA Review Council pushes disaster responsibility to cities, states
The council’s final report recommends streamlining aid programs, accelerating funding delivery and giving local governments greater operational and financial obligation for emergency management.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • May 8, 2026 -
Sponsored by National Association of State Procurement Officials
Building resilient communities: how cooperative contracting can accelerate emergency preparedness
Don't wait for a crisis to plan. Cooperative contracts can keep you prepared for emergency response.
By Micah Gibson, Communications Coordinator, NASPO • April 13, 2026 -
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
