Policymakers

Ensure Officer Training to Address SUDs, Mental Health Crises, and People with Disabilities

Recognizing that alternatives to police-response models cannot be implemented immediately or in all places, agencies should implement current best training practices in de-escalation techniques, addressing substance-use disorders, responding to mental health crises, and recognizing and responding to people with physical and developmental disabilities.

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Develop Alternate Strategies for Addressing Nuisance Offenses

Low-level offenses, such as illegal vending and panhandling, should be decriminalized, and alternative non-punitive strategies should be developed to address the disparate racial impact of arrest, which forces people into a cycle of monetary damage caused by fines and fees and that can also result in incarceration.

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Improve Responses to People Experiencing Homelessness

Punitive approaches to people experiencing homelessness must be minimized through collaborations by the public and private sectors to identify and fund programs to solve the root causes of homelessness. Research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs, such as homeless outreach teams in law enforcement agencies, and to identify best practices, including training…

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Implement and Evaluate Non-Police Crisis Response Teams and Co-Responder Programs

Local non-police crisis response teams (also referred to as alternative responders) should respond to persons in crisis, stabilize the situation without relying on the criminal justice system interventions, and connect them to resources and treatment. Research should be conducted on how to build this capacity, particularly outside of urban centers. Where models are currently implemented,…

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Research, Design, and Implement Alternatives to Arrest

Research is needed on the design, implementation, and evaluation of alternatives to arrest, including pre-arrest deflection, diversion, community views on diversion, SUD treatment, the impact of decriminalization of certain drugs, and how non-arrest interventions impact involvement in the criminal justice system, particularly with respect to any potential racially disparate impact. It is crucial to understand…

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Remove Barriers to Treatment

Barriers to obtaining drug-treatment services, such as a lack of services or facilities and being uninsured or underinsured, should be identified and minimized. These barriers are particularly salient for individuals that are frequently in contact with the criminal justice system.

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Institute a Public Health Approach to Substance Use Disorders

Non-violent individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) should be diverted from the criminal justice system to community-based treatment services. Public health approaches, rather than zero-tolerance or single-approach policies, should be used to prevent and reduce substance use disorders within the community.

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Expand Tuition Reimbursement Programs

College education has been shown to reduce use of force, expanding college reimbursement programs to help hire the best officers and further their educational and promotional advancement.

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Improve Legitimacy Through Procedural Justice

Improve police legitimacy within communities by implementing procedural justice training and other practices emphasizing fairness and respectfulness principles.

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Research the Role of Implicit and Explicit Bias in Decision-Making

Research regarding implicit and explicit biases that exist in policing should (1) measure officer and leadership biases, (2) understand the role it plays in decision-making, and (3) determine how to mitigate its influence on policing outcomes, including police legitimacy.

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