Elected officials
To increase transparency, a comprehensive plan should be developed for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data, at the incident level, on traffic stops, pedestrian stops, crime incidents, arrests, use of force events, and community complaints. The plan, with input from the community, should include: Performance measures: Agency-wide and unit-specific performance measures that consider input from the…
MORE ▸Additional research is needed to develop strategies that mitigate the potential negative impacts of school-based law enforcement officers on academic achievement, discipline, violence prevention, crime reduction, and police-youth relations. Placement of officers in schools below the high school level should be based on evidence of criminal threats involving the school and should be reviewed annually…
MORE ▸The role of school-based officers should be clearly defined and limited to addressing serious crimes and threats involving students or the school itself. Officer involvement in non-criminal or public safety emergency matters on school grounds should be avoided, as they are best handled outside of the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
MORE ▸Strategies, policies, and stop activity data should be reported to the community. Community input should be solicited and, where appropriate, incorporated into policies and procedures regarding the use of pedestrian stops as a public safety strategy.
MORE ▸Strategies to monitor the racial and ethnic impact of pedestrian stops must be developed and implemented to prevent disparate outcomes. The behavior and actions of officers during pedestrian stops should be routinely observed and audited, and officers should periodically review body-worn camera footage and the bases and outcomes of the stops to ensure that their…
MORE ▸Goals, policies, and strategies for pedestrian stops must be established with community input, clearly articulated, and tied to larger goals that place the highest value on police-community relations and respect for individuals.
MORE ▸Key data regarding pedestrian stops must be recorded, analyzed, and reported to the public. Data should include time and location, demographics of the person stopped, justification for the stop, whether a protective pat down or search was used, and if actions were taken (e.g., citation or arrest) as a result of the stop.
MORE ▸Evidenced-based strategies should be adopted to increase compliance with court orders and reduce the need for fines, fees, and other sanctions. Small behavioral nudges, such as text-message reminders, can reduce non-compliance with court orders and warrant-amnesty events can help people address outstanding warrants for low-level offenses.
MORE ▸The impact of fines and fees should be reduced using evidence-based strategies to determine individuals’ ability to pay, flexible payment plans, fine-to-work conversions, education and workforce development, and substance and alcohol counseling in place of monetary sanctions.
MORE ▸Warrants for non-criminal matters, including unpaid fines and fees or failure to appear at traffic hearings, should not be served by officers. This practice adds to community tension and mistrust, particularly among people with the least means to pay and the most to lose.
MORE ▸