It is a time of change and transition for many in America’s law enforcement community. Across much of the nation, police and sheriffs find themselves on the front lines of the opioid crisis, struggling to deal with the scope of the epidemic and the new challenges and dangers to officers it presents. At the same time, communities are increasingly turning to law enforcement officials to address other issues, such as dealing with disruptive or downright violent individuals suffering from mental illness, placing still further demands on these departments.

Tackling these diverse and multitudinous missions without compromising community safety is often a difficult proposition, particularly in light of the budgetary and resource constraints many law enforcement agencies face. All the while, police and sheriffs are facing internal pressures as experienced officers retire and departments work to attract young, talented recruits and diversify their ranks. Those tasks are made all the more difficult by persistent narratives in mainstream and social media that paint policing as “systemically racist”—and which have the effect of encouraging antipathy towards the profession. What is needed now are thoughtful, innovative approaches to tackling these challenges.

In this effort, America’s midsize police departments and sheriffs’ offices are helping to lead the way. These agencies are large enough to test solutions applicable to much larger departments, but small enough to remain agile and adaptable in the face of changing circumstances, making them well-suited to serving as laboratories of innovation. Recent history bears this out. Some midsize departments have discovered creative means of overcoming funding limitations to properly equip their officers. Law enforcement leaders have developed new programs for community outreach and engagement, which have built trust and eased tensions within their jurisdictions. Some have demonstrated the value of better educating their officers on history—including the undisputed fact that many agencies once enforced racist laws (or neutral laws in a discriminatory manner)—to build empathy and reduce tensions with members of the community. And departments are increasingly training officers in tactics and techniques to de-escalate confrontational situations, as well as employing new technologies—such as data-driven policing, body-worn cameras, and even drones—to improve their operations.

With these issues in mind, in January 2018, The Heritage Foundation convened its second Policing Strategy Summit. While the 2017 summit focused on the major cities’ police and the nation’s largest departments, this summit brought together a diverse group of leaders from midsize law enforcement agencies across the country, along with representatives from national law enforcement organizations, police unions, and professionals with extensive federal, state, and local experience. As was the case with the first Policing Strategy Summit, this meeting had three principal objectives:

1. Identify the most pressing problems that law enforcement agencies face today, including the breakdown in trust, adequacy of training, proper use of new technologies, media and community relations, and the gathering and sharing of data;
2. Identify the best practices and most innovative approaches that law enforcement authorities are employing to address these problems and combat crime;
3. Identify the most effective means of communicating with public and political leaders, building trust and improving police–community relations, and bringing the needs and concerns of police agencies to the attention of federal officials.

The following represents the proceedings of the Policing Strategy Summit. It does not necessarily reflect the views of specific attendees or organizations, but seeks to capture the wide-ranging discussion that took place at the summit.

Midsize Police Departments: Laboratories of Policing Innovation

• There was a consensus among attendees that midsize law enforcement agencies are uniquely positioned to play a role as laboratories of policing innovation, being both large enough to test innovative solutions applicable to the profession as a whole and small enough to remain sleek, agile, and adaptable in the face of changing circumstances. As such, midsize departments can play a vital role in testing and formulating policing best practices.
• Midsize agencies may also be better positioned than larger agencies to more easily achieve interdepartmental coordination, allowing for projects to tap into resources from across the department. Ownership of projects may also be more easily accomplished in smaller departments.

Addressing Resource Constraints

• Law enforcement agencies face regular resource and budgetary constraints. Attendees shared some of their creative and successful solutions to address this.
  • Many indicated their departments have had great success working with nonprofits and forming public–private partnerships to obtain funds needed to purchase equipment. Police foundations were noted as being particularly important sources of support.
  • Some departments have seen success in locating partner organizations and entities to help supply critical resources, such as Nalaxone (an opioid reversal drug) for officers to carry while on duty.
  • Attendees noted that in some situations, educational campaigns may be required to explain to the public why police need additional resources. Police unions and fraternal organizations can be valuable partners for departments considering such a strategy.
  • Purchasing surplus and, where appropriate, used equipment can allow departments to reach cost-savings goals without sacrificing necessary gear. The federal government’s “1033 Program,” which provides surplus military equipment to police departments, is an avenue to obtain critical equipment that has already been paid for by taxpayers. Participants acknowledged the controversy surrounding the program, though many indicated it stemmed from disproportionate media coverage focused on the misuse of military-type equipment. In reality, most 1033-derived equipment is not used improperly or in military fashion. Departments should consider countering these misconceptions by introducing their communities to the equipment they receive through the program—for example, at parades or similar venues—to familiarize them with it before using it to respond to a situation. Additionally, criminals are increasingly using military tactics, thereby making military-type equipment a valuable law enforcement asset.
• The adoption of new technologies by large departments—body-worn cameras, for instance—can lead to public and media pressure on small and midsize agencies to follow suit. Often these new technologies and programs carry tremendous fiscal and personnel-related costs that exacerbate resource constraints. Indeed, some attendees reported that manpower is the biggest cost of adopting a new technology.
• Personnel are a resource, as well. Departments must be sufficiently staffed, so that officers can take time from their regular duties to engage in critical training.

Training

• Attendees generally agreed that officer training needs to be reassessed and improved upon.
  • Participants discussed a potential new model for initial officer training, which would see new recruits complete the initial 10–24 weeks of training, then be paired with experienced officers for training in the field, followed by a return to the classroom for additional seminar training. The model has the potential benefit of allowing officers to experience firsthand the value of their classroom training in the field, as well as afford them the opportunity to debrief following their field training.
  • Several attendees pointed out that some ideal training programs, such as scenario-based training, are cost-prohibitive for smaller agencies.
  • Given the unique decentralization of American policing and the lack of an appetite for consolidation, some attendees proposed a regional approach to police training that would help to defray the burden.
  • The Bureau of Justice Assistance program was also singled out as a source of support to departments across the country looking to improve training.
• Some attendees noted that many younger officers have little understanding of the lived experiences and inherited perspectives of minority communities. Providing officers with training that includes civic education could help to build empathy and a better understanding of history, in order to improve police–community relations.
• One primary goal of training should be to reduce instances of violent confrontations between law enforcement officials and members of the community, while recognizing that some dangerous situations are unavoidable.
  • Attendees agreed that officers need to be trained in an array of response options beyond lethal force to address diverse threats—for example, an unarmed individual attempting a gun grab.
  • Departments should also consider “tactical repositioning” and “tactical pause” training, which incorporates lessons learned in military contexts to teach officers to determine when it is tactically sound to engage, as opposed to retreat or take cover, and that these latter options do not amount to “cowardice,” although some officers perceive it this way. It was suggested that pairing such training with de-escalation training may help to convince skeptical officers of its merit.
  • Participants expressed divergent views on the relative benefits of hiring former military personnel. For some, veterans are seen as bringing a wealth of experience, knowledge, and personal discipline to the force; more receptive to training; and, owing to their combat experience, less likely to use excessive force. Others expressed opposing views, noting difficulties in “untraining” them of military habits and a potentially deleterious focus on neutralizing a threat rather than mitigating and avoiding a potential situation.
• Attendees emphasized that training must strike the right balance between the personal safety of an officer and the safety of the community. The first duty of an officer is to protect the community, and, consequently, he must be willing to put himself in harm’s way when a situation necessitates doing so. Officers making personal safety their paramount concern are less effective in the field, may not engage with hostile targets in dangerous situations, and ultimately leave their communities more at risk. Meanwhile, it is the responsibility of departments to support officers with effective training, equipment, and back-up to minimize that risk—though it should be made clear, particularly to prospective police recruits, that risk is inherent to the profession and cannot be eliminated.
• Police departments may find value in gathering additional data on police use of force. Such data could be used to help counter accusations of excessive violence on the part of police, among other purposes.

Police–Community Relations

• Attendees stressed the importance of building and maintaining trust between departments and the communities they serve. A critical component of this is “good, old-fashioned policing,” which ensures that officers know, and are known by, members of the community.
• Attendees stressed the importance of establishing relationships with community leaders and organizations, as they can become allies to police departments. Police leaders should not wait to build the necessary relationships when a tragedy, such as a shooting, occurs; rather, they should begin that process as soon as the opportunity arises. Participants noted successes in coalition efforts, including partnerships with mental health professionals, community advocacy groups, rehabilitation groups, faith-based organizations, and others.
• Outreach efforts are crucial to creating trust between law enforcement agencies and the community—and can pay dividends when navigating critical incidents. Attendees provided several examples from their own departments of positive and creative engagement programs developed or utilized by their departments.
  • High-Five Fridays. Many departments across the country have participated in this outreach effort with their local schools. Officers gather to high-five kids as they go into schools, offering support and words of encouragement before kids start their day. This simple one-on-one interaction in a non-enforcement scenario delivers two principle benefits: Youth are able to engage with their local police in a positive way, and police participation in a fun, uplifting activity can re-energize officers.
  • Coffee With a Cop. With the goal to “improve trust and build relationships—one cup of coffee at a time,” this community-policing effort sees departments partner with a local business to bring community members and law enforcement officers together in a neutral environment to discuss issues that are important to them and get to know one another.REF
  • Walk and Talk. This program sees police officers, often alongside other city government officials, knock on doors and visit businesses: (1) to interact with owners and patrons; (2) to provide residents with an opportunity to express concerns and ask questions of their local police; and (3) for officers and communities to get to know one another.
  • Cuts and Conversations with the Chief. A program employed by the Spartanburg Police Department (South Carolina), this series is designed to bring the police chief together with the community in casual settings, such as barber shops, to discuss issues of importance.REF
  • Law & Your Community Program. A nationally-recognized hands-on interactive training program for young people ages 13–18, it was developed by the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives to improve communications with law enforcement officers and understanding of their federal, state, and local laws. The program includes educating youth on citizenship, the law, and how to respond during interactions with law enforcement.REF
  • Tomorrows Program. Developed by the Bellevue, Washington, Police Department, the program involves a series of workshops designed to bring together diverse sets of community residents and stakeholders to address specific topics, as well as the creation of Police Advisory Councils to provide guidance to the chief. The program’s goal is to build inroads and establish trust with Bellevue’s diverse community, including groups that typically have little contact with the police.REF
  • The Comprehensive Gang Model. In the 1980s, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention developed a successful five-pronged strategy to address gang-involved youth and their families.REF
• Media remain the primary tool for explaining to the public what police do and why they do it—and are therefore a crucial component to police–community relations. The media afford departments a means to “market” themselves to the community, proactively building positive impressions rather than allowing events to define their image—particularly in an environment where a single mistake can make national news. Despite the critical importance of effective media engagement, agencies often struggle in this area. Attendees discussed various ways to improve the situation, including by providing officers with media training and devoting resources to media engagement.
• Attendees also discussed a number of policing practices that have caused or created tension between departments and communities, such as “Stop, Question, and Frisk.”
  • Despite recent politicization and litigation surrounding it, many attendees expressed their belief that stop, question, and frisk is an incredibly effective law enforcement tool and deterrent to crime. They noted that the practice has a long history, dating back to the 1960s, when a stop was referred to as a “field interrogation.” Officers would interview individuals and record their names, addresses, and other relevant information. This tool was helpful in placing a car or person near the location of a particular crime.
  • New York City presented a recent case study in the use of Stop, Question, and Frisk as a law enforcement tactic. The tactic was used aggressively in New York City and, for political purposes, was marketed as a means of being “tough on crime.” This led to confusion and ultimately to a backlash that exacerbated racial tensions. In response, the city recently abandoned its aggressive Stop, Question, and Frisk practice, presenting an apparent conundrum: Many anticipated a resultant rise in crime, however, the city saw a decline in its homicide rates, even as the number of Terry stops fell from a high of 685,000 in 2011 to only 12,400 in 2016.REF
  • New York City’s use of “pinpoint policing”—a method that identifies pockets of criminal activity and concentrates law enforcement activities and resources there—was presented as a potential explanation.
  • As an added benefit, utilizing this method of policing helps departments avoid alienating and angering minority communities. As evidence, Chicago was presented as an example of a city that did not employ pinpoint policing. Despite sharp drops in the homicide rate, communities were still upset because they were also concerned about their daily treatment by law enforcement officers.
• Civil asset forfeiture is another commonly used tool that has created tension between police and communities—as well as between police and organizations ordinarily very supportive of the law enforcement community. Attendees noted that the tool is useful, and there is a powerful interest within the law enforcement community to take funds suspected of being drug proceeds off the streets. However, abuses—including departments illicitly using the tool principally as a funding mechanism—have led to an understandable backlash. Attendees welcomed the need for transparency but noted that reform legislation may, in the eyes of law enforcement officials, go too far.

Race Relations

• Attendees pointed out that police have made tremendous progress addressing racial divides and combating a lack of trust between departments and minority communities. However, there was broad agreement that more remains to be done and that continued improvement requires that the profession acknowledge its own “checkered past,” including prior injustices, such as the enforcement of racially discriminatory laws. Doing so requires engaging in difficult conversations both within police departments and between police and the community. It is incumbent upon law enforcement leaders to ensure that these conversations happen.
• Participants noted that this tends to be a greater struggle for young officers, who may see race-related programs and training as furthering the false narrative that all police officers are racist. Several recommended countering this through education—for example, teaching officers about the civil rights era and emphasizing that this period is a lived experience for many community residents. Attendees urged that such conversations should not be framed as attempts to lay blame, but rather to provide a historical context on which to build empathy and understanding.
• Attendees discussed various ways in which their departments are working to improve race relations.
  • Outreach efforts, such as police–youth dialogues, provide opportunities for constructive conversations. In these settings, police officers and members of the community can candidly discuss thoughts and concerns, resolve misunderstandings, and improve trust.
  • Developing relationships between police leaders and trusted community-based organizations, such as church groups and the NAACP, can help facilitate community trust and communication. This can be vital in the midst of critical incidents, such as an officer-involved shooting.

Immigration

• Participants discussed the issue of immigration at length—particularly the consequences it poses for their agencies and missions. Many criticized the overly politicized nature of the issue and noted that police frequently are “caught in the middle,” torn between concerns that heightened immigration enforcement will create barriers between police and communities and the demands of federal authorities to cooperate or risk the loss of federal grant funding.
• Many attendees advocated a stronger role for police in federal decision making surrounding immigration, particularly where those decisions impose costs and burdens on law enforcement agencies. Participants asserted that, to date, many decisions have created unnecessary tensions between local and federal authorities, which risk bleeding over into other critical areas, such as joint task forces.
• Many indicated that they view immigration enforcement as properly addressed at the federal level. They expressed great concern that reliance on local law enforcement to address illegal immigration could damage vital relationships between police and immigrant communities. In particular, participants cited concerns that immigrant communities may opt not to report crime for fear of subsequent deportation, and that criminals could use this fear as leverage to silence victims and discourage cooperation with the police. Some participants asserted their belief that these fears were overblown, noting that Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) deportation priorities typically do not extend to low-level offenders, much less every arrestee.
• On similar grounds, attendees were critical of ICE detainers, which request that a particular illegal alien be held by local officials for an additional 48 hours after they would otherwise be released. In addition to harming police–community relations, these detainers can create resource and liability concerns for local agencies.
• The group also discussed the limitations of agency budgets and resources and the frequent need to prioritize non-immigration enforcement. Police executives need to have a free hand to make these decisions.
• The term “sanctuary city” has become synonymous with the immigration debate, but attendees sought clarity regarding what the term means and how it is applied. Though official documentation cites 8 U.S. Code § 1373, imprecise and charged rhetoric has created a much broader impression of what cities must do in the immigration context to avoid being labeled a sanctuary city. State and local law enforcement can and should collaborate and partner with federal immigration enforcement officials, especially to remove violent illegal aliens, but policies should be carefully crafted and implemented so as not to be at the expense of current community-policing efforts.

Technology, Tools, and Data-Driven Policing

• Police Use of New Technologies
  • Many new and emerging technologies being implemented within law enforcement agencies are aimed at improving the ability of officers to respond to situations and protect communities. Attendees discussed the benefits of some of these new tools, as well as the difficulties in keeping pace with criminals’ use of new technology.
  • A number of new and emerging technologies have tremendous potential for police departments. ShotSpotter allows departments to rapidly track and triangulate gunfire.REF FirstNet permits law enforcement and first responders from various agencies and jurisdictions to communicate with one another.REF Unmanned Aerial Systems, or drones, may be used to augment or replace police helicopters, which are more expensive and more dangerous to operate.
  • Departments can also leverage a variety of existing technologies—social media and security cameras, for example—to help locate and track down criminal suspects. These technologies may be particularly helpful in tracking suspects in property crime cases. Departments and cities should consider taking advantage of programs like Safe Streets, an FBI program enabling FBI Field Divisions to sponsor task forces with local FBI agents, local law enforcement investigators, and federal and state prosecutors to eliminate threats to, and violence in, communities across the country.REF
  • New technology programs often engender public concerns and risk a backlash if these concerns are not addressed. The successful implementation of new technology relies heavily on public trust. Drones, for example, are hampered by many state laws that impose restrictions on their use, as well as public concerns over police surveillance.
  • Departments should also be aware of the potential for unintended consequences and be prepared to address them. One attendee raised the issue of the consequences of body-worn cameras for the spouses of officers, who can see the dangers of the profession as never before. To address this, his department has begun incorporating families in officer debriefings following officer-involved shootings.
  • While much attention is focused on new technologies, departments and governments cannot ignore basic technology infrastructure—e-mail, records, and computer-aided dispatch systems. There is little political gain to investing in these areas, but they are vital to police performance. Attendees suggested this is one issue where federal assistance through Bureau of Justice Assistance is crucial.
• Countering New Technology
  • Attendees also discussed the myriad challenges posed by emerging and rapidly changing technologies, which afford criminals new ways to avoid detection.REF
  • Encrypted messaging is complicating local police narcotics operations, making it more difficult to monitor drug-related communications. This technology is increasingly becoming a major challenge for law enforcement, preventing them from gathering key evidence. All attendees agreed that it is paramount that law enforcement be able to gain access to encrypted phones when necessary for public safety. Many expressed dissatisfaction at legislators’ inability or unwillingness to provide the requisite legal authority to do so.
  • Many jurisdictions are beginning to see drones used for nefarious purposes, such as ferrying narcotics and other contraband items into correctional facilities. Law enforcement is nonetheless limited in terms of how it can respond to these new threats.
  • Cybercrime is a rapidly developing threat that many police departments are struggling to address. Few communities fully appreciate the scale of cybercrime. It now accounts for more dollar-loss than all street crime combined. In one illustrative incident in 2013 targeting ATM machines, $45 million was stolen in a 10-hour period—more than the total losses from all “traditional” bank robberies in the United States for a full year.REF
  • Due to the nature of the modern Internet, police departments are now forced to confront a variety of criminal actions perpetrated by suspects worldwide, raising serious jurisdictional questions.
  • Many attendees observed that police departments move too slowly to keep up with the rapid—and accelerating—evolution in cybercrime. Effective solutions may require public–private partnerships.
  • COMPSTATREF and Real-Time Data
  • Attendees generally agreed that real-time crime data is an indispensable tool for modern police departments. The ability to possess and disseminate real-time data to patrol officers substantially improves response time, leads to better planning and resource allocation, and enhances the ability of police chiefs to hold their patrol commanders accountable.REF
  • It is important for department leaders to broach this technology with the media and the public in a sensitive way. Some terminology, such as “predictive policing,” has negatively influenced how people view this technology. Police should be aware of these perceptions and use terms that better illustrate the purpose of the technology, such as “smart policing.”
  • Implementing real-time data and analytics, and using the technology to its fullest, will require agencies to have sound basic technology infrastructure—for example, modern computers, communication programs, and filing systems.
• Crime Reporting Systems
• Some departments are changing how they report crime data, switching from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) format, which records only the most serious offenses, to the newer Incident Based Reporting system, which includes more offenses and provides a more complete picture of crime in a particular jurisdiction.
• Attendees cautioned that the switch can produce unusual results. For example, owing to the more expansive reporting of the new system, crime may appear to spike year-over-year. Similarly, because not all departments are transitioning to Incident Based Reporting, those that do may appear to have crime rates considerably higher than those that do not. If not communicated correctly, this can negatively and incorrectly influence public, government, and media perceptions of crime in the community.
• Attendees believed that most agencies recognize that UCR reporting is outdated and flawed, but it is the only system currently used for analytics. Also, some police departments are required by consent decree to collect data that may not be helpful for analytics yet impose significant costs. Thus, there is room for changes in crime reporting that could enable better analysis of crime and policing.

The Drug Crisis

• Attendees unanimously agreed that the opioid epidemic is of paramount national concern, and addressing it must be a top law enforcement priority. The stakes are high: In 2016, more Americans were lost to opioids and heroin than were lost during the entire Vietnam War.REF In some communities, drug overdoses have become the leading cause of death, exceeding car crashes and cancer.
• The crisis has not hit the nation uniformly. Geographically, its impact has been concentrated on the East Coast. Demographically, several attendees noted that Caucasian working-class populations and older addicts were the first and most severely hit by the crisis before it began spreading unpredictably. Attendees strongly encouraged all states and law enforcement agencies, even those thus far relatively unaffected, to proactively develop plans to address the crisis.REF
• Combatting this crisis is a challenge requiring a systematic and unconventional law enforcement response that targets both supply and demand. Such a response must be coordinated across multiple government agencies. The Joint Terrorism Task Force is a useful model, one that could potentially allow traditional law enforcement entities—the Drug Enforcement Administration, other federal agencies, and state and local offices—to coordinate with other organizations, including medical bodies, such as state boards of medical examiners and the National Association of Regional Councils.REF
• Several participants observed that the crisis has changed the nature of policing.
  • During the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s, the major challenge confronting law enforcement officials was the violence associated with drug dealing. In the present crisis, overdoses have trumped drug-related violence, prompting many departments to train their officers in the administration of Naloxone. Simply responding to the ever-expanding population of addicts is a Herculean task for officers.
  • Attendees noted that the opioid crisis is better thought of as a “poly-drug crisis.” Many overdose victims have multiple drugs in their system: Fentanyl and Carfentanil are driving spikes in fatal overdoses; relatively cheap heroin is now being distributed across many cities. All of these developments have fatal consequences.
  • Increasingly, police officers in hard-hit communities are expressing greater concern over the risk of accidental needle sticks or exposure to Fentanyl than they are with involvement in a violent incident. Departments must address the changing landscape of threats to officers, including by providing relevant training and safety equipment.
• Several attendees noted that fraud is an emerging challenge in the opioid treatment space, with some “sober living” centers going so far as to reintroduce addicts to drugs as a means of ensuring their programs continues to receive money.

The Expansive, Changing Role of Police in Communities

• Police now play a multitude of roles in communities, serving as health officers, executing community interventions, and even doing house visits to get addicts into rehab. To effectively manage this diverse mission, departments need partnerships through schools, health departments, and other agencies, and must develop a strategy for addressing these threats going forward.
• Mental health is a major challenge confronting policing. Attendees were critical of the demands placed on law enforcement’s resources and time and noted that a significant portion of violent police-citizen interactions arise from mental-health-related incidents. Some attendees advocated devoting additional funding for mental health issues as a means of dealing with the problem while freeing law enforcement agencies to better address other challenges. Attendees also noted the issue is linked to the drug crisis, owing to the problem of self-medication.
• Given the rapidly changing challenges confronting law enforcement officials, attendees recommended re-establishing a National Criminal Justice Commission. The commission that was established during the 1960s executed a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, creating a benchmark that informed two decades of law enforcement policy. Several measures currently pending before Congress would establish a new commission.REF Participants also noted the President has authority to create a panel without an act of Congress.
• Attendees discussed the possibility of federal law enforcement agencies devoting resources to identifying the worst-of-the-worst offenders, prosecuting them under federal law, and seeking federal mandatory minimum sentences. Such a policy would help to free up resources for state and local law enforcement agencies while keeping the “worst-of-the-worst” off the streets, owing to the fact that federal inmates serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
• Federal mandatory minimum sentences are helpful in targeting this category of offender, and some attendees noted that mandatory minimum penalties suffer from a detrimental misunderstanding of their function—namely, that they are used to lock up low-level, non-violent offenders, specifically drug offenders. In reality, current mandatory minimum sentences and enhancements, under 18 U.S. Code § 924(c), for carrying or using a firearm in furtherance of a violent or drug-trafficking crime, exist not to incarcerate low-level offenders but to target worst-of-the-worst violent offenders.

The Changing Makeup of the Police

• Policing as a profession is undergoing a transition, as police forces work to recruit and integrate younger and more diverse cohorts of officers into their agencies—a task which is complicated by anti-police rhetoric that often seeks to paint police as “the new bad guys.” This often makes it difficult for departments to recruit competent young officers and retain those already on the force.
• Generational
  • Police officers from the baby-boomer generation are retiring and phasing out of police forces, often at a rate that outpaces new recruitment. One chief’s department has consequently modified the retirement program to incentivize older cops to remain on the force to help train new recruits and pass on valuable institutional knowledge.
  • Younger generations of police officers often have different work priorities and values compared to their predecessors. As a general rule, millennials have demonstrated a completely different approach to retention and job promotion and do not anticipate a lifelong career in policing. They often adopt a “what are you doing to keep me here?” attitude. These generational traits must be taken into account when marketing positions.
  • Some attendees noted that many millennial recruits lack the life and communications skills that baby boomers had when they joined the force in the 1960s, thereby presenting unique training challenges.
  • Nevertheless, many participants pointed to numerous advantages that younger officers are bringing to the table in addressing the complexities of policing. Millennials are often more adept than older officers at navigating the intricacies of modern policing, including technological, legal, and social issues. They are eager to bring fresh ideas and new approaches to the table; departments should be open to this and capitalize on the unique talents of millennial officers.
• Structural
  • Departments should consider developing incentive structures that reward positive actions in the field. In practice, supervising officers can have a positive impact on police practices, morale, and culture with even small incentives—not necessarily compensation—if they let officers know that they are appreciated and will be recognized for their contributions.
• Racial
  • Attendees agreed that police departments across the country have made progress on racial issues. However, they acknowledged that more work remains to be done in hiring a sufficiently diverse workforce that reflects, and can be more sensitive to concerns within, the communities they serve. Hiring a diverse workforce brings a breadth of experiences, skills, education, and perspectives that can be leveraged to improve police–citizen interactions. It is incumbent upon police leaders to rebut the notion that diversifying police forces requires lowering hiring and promotion standards.
  • Attendees agreed that the racial composition of a police force need not exactly match the racial composition of the community, but a police department should be broadly representative of the community it serves. When setting targets for racial composition of police forces, several attendees cautioned that departments need to be realistic. The target should be to have a diverse force that represents the percentages of potentially hirable members of the community, not the total demographic breakdown, since many residents are ineligible to become police officers due to race-neutral factors such as age.
  • Several attendees noted particular difficulties stemming from cultural factors in efforts to recruit and promote minority officers—for example, antipathy towards police, a strong impulse towards non-police professions, or a community desire for representation only in certain police positions. Attendees recommended developing relationships within the community and encouraging them to advocate for young people to apply to, and seek promotion in, their police departments.
  • Diversity goals often run headlong into budget constraints limiting the number of new officers that can be hired and recruited. One creative solution: Utilize a department’s natural retirement and attrition rate to bring in qualified minority recruits and diversify departments.

—The Honorable Edwin Meese III was the 75th Attorney General of the United States and currently is the Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow Emeritus at The Heritage Foundation. John G. Malcolm is Vice President for the Institute for Constitutional Government, Director of the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, and Ed Gilbertson and Sherry Lindberg Gilbertson Senior Legal Fellow at The Heritage Foundation.