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In October 2018, a group of campus emergency management leaders, with support from the National Center for Campus Public Safety, gathered for a one-day forum to discuss ways to define emergency management’s value to the whole community. Fifteen emergency management leaders, including university and college emergency managers, chiefs of police, and campus safety administrators, came from 13 IHEs… (read more)

In October 2018, a group of campus emergency management leaders, with support from the National Center for Campus Public Safety, gathered for a one-day forum to discuss ways to define emergency management’s value to the whole community. Fifteen emergency management leaders, including university and college emergency managers, chiefs of police, and campus safety administrators, came from 13 IHEs… (read more)

Bias and a lack of cultural competency are often cited interchangeably as challenges in police-community relationships. While bias and a lack of cultural competency may both be present in a given situation, these challenges and the strategies for addressing them differ appreciably. This resource guide will assist readers in understanding and addressing both of these issues.

In December 2014, the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing was established. The Task Force resolved to identify best practices and make recommendations on how policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust. They examined how to foster strong, collaborative relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they serve. Their… (read more)

In a collaborative effort, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and Allstate Insurance Company have joined together to develop The Law and You: Guidelines for Interacting with Law Enforcement Officials. This guide offers suggested procedures to follow if you are stopped by a police officer or… (read more)

In recent years, immigration enforcement has become a sensitive political issue at the local, state, and federal levels. State legislation supporting stricter immigration enforcement and highly publicized news stories of deportations, travel bans, and family separations have caused many immigrants to live in fear and to view law enforcement agencies at all levels warily. This political… (read more)

In 2011, the United States adopted the Strategy for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States (Strategy) and a corresponding Strategic Implementation Plan. The overall goal of the Strategy is to prevent violent extremists and their supporters from inspiring, radicalizing, financing, or recruiting individuals or groups in the United States to commit acts of… (read more)

After a discussion of the current literature on foot patrol and a brief description of the methodology used in the present study, this report presents a series of case studies on the five participating agencies describing what the agencies are doing with foot patrol and how they are doing it. Following these site descriptions, the report discusses several salient themes related to foot patrol… (read more)

"In July 2016, President Obama held a town hall meeting to discuss race and policing in the U.S. The meeting recognized that the national climate surrounding police shootings involving people of color and the retaliation against law enforcement had escalated to a point where leadership was needed. Many police chiefs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) also recognized that… (read more)

"In July 2016, President Obama held a town hall meeting to discuss race and policing in the U.S. The meeting recognized that the national climate surrounding police shootings involving people of color and the retaliation against law enforcement had escalated to a point where leadership was needed. Many police chiefs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) also recognized that… (read more)

This is a compilation of available best practices, educational materials, news, publications, training, and toolkits to assist college and university campuses to improve community relations. Trust is the foundation of a successful partnership or relationship between public safety organizations and the diverse and multicultural communities they serve. These relationships are essential to the… (read more)

On October 22, 2015, eighteen campus public safety executives from thirteen institutions of higher education (IHE), with support from the National Center for Campus Public Safety (NCCPS), gathered for a one-day emerging issues forum. The group convened as part of the NCCPS's role to be a nationwide resource for addressing critical issues in campus safety. The purpose of the forum was to identify… (read more)

On October 22, 2015, eighteen campus public safety executives from thirteen institutions of higher education (IHE), with support from the National Center for Campus Public Safety (NCCPS), gathered for a one-day emerging issues forum. The group convened as part of the NCCPS's role to be a nationwide resource for addressing critical issues in campus safety. The purpose of the forum was to identify… (read more)

Recent events in Ferguson, New York, and Baltimore have led law enforcement agencies to rethink how they can build and maintain trust, confidence, and satisfaction with the communities that they serve, especially communities of color. As agencies embrace this challenge, they may need resources to update their training and professional development. In collaboration with the Northern Virginia… (read more)

PERF police chiefs and their community representatives came together for a national discussion on the challenges of police-community trust. The community leaders and police chiefs provided constructive ideas about improving police-community relationships. Police agencies across the nation can use this report to guide their efforts in building trust with their communities.

This is the 28th report in PERF's Critical Issues in Policing series. PERF recently conducted three national conferences to discuss the use of force in American policing. The first conference, Defining Moments," addressed the key issues that came out of the protests and rioting in Ferguson and a report on that meeting was released in February 2015. This report summarizes PERF's second post-… (read more)

The purpose of this guide is to consolidate the experience that campus and community law enforcement agencies have gained in conducting party patrols across jurisdictions and share that information with agencies looking for more effective tools to help manage party-related problems. This guide covers six basic components that together will maximize the chances of having success with party patrols… (read more)

Creating a safe community at your college or university involves managing external relations and off-campus conduct. Off-campus community issues such as loud parties, noise complaints, alcohol and drug abuse, and disorderly or violent student conduct cannot be reduced or resolved with a reactive approach alone. It is vital for campus public safety, local law enforcement, administrators, and other… (read more)

Building Resilient and Trauma-Informed Communities is essential to improving public health and well-being. communities can be places where traumatic events occur, and they can also help keep us safe. they can be a source of trauma, or buffer us against the negative effects of adversity. Communities can collectively experience trauma much like individuals do, and they can be a resource for healing… (read more)

In December 2014, the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing was established to identify best practices and make recommendations on how policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust. To inform its work, the task force facilitated seven listening sessions, hearing testimony from 140 witnesses and reviewing volumes of written testimony, and submitted… (read more)

Strengthening the Relationship between Law Enforcement and Communities of Color: Developing an Agenda is a summary of a forum the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) hosted with law enforcement officials, civil right activists, academic experts, community leaders, and policy makers at the Ford Foundation in New York City. This meeting focused on identifying what can be… (read more)

This publication gives police executives the chance to hear from their own colleagues why engaging in the process of racial reconciliation is not only morally but also functionally and operationally critical. The concepts of police legitimacy, legal cynicism, and informal social control introduced here provide the theoretical underpinning that helps to explain in practical terms how police who… (read more)

This guide is intended as a reference for those who are interested in implementing a problem-solving approach and contains information and insights into the process of reducing crime and disorder through problem-solving partnerships. It takes the reader step by step through solving problems, offers examples of problem-solving from the field, and provides additional resources.

In December 2014, the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing was established. The Task Force resolved to identify best practices and make recommendations on how policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust. They examined how to foster strong, collaborative relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they serve. Their… (read more)

Understanding the challenges that public perceptions of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) bring, the Police Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), developed this guidebook to help public safety agencies successfully assess the appropriateness of acquiring sUAS in their jurisdiction, all the while ensuring public… (read more)

The Campus Safety CD-ROM is free to order and includes more than 80 resources for public safety institutions, academic administrators, students, and communities on issues such as sexual assault and stalking, alcohol and substance abuse, property crime and nuisance violations, emergency preparedness and management, and crime prevention and community partners.

This document provides information about the BCOT initiative; highlights outreach efforts; and provides resources to include guidance documents for community leaders and law enforcement, and the If You See Something, Say Something campaign.

On December 2, 2015, at 10:59 AM, the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California, came under attack. Many of the lessons learned during the response to the attack tie into the principles of community policing and continue to build on the body of knowledge that exists to assist law enforcement agencies in their mission to protect and strengthen relationships with their community. This… (read more)

In the wake of increasing racial tensions and intolerance at college campuses across the country, building trust between law enforcement and community members is as vital as ever. The Not In Our Town short film,A Bowling Green Legacy, shows how communities can come together to respond to incidents of hate, as well as to strengthen trust between community stakeholders to prevent hate from… (read more)

This survey is one piece of the broader Building Relationships of Trust Toolkit. A police department should distribute this survey to community members pre- and post-implementation of a building relationships of trust initiative.

This in-service orientation course assists officers in building relationships of trust. The approximate teaching time is three hours. This module incorporates three general learning goals: 1) educating students on the concepts of building relationships of trust and their importance for police legitimacy and crime reduction in the community, 2) informing students about best practices for building… (read more)

A key component of successful policing is building collaborative, trusting relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve, particularly immigrant and minority communities. Developing these relationships allows law enforcement to more successfully address the challenges of crime control and terrorism prevention. The knowledge and insight that come from trust-based… (read more)

The Building Relationships of Trust Toolkit includes detailed information police officers and community members should consider when trying to build trusting relationships between the two. Components of the toolkit include: moving to implementation, recommended steps for chief executives, an interactive video overview, commonly used terms, community perception survey, and curriculum training… (read more)

This publication provides guidance to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies; fusion centers; community members; civic groups; and other interested parties on developing relationships of trust, particularly with minority and immigrant communities. It also expands on the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) publication,… (read more)

In this New Perspectives in Policing paper, Anthony A. Braga and Rod K. Brunson explain that while the term black-on-black violence is statistically correct, it is a simplistic view of urban violence. They explain how media coverage sometimes distorts racial issues and argue that a more careful analysis can reveal urban violence patterns that can support police executives in communicating the… (read more)

This guide is intended to help law enforcement officers build stronger community-police relations. Building strong police-community relations requires a sustained effort over time, yet maintaining these relationships is exceedingly difficult during and in the aftermath of a high-profile incident or civil unrest. Professional law enforcement departments and effective operations require training… (read more)

This resource brief is targeted to law enforcement who respond and interact directly with youth in the field. It provides information for officers to better understand normal adolescent development and tailor their responses to youth in an age- and developmentally-appropriate manner to obtain better cooperation from youth, provide better life outcomes for youth, and develop better relations… (read more)

This paper was designed to accompany the Model Policy on Responding to Persons Affected by Mental Illness or in Crisis developed by the IACP National Law Enforcement Policy Center. This paper provides essential background material and supporting documentation to provide greater understanding of the developmental philosophy and implementation requirements for the… (read more)

This comprehensive guide highlights the sanctity and importance for law enforcement to protect the civil rights of the citizens they serve. This guide addresses protecting civil rights, sustaining community outreach and engagement, early intervention, managing complaints, managing use of force, addressing racial profiling, including personnel and data-management issues.

The Protect and Serve Presidential Initiative is intended to provide law enforcement officers with the tools and resources they need to help build sustainable community relationships and to educate the public on the role of law enforcement. Through this webpage, IACP members will have access to talking points, model policies, facts and figures about law enforcement, stories from the field,… (read more)

Pursuits have unintended consequences to bystanders and the community. Law enforcement is continually evolving practices and policies to keep the officers and community safe. This guide analyzes data collected by the IACP and provides a review of existing studies of police pursuits, a discussion of contemporary pursuit policies, and presents a broader framework for thinking about pursuits in an… (read more)

Officer-involved shootings, though relatively rare when compared to the number of interactions law enforcement officers have with the public each day, tend to be high profile events that draw media coverage and sometimes citizen concern. This guide stresses the importance to have in place protocols to investigate an officer-involved shooting without prejudice and to be transparent with the… (read more)

The model policy highlights the unique challenges that law enforcement agencies face in responding to or encountering situations involving persons displaying behaviors consistent with mental illness or crisis and provides guidance, techniques, and resources so that the situation can be resolved in a constructive manner. IACP's white paper, Responding to Persons Affected by… (read more)