My latest piece in The Hill addresses the new federal effort to deploy US Attorneys specializing in opioid prosecutions, but hits home to those of us living in the hardest hit areas who are dealing with the crisis on a day-to-day basis.
Please click here to read the full article and let me know what you think.
Comments Off on While Sessions launches new opioid task force, local response lags behind
Posted in Public Safety
Tagged A. Benjamin Mannes, Addiction, Ariel Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Mannes, Ben Mannes, Crime Prevention, Donald Trump, Heroin, Jeff Sessions, Opioid Crisis, Philadelphia, Police, The Hill
This article in The Hill poses the question of whether there a correlation between the growing anti-enforcement political climate and a rise in violent crime. The article specifically uses the example of the current heated race for Philadelphia District Attorney where Beth Grossman, a career prosecutor is running against Larry Krasner; counsel to “Black Lives Matter” and “Occupy Philly” as an example.
To read the complete article, please click here
Comments Off on When Politics have Deadly Consequences
Posted in BLM, Politics, Public Safety
Tagged A. Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Mannes, Ben Mannes, Beth Grossman, Black Lives, BLM, Crime Prevention, Larry Krasner, Philadelphia, Politics, The Hill
My latest piece in The Hill entitled “Law enforcement revives crime fighting initiatives as communities see recent spike” breaks down some of the “new” crime-fighting initiatives in cities like Baltimore & Chicago; and examines their potential effectiveness. Please share your thoughts and let’s discuss.
To read the entire column, click here.
Comments Off on Law enforcement revives crime fighting initiatives as communities see recent spike
Posted in Police, Public Safety
Tagged A. Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Mannes, ATF, Baltimore, Ben Mannes, BLM, Chicago, Crime, Crime Prevention, DOJ, Donald Trump, Firearms, Gun Control, The Hill
My June 4, 2017 piece in The Hill should serve as a private sector “wake-up call” for public venue security in light of recent, fatal criminal and terrorist incidents; many of which could have been prevented or mitigated with better security planning.
To read the entire piece, please click here.
Comments Off on After London and Manchester, we need better Public Venue Security
Posted in Public Safety, Security, Terrorism
Tagged A. Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Mannes, Ben Mannes, Crime Prevention, London, Manchester, Manila, Mateen, Orlando, Orlando Massacre, Security, Terrorism, The Hill
My latest column in The Hill breaks down a common misconception regarding the law enforcement and intelligence communities, and conveys the urgency for citizens to be more responsible for their own safety and security.
Please click here to read the article and feel free to contact me with your feedback.
Comments Off on Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are not synonymous
Posted in Public Safety, Security, Terrorism
Tagged A. Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Mannes, Ben Mannes, CIA, DHS, FBI, Homeland, Intelligence, Law Enforcement, MI5, MI6, NSA, Security, Terrorism, The Hill
My April 13th, 2017 column in The Hill is an in-depth, historical look at the highly politicized sanctuary city issue and the potentially dangerous precedents it sets.
Please click here to read it, share it, and discuss it as I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Comments Off on The truth about sanctuary cities
Posted in Politics, Public Safety, Security
Tagged A. Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Mannes, Ben Mannes, Crime, DOJ, Donald Trump, Homeland Security, ICE, Sanctuary Cities, The Hill
On Monday, April 3, 2017, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordered a review of the many controversial and highly politicized consent decrees issued by the US Department of Justice over the last decade, and why so many in the criminal justice community want to see them gone. This was the subject of my April 5, 2017 column in The Hill, which can be read by clicking here.
Comments Off on The Hill: Jeff Sessions is right to roll back Justice Department consent decrees
Posted in BLM, Police, Politics, Public Safety
Tagged A. Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Mannes, Baltimore, Constitutional, Crime, D.C., Donald Trump, Jeff Sessions, Police, Seattle, The Hill, Use of Force
My latest column in The Hill looks at the Opioid crisis and how oversight of America’s healthcare providers may help address this deadly problem facing all corners of the nation.
Please click here to read the article.
Comments Off on Healthcare, enforcement must be equal partners in opioid fight
Posted in Public Integrity, Public Safety
Tagged A. Benjamin Mannes, Addiction, Ariel Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Mannes, Ben Mannes, Crime Prevention, Crisis, Doctors, Heroin, ONDCP, Opioids, Oversight, Philadelphia, Physicians, The Hill
My March 7th piece in The Hill describes efforts to save the Harrowgate Boxing Club, a legendary piece of Philadelphia sports history. The piece describes what started as a minor dispute that became a spurious legal battle that is threatening the club’s existence, thus jeopardizing a lifeline for many urban youths who use boxing as a way off the streets.
To read the column, please click here.
Comments Off on The legal battle that reads like a ‘Rocky’ script
Posted in Politics, Uncategorized
Tagged A. Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Mannes, Ben Mannes, Boxing, Charlie Sgrillo, Danny "Swift" Garcia, Harrowgate, Philadelphia, The Hill
My Sunday, February 12, 2017 piece in The Hill discusses the discrepancies in state laws that classify a peace officer in one state, but that same position is just a guard in another state; and how this failure to standardize roles is putting police and corrections officers at risk. This is drawn contextually with the hostage siege in a Delaware prison that resulted in the killing of a hero Corrections Sergeant, and the signing of several pro-law enforcement executive orders by President Trump just one week later.
Please click here to read the full story.
Comments Off on The Hill: States are gambling with law enforcement safety
Posted in Gun Control, Police, Politics, Public Safety
Tagged A. Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Benjamin Mannes, Ariel Mannes, Ben Mannes, BLUE LIVES MATTER, Common Sense, Corrections, Crime Prevention, Delaware, Donald Trump, Gun Control, HR-218, legislation, LEOSA, Police, POLICE REFORM, President Trump, Prison Riot, Security, The Hill