Chief Pitches Crime-Free Housing Program:  A new program combining education, permitting and enforcing initiatives for landlords is being proposed by the chief of police in Newton, Iowa.  Jamee A. Pierson of the Newton Daily News reports that the mandatory training will be required for all landlords, who will learn about crime prevention, resident selection, self-defense, background checks, and how to handle illegal activities and develop partnerships with law enforcement.  The goal of the program is to create safer, crime-free communities for landlords and tenants.

FL Senate Considers Statewide Body Cam Legislation:  Florida lawmakers are introducing a two part bill that would create a consistence policy for the use of body cameras in law enforcement.  WJHG reports that currently, thirteen agencies in the state are already using body cams, but there are no statewide guidelines on "who, how, or when they can be worn."  Civil rights advocates are concerned about issues of privacy trumping the "public's right to know," but law enforcement fully supports the legislation.

Convicted Dallas Area Cop Killer Set to Die:  With a newly purchased supply of pentobarbital, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice says that they have enough of the drug to carry out the executions of convicted cop killer Kent Sprouse and three other death row inmates scheduled to be executed this month.  Michael Graczyk of the AP reports that Sprouse confessed "almost immediately" to having fatally shot a police officer and another man outside of a convenience store in 2002.  His execution is scheduled for this evening.  He will be the fifth inmate executed in the state this year.  Update:  Sprouse was pronounced dead at 6:23 PM CST. 

Bill Proposes Post-Convicted Preservation of DNA:  House Bill 1069, which would require DNA samples collected in any felony case involving violence or sex offenses to be preserved through the length of the offender's sentence, was approved by the Washington Senate and is heading back to the House.  The AP reports that Washington doesn't automatically preserve DNA samples for serious felonies, instead requiring defendants to file motions demanding that the sample be preserved.  The Senate determined that samples are to be preserved for 99 years or the length of the statute of limitation, whichever one is shorter.