Amanda Watford

Amanda Watford

[email protected]

Amanda Watford (née Hernández) is a national reporter covering criminal justice and public safety for Stateline. She reports on the policies, systems and political decisions shaping how the United States responds to crime, with a focus on emerging state policy trends. Her coverage spans policing, crime victims' services, corrections, courts, drug policy, gun violence and more. She often uses data and interactive storytelling to examine how these systems evolve and how they affect communities across the country. Amanda also is a proud member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Violent crime in US fell at record pace in 2025
Stateline

Violent crime in US fell at record pace in 2025

Aug 18, 2026
Amanda Watford
Violent crime in the United States fell by an estimated 9.3% in 2025, marking the largest year-to-year decline in the national violent crime rate since the FBI began estimating crime in 1936, according to new national data . The estimated...
Mice may drive Lyme disease more than deer
Stateline

Mice may drive Lyme disease more than deer

Aug 17, 2026
Amanda Watford
For more than three decades, researchers have been tracking ticks, mice, oak trees and other wildlife in a New York forest to better understand what makes Lyme disease more likely to spread. Their latest findings challenge some long-held assumptions —...
‘Hidden homicides’: Families push states for more scrutiny of domestic violence deaths
Stateline

‘Hidden homicides’: Families push states for more scrutiny of domestic violence deaths

Aug 17, 2026
Amanda Watford
Families who believe local officials prematurely ruled their loved ones’ deaths suicides or accidents — rather than investigating whether domestic violence played a role — are pushing lawmakers in a growing number of states to require additional scrutiny. Advocates call...
Parents are being held responsible for their kid’s crimes under new laws
Stateline

Parents are being held responsible for their kids’ crimes under new laws

Aug 17, 2026
Amanda Watford
When young children and teenagers get into trouble, the question often comes quickly: Where were their parents? That question is again shaping public policy in communities across the country, as state and local lawmakers and prosecutors increasingly look for ways...
Flock Safety tightens safeguards as states, cities question surveillance network
Stateline

Flock Safety tightens safeguards as states, cities question surveillance network

Aug 14, 2026
Amanda Watford
Flock Safety is tightening privacy and oversight controls for its nationwide network of automated license plate readers as more communities pull back from the technology and lawmakers across the political spectrum push for new restrictions. The company announced Thursday that...
When families question a death investigation, getting a second autopsy can be complicated
Stateline

When families question a death investigation, getting a second autopsy can be complicated

Jul 30, 2026
Amanda Watford
After investigators ruled 31-year-old high school counselor and coach Kelsey Harris’ death a suicide in 2021, her mother, Kellee, said she was not convinced the inquiry had answered the most important questions. About a week before Kelsey died, police had...
States expand fight against organized retail crime, gift card fraud
Stateline

States expand fight against organized retail crime, gift card fraud

Jul 27, 2026
Amanda Watford
From hijacked freight shipments to tampered gift cards hanging on store racks, states are responding to new forms of organized retail crime with a fresh round of legislation. More than a dozen states this year have passed laws creating new...
Crime continues historic decline as homicide rates approach century lows
Stateline

Crime continues historic decline as homicide rates approach century lows

Jul 24, 2026
Amanda Watford
Crime rates continued falling across a sample of large U.S. cities in the first half of 2026, with homicide rates dropping enough to put the nation on track for another historic low in killings. A new analysis from the nonpartisan...
Tick season is getting longer. So is the list of states trying to keep up.
Stateline

Tick season is getting longer. So is the list of states trying to keep up.

Jul 16, 2026
Amanda Watford
The tiniest menace of summer doesn’t care if you’re hiking through the woods, walking the dog or pulling weeds in your backyard. It just wants a ride and a meal. As ticks spread into new parts of the country and...
More teens with cannabis use disorder are facing treatment delays, study finds
Stateline

More teens with cannabis use disorder are facing treatment delays, study finds

Jul 15, 2026
Amanda Watford
As federal officials consider whether to reclassify marijuana under federal drug law, a new study has found that more American teenagers seeking treatment for cannabis use disorder, known as CUD, are facing longer wait times before receiving care. The study...
States split on whether juvenile justice should prioritize punishment or rehabilitation
Stateline

States split on whether juvenile justice should prioritize punishment or rehabilitation

Jul 14, 2026
Amanda Watford
A teenager charged with the same crime can face dramatically different consequences depending on where they live. In one state, a young person accused of a serious offense may be sent to a juvenile facility focused on treatment and rehabilitation...
Gun homicides declined in 2024 as firearm suicides hit record high, data shows
Stateline

Gun homicides declined in 2024 as firearm suicides hit record high, data shows

Jul 09, 2026
Amanda Watford
Firearm homicides in the United States fell sharply in 2024, but gun suicides reached a record high, according to a new analysis of federal mortality data by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. The report, based...