21st-Century Policing Recommendations

Pillar 1: Change the Culture of Policing 

Guardians versus warriors: The final report calls for law enforcement to protect the dignity and human rights of all, to be the protectors and champions of the Constitution. This rethinking of the role of police in a democracy requires leadership and commitment across law enforcement organizations to ensure internal and external policies, practices, and procedures that guide individual officers and make organizations more accountable to the communities they serve.
 

Report Recommendation 1.1

Law enforcement culture should embrace a guardian mindset to build public trust and legitimacy. Toward that end, police and sheriff’s departments should adopt procedural justice as the guiding principle for internal and external policies and practices to guide their interactions with the citizens they serve.

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Report Recommendation 1.2

Law enforcement agencies should acknowledge the role of policing in past and present injustice and discrimination and how it is a hurdle to the promotion of community trust.

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Report Recommendation 1.3

Law enforcement agencies should establish a culture of transparency and accountability in order to build public trust and legitimacy. This will help ensure decision-making is understood and in accord with stated policy.

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Report Recommendation 1.4

Promote internal legitimacy by applying the principles of procedural justice.

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Report Recommendation 1.5

Law enforcement agencies should proactively promote public trust by initiating positive non-enforcement activities to engage communities that typically have high rates of investigative and enforcement involvement with government agencies.

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Report Recommendation 1.6

Law enforcement agencies should consider the potential damage to public trust when implementing crime-fighting strategies.

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Report Recommendation 1.7

Partner with local universities to conduct surveys to measure the effectiveness of specific policing strategies, assess any negative impact they have on a community’s view of police, and gain the community’s input.

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Report Recommendation 1.8

Law enforcement agencies should strive to create a workforce that contains a broad range of diversity including race, gender, language, life experience, and cultural background to improve understanding and effectiveness in dealing with all communities.

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Report Recommendation 1.9

Law enforcement agencies should build relationships based on trust with immigrant communities.

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