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The Beat<\/strong><\/p>\n When gun research is silenced<\/em><\/p>\n Gun science silence is a tongue-twister, but that\u2019s no reason to keep quiet about it, Harvard Professor David Hemenway argues<\/a> in Nature<\/em>. While Research on gun-related violence can help support fact-based policy, there\u2019s not a lot of it happening.<\/p>\n Shepherding the science through the intersecting vested interests and lobbies in the US is tricky at the best of times. As the anti-science voice grows<\/a> louder, and as politicians double down<\/a> on the gun lobby, it\u2019ll be crucial to ensure that there\u2019s enough data to support sensible policy. But those who study public health threats at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are kept on a tight government-funded leash<\/a>, which doesn\u2019t extend to research on firearm injury. Despite some hopeful progress<\/a>, however, it\u2019s by no means a new call<\/a> to<\/a> arms<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mass incarceration in rural America<\/em><\/p>\n And rounding out the reading, the Vera Institute of Justice<\/a> brings us \u2018Out of Sight\u2019\u2014a multi-form data<\/a>–driven<\/a> report focusing on the growth of jails in rural America (PDF<\/a>). The research stems from the Institute\u2019s visualisation tool, Incarceration Trends<\/a>, and yields two overriding<\/a> concerns: first, amid a national uptrend, rural counties have the highest number of pretrial detentions, and second, especially in the South and West, an increasing number of rural jail beds are rented out to other penitentiary authorities. Wired<\/em> has some punchy commentary<\/a> from the report\u2019s authors, and touches on some of the economic incentives that are propelling the changes.<\/p>\n CT Scan <\/strong><\/p>\n Busy week for Australian CT efforts <\/em><\/p>\n In an effort to prevent those convicted of terrorism offences from spreading extremist views, the NSW government has announced plans<\/a> to build a new supermax high-security unit at Goulburn jail. The plan quickly came under fire from experts who argued that total isolation of so-called radical inmates would be counterproductive as it would \u2018remove any chance of rehabilitation<\/a>\u2019 and would \u2018create fertile ground for militancy<\/a>\u2019. The announcement came following a decision to allow NSW police \u2018greater shooting powers<\/a>\u2019 to fight terrorism, a key recommendation<\/a> of the Lindt Caf\u00e9 siege inquest. \u00a0\u00a0The legislation would remove the weight from police officers alone to make the decision to use deadly force by allowing commanders to order pre-emptive strikes.<\/p>\n Meanwhile the Queensland government revealed plans for a $47 million\u00a0CT training centre<\/a>, as well as additional police recruits<\/a>, to combat the threat of terrorism. The centre itself will include life-like civilian streets for scenario exercises, while training will focus on intelligence gathering and developing greater understanding of deradicalisation.<\/p>\n PM Malcolm Turnbull echoed this increase in CT efforts in a recent National Security Statement<\/a>\u2014calling for stronger cooperation from the big social media and messaging platforms.<\/p>\n Delving into the mind of a terrorist <\/em><\/p>\n This week\u2019s recommended reading is this eye-opening piece from The<\/em> Financial Times, <\/em>which uses scientific evidence to \u2018challenge assumptions of madness and theories of radicalisation<\/a>\u2019. The article refers specifically to a special issue of American Psychologist<\/em><\/a>, released in April 2017<\/a>, which was the result of four decades of research into terrorism and radicalisation. Among other things, the research challenges the notion that acts of terror are preceded by radical thought, or that terrorists share a common psychological profile.<\/p>\n Checkpoint <\/strong><\/p>\n Trump\u2019s border deterrence: it\u2019s all in your mind<\/em><\/p>\n Data has revealed<\/a> that the US Border Patrol has made significantly fewer arrests for illegal crossings this year than in preceding years. There were 19,967 arrests in May \u201435,475 fewer than in May 2016, and April\u2019s figures this year were the lowest in five years (15,780). The chief of the El Paso section attributes the drop in numbers to the perceived end of the \u2018catch and release\u2019 program, which saw arrested illegal migrants<\/a> being released into the US\u2014often for years\u2014while they awaited trial. Despite the Department of Homeland Security Secretary saying<\/a> in April that the program had ended, there has actually been no official legislative change to the policy. Ending \u2018catch and release\u2019 had been one of Trump\u2019s election promises, but the El Paso border chief believes POTUS has already succeeded in creating a \u2018mindset of deterrence\u2019.<\/p>\n Ivory smuggling bust<\/em><\/p>\n Seven key members of an ivory smuggling syndicate<\/a> operating from Africa to Asia have been busted by the African cross-border Lusaka Agreement Task Force. The initiative released the results of its six-week operation in Nairobi last Friday, in which it cooperated with Southeast Asia law enforcement. Operating since 1992, the task force<\/a> targets wild flora and fauna contrabands, and comprises eight Eastern and Southern African states. The investigation will now seek to identify and arrest<\/a> the big sources of demand for ivory in Asia.<\/p>\n First Responder<\/strong><\/p>\n Monsoon brings disaster <\/em><\/p>\n Heavy monsoonal rains have triggered flooding and landslides in Bangladesh, killing 134 people<\/a>. The highest death toll<\/a> (98) was in Rangamati district, including four soldiers taking part in the rescue operation. Landslides are common during the monsoon season, exacerbated by deforestation<\/a> and \u2018hill-cutting<\/a>\u2019. The government is facing heavy criticism from its citizens, who argue despite their regularity, authorities aren\u2019t prepared to deal with disasters. The monsoon season has only just begun and there remains a risk of further emergencies: according to Plan International<\/a>, nearly one-third of Bangladesh is usually underwater by the end of the season.<\/p>\n Impermanent frost\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n Since 2008, the Global Seed Vault<\/a> has been buried inside a mountain in Norway\u2019s Svalbard archipelago, holding nearly a million seed packets<\/a> of vital food crop varieties. It was designed to survive without human intervention and was built to protect against<\/a> \u2018the challenge of natural or man-made disasters\u2019. But, ironically, engineering decisions were based on the existence of permafrost<\/a> (when the ground remains permanently frozen year to year)\u2014which is exactly what didn\u2019t happen after the recent extreme warm weather season. Instead, the existing permafrost melted and flooded the vault\u2019s tunnel. Solutions now need to be found<\/a> to endure a \u2018wetter and warmer\u2019 climate on Svalbard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Beat When gun research is silenced Gun science silence is a tongue-twister, but that\u2019s no reason to keep quiet about it, Harvard Professor David Hemenway argues in Nature. While Research on gun-related violence can …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":596,"featured_media":32448,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[796,273,1427,1178],"class_list":["post-32447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-border-protection","tag-counterterrorism","tag-guns","tag-natural-disaster"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n