Thomas Abt
@thomasabt.bsky.social
Author, BLEEDING OUT. Founding Director, VRC. Associate Research Professor, UMD. Senior Fellow, CCJ. Opinions, my own.
Reposted by Thomas Abt
Update: weapons seized down 73%, child exploitation indictments down 28%. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
Drug Arrests and Gun Seizures Fell as Homeland Security Pursued Immigration
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Update: weapons seized down 73%, child exploitation indictments down 28%. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
Reposted by Thomas Abt
VRC Director, @thomasabt.bsky.social highlighted the VRC's white paper on Community Violence Problem Analysis (CVPA) at the National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms. CVPA is a key tool to reduce fatal & nonfatal shootings.
Read here: vrc.umd.edu/sites/vrc.um...
Read here: vrc.umd.edu/sites/vrc.um...
vrc.umd.edu
November 24, 2025 at 9:06 PM
VRC Director, @thomasabt.bsky.social highlighted the VRC's white paper on Community Violence Problem Analysis (CVPA) at the National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms. CVPA is a key tool to reduce fatal & nonfatal shootings.
Read here: vrc.umd.edu/sites/vrc.um...
Read here: vrc.umd.edu/sites/vrc.um...
Very pleased to see Knoxville's Project TLC recognized by both
@bloombergcities.bsky.social and the IACP (links below). Kudos to Mayor Kincannon, Chief Noel, LaKenya Middlebrook and all the amazing folks who helped make it happen. The @vrcinfo.bsky.social is proud to partner with you!
@bloombergcities.bsky.social and the IACP (links below). Kudos to Mayor Kincannon, Chief Noel, LaKenya Middlebrook and all the amazing folks who helped make it happen. The @vrcinfo.bsky.social is proud to partner with you!
November 24, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Very pleased to see Knoxville's Project TLC recognized by both
@bloombergcities.bsky.social and the IACP (links below). Kudos to Mayor Kincannon, Chief Noel, LaKenya Middlebrook and all the amazing folks who helped make it happen. The @vrcinfo.bsky.social is proud to partner with you!
@bloombergcities.bsky.social and the IACP (links below). Kudos to Mayor Kincannon, Chief Noel, LaKenya Middlebrook and all the amazing folks who helped make it happen. The @vrcinfo.bsky.social is proud to partner with you!
Reposted by Thomas Abt
Decades of rigorous research on gun violence interventions exist, but evidence is scattered. An updated meta-review is underway and was highlighted at the 2025 National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms by
@thomasabt.bsky.social.
Campbell Protocol: tinyurl.com/653rdh4d
@thomasabt.bsky.social.
Campbell Protocol: tinyurl.com/653rdh4d
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 21, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Decades of rigorous research on gun violence interventions exist, but evidence is scattered. An updated meta-review is underway and was highlighted at the 2025 National Research Conference for the Prevention of Firearm-Related Harms by
@thomasabt.bsky.social.
Campbell Protocol: tinyurl.com/653rdh4d
@thomasabt.bsky.social.
Campbell Protocol: tinyurl.com/653rdh4d
Reposted by Thomas Abt
Murder is down 14% relative to *2019* levels through September in the latest Real-Time Crime Index sample of 545 agencies.
All signs continue to point to a strong likelihood that 2025 will feature the lowest murder rate ever recorded by the FBI (data back to 1960).
All signs continue to point to a strong likelihood that 2025 will feature the lowest murder rate ever recorded by the FBI (data back to 1960).
November 21, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Murder is down 14% relative to *2019* levels through September in the latest Real-Time Crime Index sample of 545 agencies.
All signs continue to point to a strong likelihood that 2025 will feature the lowest murder rate ever recorded by the FBI (data back to 1960).
All signs continue to point to a strong likelihood that 2025 will feature the lowest murder rate ever recorded by the FBI (data back to 1960).
Has @washingtonpost.com adopted the term "criminal legal system? If so, that's a very bad idea. In an old Twitter thread of mine, I explain why: x.com/Abt_Thomas/s...
November 21, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Has @washingtonpost.com adopted the term "criminal legal system? If so, that's a very bad idea. In an old Twitter thread of mine, I explain why: x.com/Abt_Thomas/s...
Disgusting. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Disgusting. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
This piece celebrates the work of community violence intervention, which is good and important, but I would have liked more acknowledgement that crime is also falling because of the work of law enforcement. In fact... www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
These five cities help explain why homicide rates are down across the U.S.
Homicides are down nearly 20 percent this year in 52 of America’s largest cities, a decline that spans both red states and blue states.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:24 PM
This piece celebrates the work of community violence intervention, which is good and important, but I would have liked more acknowledgement that crime is also falling because of the work of law enforcement. In fact... www.washingtonpost.com/nation/inter...
If you’re in the nonprofit sector, you need to read this.
How should civil society respond to an unprecedented assault from the federal government? Greg Berman, whose book "The Nonprofit Crisis" is out this week, offers trenchant insight. www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/how...
www.vitalcitynyc.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
If you’re in the nonprofit sector, you need to read this.
Reposted by Thomas Abt
VRC Director @thomasabt.bsky.social and Research Associate Mark Mills had the opportunity of presenting at the @amersoccriminology.bsky.social annual conference. They presented on Obstacles and Opportunities for Evidence-Informed Anti-Violence Policy.
November 17, 2025 at 7:13 PM
VRC Director @thomasabt.bsky.social and Research Associate Mark Mills had the opportunity of presenting at the @amersoccriminology.bsky.social annual conference. They presented on Obstacles and Opportunities for Evidence-Informed Anti-Violence Policy.
Read it and weep. Again.
Gift link to NYT article about the corruption of DOJ. One former insider says “I wouldn’t even call it the Justice Department anymore. It’s become Trump’s personal law firm. … [T]he American people should be enraged.”
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
60 Attorneys on the Year of Chaos Inside Trump’s Justice Department (Gift Article)
Sixty former staffers describe an environment of suspicion and intimidation within the nation’s most powerful law enforcement agency.
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Read it and weep. Again.
Reposted by Thomas Abt
This may be one of the biggest bait-and-switch moves of all time, and it's making the country less safe. Read on. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...
Homeland Security Missions Falter Amid Focus on Deportations
www.nytimes.com
November 16, 2025 at 3:25 PM
This may be one of the biggest bait-and-switch moves of all time, and it's making the country less safe. Read on. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...
This may be one of the biggest bait-and-switch moves of all time, and it's making the country less safe. Read on. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...
Homeland Security Missions Falter Amid Focus on Deportations
www.nytimes.com
November 16, 2025 at 3:25 PM
This may be one of the biggest bait-and-switch moves of all time, and it's making the country less safe. Read on. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/16/u...
Reposted by Thomas Abt
Watch this brief but insightful presentation by @avpapachristos.bsky.social on using network science to better understand and address community gun violence. Understanding these networks is key to creating targeted interventions that can save lives and improve safety.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnlH...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnlH...
Prof. Andrew Papachristos on Gun Violence and The Company You Keep
YouTube video by Vera Institute of Justice
www.youtube.com
November 14, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Watch this brief but insightful presentation by @avpapachristos.bsky.social on using network science to better understand and address community gun violence. Understanding these networks is key to creating targeted interventions that can save lives and improve safety.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnlH...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnlH...
As in DC, violence was falling in Memphis before the surge began. More from @jeffasher.bsky.social below. jasher.substack.com/p/walking-in...
Walking in Memphis Crime Data
Ma'am, I am tonight.
jasher.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:13 PM
As in DC, violence was falling in Memphis before the surge began. More from @jeffasher.bsky.social below. jasher.substack.com/p/walking-in...
Reposted by Thomas Abt
ICYMI I wrote about Memphis -- a city where shooting have dropped after a large Federal deployment but I have questions about the validity of data being reported about other crimes.
jasher.substack.com/p/walking-in...
jasher.substack.com/p/walking-in...
Walking in Memphis Crime Data
Ma'am, I am tonight.
jasher.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:51 PM
ICYMI I wrote about Memphis -- a city where shooting have dropped after a large Federal deployment but I have questions about the validity of data being reported about other crimes.
jasher.substack.com/p/walking-in...
jasher.substack.com/p/walking-in...
Mixed feelings about the federal surge in Memphis. The key will be sustainability, which is a question of resources and also of community trust. www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
Crime dropped after Trump sent officers to Memphis. Not everyone is happy.
A federal task force has helped lower crime and boost arrests in Memphis. But residents say they feel under siege and have complained about racial profiling.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Mixed feelings about the federal surge in Memphis. The key will be sustainability, which is a question of resources and also of community trust. www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
Pleased to see this op-ed calling for the "Bleeding Out" approach in Minneapolis. Francis Shen does a nice job of summarizing the strategy. www.startribune.com/twin-cities-...
Opinion | Stop the Bleeding: A proven plan for violence reduction in Minneapolis
Any deterrence plan must be focused, balanced and fair. The consent decree won’t suffice. But cities like Boston and Oakland offer templates, law professor Francis X. Shen writes.
www.startribune.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Pleased to see this op-ed calling for the "Bleeding Out" approach in Minneapolis. Francis Shen does a nice job of summarizing the strategy. www.startribune.com/twin-cities-...
Reposted by Thomas Abt
Gifting this article from The Atlantic by a judge appointed by Reagan, who is resigning so he can speak out about how Trump is destroying the rule of law. Must read.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Why I Am Resigning
A federal judge explains his reasoning for leaving the bench.
www.theatlantic.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Gifting this article from The Atlantic by a judge appointed by Reagan, who is resigning so he can speak out about how Trump is destroying the rule of law. Must read.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Reposted by Thomas Abt
Today, the VRC brought together voices from across sectors to discuss how social media can both impact and help prevent community violence. Real conversations, and real collaboration. Thank you to everyone who shared your solution-driven insights! Our white paper coming soon.
November 11, 2025 at 12:31 AM
Today, the VRC brought together voices from across sectors to discuss how social media can both impact and help prevent community violence. Real conversations, and real collaboration. Thank you to everyone who shared your solution-driven insights! Our white paper coming soon.
Reposted by Thomas Abt
@jama.com convened 60 experts from diverse fields to design a forward-looking roadmap for significantly reducing firearm-related harm by 2040. Read more on evidence-informed strategies: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
The JAMA Summit Report on Reducing Firearm Violence and Harms
This Special Communication discusses the JAMA Summit on Firearm Violence and provides an innovations roadmap to lead to substantial reductions in firearm violence, injuries, and harm in the US by 2040...
jamanetwork.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:59 PM
@jama.com convened 60 experts from diverse fields to design a forward-looking roadmap for significantly reducing firearm-related harm by 2040. Read more on evidence-informed strategies: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Important new JAMA report on reducing firearm violence. Take a look. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
The JAMA Summit Report on Reducing Firearm Violence and Harms
This Special Communication discusses the JAMA Summit on Firearm Violence and provides an innovations roadmap to lead to substantial reductions in firearm violence, injuries, and harm in the US by 2040...
jamanetwork.com
November 4, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Important new JAMA report on reducing firearm violence. Take a look. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Read it and weep. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/o...
Opinion | All It Took for Trump to Dismantle the Justice Dept.
www.nytimes.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Read it and weep. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/30/o...
Trump will take credit, but DC's crime was falling fast before the surge. Hard to say if it even helped. And even if it did, it's not a sustainable strategy. www.thetrace.org/2025/10/dc-s...
What Have Trump’s Troops Done for Crime in D.C.?
The president has taken credit for reducing crime in the capital, but a new analysis by The Trace shows that a decline was already underway.
www.thetrace.org
October 31, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Trump will take credit, but DC's crime was falling fast before the surge. Hard to say if it even helped. And even if it did, it's not a sustainable strategy. www.thetrace.org/2025/10/dc-s...
Please read this @usatoday.com review of federal crackdowns in Chicago, Memphis, Los Angeles, Portland, and Washington DC. Happy to have contributed to this well-investigated piece. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...
What Trump's federal crackdown looks like in 5 US cities
Troops have been deployed in LA, Chicago, DC, Memphis and Portland, Oregon. Each city has been changed in different ways.
www.usatoday.com
October 26, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Please read this @usatoday.com review of federal crackdowns in Chicago, Memphis, Los Angeles, Portland, and Washington DC. Happy to have contributed to this well-investigated piece. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...