Well, this is nice news from the Police Department: last year officers shot and killed the fewest people since the NYPD started tracking those stats in 1971. In 2010 just eight people were killed by officers and, in another low, only 16 were wounded by police gunfire. The previous record for the department was nine deaths in 2005, there were police-related 12 deaths in 2009. And just how far has the department come? In 1971 the police shot and killed 93 people and wounded 221. Here's to 2011 having even less. more ›

The NY Times looks at NYPD firearms use between 1996 and 2006, finding that though cops are using their guns less these days, "when they do fire, even at an armed suspect, there is often no one returning fire at the officers. Officers hit their targets roughly 34 percent of the time." more ›