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June 27, 2026 Gun violence reduction in Baltimore; solving nonfatal shootings; and remembering Ruben Ortega, Sir Desmond Rea, and Daniel O’Toole
PERF members, This week I’ll hit a few recent topics in the news. Study on gun violence reduction in Baltimore The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) recently published a study of focused deterrence in Baltimore’s Western police district. The eight coauthors wrote: “Relative to comparable Baltimore neighborhoods, we estimate that within 18 months shootings and homicides in the Western district fell by roughly one-third and carjackings by about 40 percent, with no spillovers elsewhere in the city. These gains came without expanding overall enforcement: Total arrests were flat even as arrests for serious violent crimes rose sharply, indicating that the strategy redirected police authority toward serious violence rather than widening the net of the justice system. Person-level and qualitative evidence point to deterrence, incapacitation, services, and community messengers’ legitimacy as contributing channels, with no single mechanism explaining the bulk of the decline.” This is another strong finding for focused deterrence—reducing violent crime without increasing arrests is a huge success! Strengthening nonfatal shooting investigations in three states Last month the Minnesota Clearance Grant Program was established by the state’s legislature and signed into law by its governor. The program allocates one million dollars “to award grants to law enforcement agencies to reduce violent crime by increasing the solve rate of crimes that involve the nonfatal shooting of a firearm.” In advocating for the bill, law enforcement officials pointed to the St. Paul Police Department’s success in solving nonfatal shootings. “Created in January 2024, St. Paul’s nonfatal unit investigates shootings with the same resources and intensive as its homicide unit,” the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. “Nonfatal shootings in St. Paul dropped 62 percent from 2024 to 2025.” Last month the Minneapolis Police Department announced that they were creating a unit to investigate nonfatal shootings, and the Denver Police Department has had a similar unit since 2020. “Over the last three years, [the Denver Police Department’s Firearm Assault Shoot Team] has cleared hundreds of shootings, arresting suspects or issuing warrants for their capture at nearly triple the department’s previous rate for these violent crimes,” The Marshall Project reported in 2023. “The effort has shown that when detectives have the time, resources and commitment, they can resolve most shootings.” I sat in on one of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Compstat meetings earlier this year and saw the importance that agency is placing on nonfatal shooting investigations. Three notable policing figures pass away I also want to note the passing of three notable figures in the policing profession—a well-respected police chief, an internationally known peacemaker, and a motorcycle cop who charmed everyone he met. Ruben Ortega Former Phoenix and Salt Lake City police chief Ruben Ortega died on June 8 at the age of 86. Chief Ortega led the Phoenix Police Department from 1980 to 1991 and the Salt Lake City Police Department from 1992 to 1999, and he served as President of the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). Ruben Ortega. Source: Phoenix Police Museum. Very few police chiefs in major cities serve more than four or five years in one city, so Ruben’s 11 years as chief in Phoenix and seven years in Salt Lake City stand out as way above the norm. Ruben was early to embrace accreditation, ensuring Phoenix was one of the first large agencies to be accredited. Ruben was an early advocate for treating domestic violence with the seriousness it deserves by arresting offenders even if their victims had not yet pressed charges. Ruben was a national leader on addressing drug addiction, focusing on both demand and supply. Ruben was one of the longest-serving presidents of the MCCA and an active and involved member of PERF. I had the privilege of knowing Ruben for many years, and he was always humble about all that he accomplished. He served as a role model for countless chiefs who followed him. Sir Desmond Rea Sir Desmond Rea, who served as the first chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board (NIPB), passed away on May 25 at the age of 89. Sir Desmond had worked as a professor of human resources and as chairman of Northern Ireland’s Labour Relations Agency when he was tapped to lead the Northern Ireland Policing Board. The board was established to oversee the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), a new law enforcement agency that replaced the Royal Ulster Constabulary as part of the Good Friday Agreement. Sir Desmond capably navigated the complicated politics involved with policing Northern Ireland as it tried to move past “The Troubles.” He was knighted in 2004 and remained on the board until 2009.
Sir Desmond Rea. Source: Northern Ireland Policing Board. I got to know Sir Desmond when he was the NIPB chairman and Sir Hugh Orde was Chief Constable of the PSNI. PERF was asked to help the PSNI plan an international conference on policing, and through that planning process I came to know Sir Desmond and Sir Hugh very well. They complemented each other—Sir Hugh was the operational and strategic police chief, and Sir Desmond was the pragmatic and diplomatic academic tasked with bringing divergent factions together. His intellect and courage were invaluable at a time when they were most needed. He was a force of nature who made a huge difference and became a lifelong friend. I asked my friend Bob Peirce, who helped draft the 1999 report published by the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, for his reflections on Sir Desmond. Bob sent me the following: “Civilian oversight is not an easy thing to pull off. The public needs to see that it is genuine and effective. But oversight is not management and should not trespass on the responsibilities of the police leadership. Done right, it can transform community support for police. Northern Ireland was able to achieve this vital balance in large part because of the personal qualities of Des Rea—his modesty, patience, transparency and, above all, his integrity.” Daniel O’Toole And this week I attended the funeral service for retired Boston Police Detective Daniel O’Toole, who died on June 12 at age 95. Daniel O’Toole. Source: Provided. I first met Dan in the seventies, when Boston was undergoing court-ordered desegregation of the Boston Public Schools. This was a highly contentious time, and Boston cops were tasked with protecting children on buses. Dan was a motorcycle cop, and with his partners, he escorted schoolchildren on buses into new neighborhoods every morning. Rocks and bottles flew, and wires were strung across streets. Dan couldn’t get his head around why anyone would want to hurt children. He looked on this part of his career with a sense of duty and pride. As time went on, Dan met another Boston Police officer named Kathy O’Toole, and they married and had a daughter, Meghan. Dan and Kathy’s lives complemented each other. Dan loved being a motorcycle cop and became one of the most respected and well-known members of the department. Kathy’s path led her to become police chief in Boston and Seattle and chief inspector of the Garda Síochána in Ireland. Along the way, she obtained both a law degree and a PhD. Kathy has always referred to Dan as her “secret weapon.” As Kathy took on each new job and was viewed with some degree of deference by her subordinates and the public, Dan had a way of putting everyone at ease. In Ireland, as Kathy would be speaking, Dan would be in the back of the room, surrounded by new friends who were mesmerized by his humor and storytelling. And it was this way in every city that they called home. They were a team, and with a young daughter, Meaghan, Dan stepped up and took on new responsibilities. To know Dan was to love him. He was one of the kindest, funniest, and most joyful people you would ever meet. Meghan, speaking at the funeral, talked about how her dad showed her what generosity meant as his career was winding down and he focused more on supporting Kathy. Dan used to say that life is full of chapters, you just have to turn the pages. Have a wonderful summer weekend! Best, Chuck |
