Latest news with #HowardBrown
Perth Now
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Higher crime closure rates little comfort for some
Police are solving a higher proportion of crimes than ever before, but victim advocates say it's nothing to celebrate. Legal actions for reported car thefts, burglaries and robberies have doubled in NSW since 2009, a Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research report found. Improvements were also seen for assaults, including those related to domestic violence, though closure rates for sexual assault cases have declined. The report, released on Wednesday, follows concerns about crime rates in several states including anti-Semitic attacks, gangland wars and violent youth crime. Growing anger about crime prompted Opposition Leader Peter Dutton this week to pledge a $750 million crime package, targeting knife and tobacco offences. But police closing more cases was nothing to celebrate, according to victims' advocate Howard Brown. Improvements could be attributed to more access to technology such as CCTV since 2009, he said. "You talk to the 450 families of unsolved homicides and you talk to the thousand families of missing persons where there's been no resolution," he told AAP. "Then a report comes and says we're doing a much better job. "Tell that to the people who are still waiting and who have been waiting 20 years for results in the death of their loved one. "This type of thing is insulting." Fellow homicide victims advocate Peter Rolfe congratulated the police on the historic high rates, but questioned why murder didn't see an increase. The report found the rate of solving murder cases was stable at about 65 per cent. "I'm sick and tired of waking up and seeing so many people shot - drugs are the cause of these actions," Mr Rolfe told AAP. "I've got friends whose son disappeared 20 years ago and police haven't solved what happened to him." The bureau's executive director said the reason for the stable rate was likely not in police control. "I suspect the characteristics of individual cases are most influential in whether a murder is solved, rather than factors that are at the discretion of police," Jackie Fitzgerald told AAP. She said it should be of comfort to victims and the community that the risk of arrest for criminals was "undoubtedly higher than ever before". "The increased risk of being caught may also have contributed to the large decline in property crime over the past 15 years by deterring offending," Dr Fitzgerald said. Of the 11 offences examined, nine showed a significantly higher legal action rate in 2023 compared with 2009, the report found. About one in eight motor vehicle thefts are solved, up from one in 20. Rates for solving domestic violence-related assault have risen from 60 per cent to 67 per cent. Sexual assault was the only offence with a significant decline in the legal action rate, dropping from 10 per cent in 2009 to seven per cent in 2023. It follows a surge in people reporting sexual assaults over the past 15 years, including through an online reporting tool launched by police in 2016. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
West Australian
22-04-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Higher crime closure rates little comfort for some
Police are solving a higher proportion of crimes than ever before, but victim advocates say it's nothing to celebrate. Legal actions for reported car thefts, burglaries and robberies have doubled in NSW since 2009, a Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research report found. Improvements were also seen for assaults, including those related to domestic violence, though closure rates for sexual assault cases have declined. The report, released on Wednesday, follows concerns about crime rates in several states including anti-Semitic attacks, gangland wars and violent youth crime. Growing anger about crime prompted Opposition Leader Peter Dutton this week to pledge a $750 million crime package, targeting knife and tobacco offences. But police closing more cases was nothing to celebrate, according to victims' advocate Howard Brown. Improvements could be attributed to more access to technology such as CCTV since 2009, he said. "You talk to the 450 families of unsolved homicides and you talk to the thousand families of missing persons where there's been no resolution," he told AAP. "Then a report comes and says we're doing a much better job. "Tell that to the people who are still waiting and who have been waiting 20 years for results in the death of their loved one. "This type of thing is insulting." Fellow homicide victims advocate Peter Rolfe congratulated the police on the historic high rates, but questioned why murder didn't see an increase. The report found the rate of solving murder cases was stable at about 65 per cent. "I'm sick and tired of waking up and seeing so many people shot - drugs are the cause of these actions," Mr Rolfe told AAP. "I've got friends whose son disappeared 20 years ago and police haven't solved what happened to him." The bureau's executive director said the reason for the stable rate was likely not in police control. "I suspect the characteristics of individual cases are most influential in whether a murder is solved, rather than factors that are at the discretion of police," Jackie Fitzgerald told AAP. She said it should be of comfort to victims and the community that the risk of arrest for criminals was "undoubtedly higher than ever before". "The increased risk of being caught may also have contributed to the large decline in property crime over the past 15 years by deterring offending," Dr Fitzgerald said. Of the 11 offences examined, nine showed a significantly higher legal action rate in 2023 compared with 2009, the report found. About one in eight motor vehicle thefts are solved, up from one in 20. Rates for solving domestic violence-related assault have risen from 60 per cent to 67 per cent. Sexual assault was the only offence with a significant decline in the legal action rate, dropping from 10 per cent in 2009 to seven per cent in 2023. It follows a surge in people reporting sexual assaults over the past 15 years, including through an online reporting tool launched by police in 2016. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
From the Farm: USDA Planting Intentions Report
STONINGTON, Ill. (WCIA) — Nationally, farmers will plant 5% more corn acres this year, according to the USDA Planting Intentions Report. You probably won't notice the difference though. From the Farm: Tracking soil nutrients with Howard Brown In Illinois, farmers are expected to plant 11.1 million acres, up from 10.8 million last year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Howard Brown announces new CEO, during time of challenges for transgender patients under Trump
Howard Brown Health announced a new CEO on Tuesday – a former public health official who arrives after a time of tumult for the organization and at the beginning of a presidential term that's already posing challenges for transgender patients. Dr. Travis Gayles will serve as CEO of Howard Brown, which has seven clinics in Chicago and specializes in caring for patients who are LGBTQ+ and people living with HIV. A search committee selected Gayles from among 200 candidates. Most recently, Gayles was chief health Officer at Hazel Health, a school-based telehealth provider. He's also served as a public health official in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Early in his career, Gayles trained at Lurie Children's Hospital and Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, where he specialized in adolescent and HIV medicine. 'We are at a critical moment where we can amplify our voice — not only in Chicago but across the nation — working to tackle the systemic barriers that still exist in healthcare,' Gayles said in a news release about his appointment. Gayles will begin serving as CEO on March 3. His tenure follows controversy at Howard Brown, and coincides with the beginning of President Donald Trump's term. Trump has worked in recent weeks to dismantle programs and protections for people who are transgender. He issued an executive order proclaiming that the federal government will only recognize two genders, and another executive order saying that many types of federal money may not be used for gender affirming care for minors, and that institutions receiving federal research grants may not perform gender affirming care for minors. Howard Brown is a federally qualified health center, meaning it receives federal funding to care for low-income patients. A spokesperson for Howard Brown said in a statement Tuesday: 'The order has no immediate impact on our operations, and we will be monitoring developments working with our partners. We are continuing to provide gender-affirming care to all patients who rely on our services and remain committed to improving the health of trans and gender diverse communities.' Tim Wang, director of policy and advocacy for Howard Brown, told the Tribune late last year that a loss of federal funding would create 'a huge hole in our operating budget.' Howard Brown treats nearly 38,000 patients a year, and about a quarter of its patients are on Medicare or Medicaid. Howard Brown has also grappled in recent years with conflicts with workers' unions as well as financial struggles. In May, Howard Brown announced that it planned to close two of its Chicago clinics following an expected $6.6 million budget shortfall; because of the departure of the clinics' sole providers; and because the clinics' leases were up. In November, Howard Brown agreed to pay $1.3 million to workers that the National Labor Relations Board alleged it laid off illegally. The settlement agreement resolved a complaint that alleged the health center had illegally laid off more than 50 workers without bargaining with their union. Howard Brown workers represented by the Illinois Nurses Association went on strike twice in 2023 before reaching a contract agreement in May. Dr. Robin Gay has been serving as interim CEO of Howard Brown for about a year and will support the new CEO during the leadership transition before resuming her role as Howard Brown's chief dental officer.
