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David Robinson

is the lead reporter for the Driving Force, a joint investigation between the USA TODAY Network-New York and Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

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A graphically designed illustration overlaying images of handcuffs, a fingerprint, confidential files, the American flag, and the back of a police officer
Peter Pietrangelo/USA Today Network
Driving Force

How to use our police car crash database
by David Robinson
Published On: February 19, 2024

Police records released after the repeal of 50-a in New York helped journalists probe cop car crashes.

A cadet in the Southern Tier Law Enforcement Academy accelerates through this portion of the skills course at the National Soaring Museum in Elmira.
Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
Driving Force

Do NY police officers get enough training to curb vehicle crashes?
by David Robinson
Published On: February 13, 2024

training to curb vehicle crashes? Emergency driving training makes up just 3% of an officer's training time in NY, raising questions about whether that's enough to curb crashes.

Victims of police vehicle crashes rarely see the officers face substantial discipline for the incidents, and they fare poorly in court. While these residents deal with years-long, permanent physical or mental damage related to crashes, the officers involved are often put right back on the road with little to no penalty or reprimand.
Peter Pietrangelo/USA TODAY Network
Driving Force

Driving Force: The heavy toll of NY police crashes
by David Robinson
Published On:

Syracuse police officers crashed their vehicles hundreds of times between 2013 and 2022, with some wrecks leaving civilians with lasting injuries.