New Era of Public Safety

New Era of Public Safety: An Advocacy Toolkit for Fair, Safe, and Effective Community Policing
© 2019
New Era of Public Safety: An Advocacy Toolkit for Fair, Safe, and Effective Community Policing is an initiative
of the Policing Campaign at the Leadership Conference Education Fund, the education and research arm of
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and was supported by the Google Foundation.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of
more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in
the United States. Through advocacy and outreach to targeted constituencies, The Leadership Conference
works toward the goal of a more open and just society – an America as good as its ideals.
The Leadership Conference is a 501 (c)(4) organization that engages in legislative advocacy. It was founded
in 1950 and has coordinated national lobbying efforts on behalf of every major civil rights law since 1957.
The Leadership Education Fund is a 501 (c)(3) organization that builds public will for laws and policies that
promote and protect civil and human rights of every person in the United States. The issues The Education
Fund works on have deep roots in its organizational history and across the communities it represents.
Access the toolkit online at https://policing.civilrights.org/toolkit and the best practices report, New Era of
Public Safety: A Guide to Fair, Safe, and Effective Community Policing, at https://policing.civilrights.org/report/.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 6
I Introduction 8
II Policing by the Numbers 13
III I Am Concerned About...

My Community’s Approach to Policing 14
Profiling and Bias-Based Policing 24
Stops, Searches, and Arrests 33
Use of Force 43
Police and Community Response to Crises 50
First Amendment Protections 56
Accountability: Officer Misconduct and Discipline 62
Data and Transparency 67
Police Training 72
Sexual Harassment and Assault by Law Enforcement Officers 76
IV Structure of Police Departments, Pressure Points,

and Opportunities for Action 82
V Be the Change 94
VI Making Change 98
Step 1: Identify the Problem 100
Step 2: Build Your Coalition 100
Step 3: Set Goals 106
Step 4: Gather Information 108
Step 5: Build a Campaign 111
Step 6: Engaging Your Target and Pressure Points and Meeting with Other Stakeholders 125
Step 7: Evaluate the Impact of Your Campaign 131
VII Additional Resources

Model Legislation & Policies 132
Reports & Toolkits 134
Resource Websites & Organizations 138
Federal & Governmental Resources 141
Glossary 142
Endnotes 149
Acknowledgements
Lynda Garcia, policing campaign director at The

Education Fund, oversaw the developement
of toolkit. Gabrielle Gray, policing campaign
manager, reviewed, researched, and edited the
toolkit. Ashley Allison, executive vice president
of campaigns and programs, provided invaluable
feedback and edits.
Jordyn Bussey, Katherine Lemus, and Jheanelle

Wilkins provided staff assistance. LaGloria
Wheatfall, policing communications manager,
and Patrick McNeil, social media manager,
assisted with editing; intern Steven Higgins
assisted with research.
Special thanks to Andrea Ritchie and Wesley

Ware for their wisdom and expertise in the
concept and drafting content for the toolkit.
We would also like to thank Allison Stevens,

Molly Gamborg, and Brian Spiegel for their
assistance in the editing process.
Lindsey Montague, The Education Fund creative

director, oversaw the art direction. The design
and layout were created by Jasmin Plouffe and
Celeste Jacobs.
We extend our gratitude to advocates and

organizers who provided valuable input and
feedback in the drafting of this toolkit: Lauren-
Elaine Brown, Markasa Tucker, and Changa
Higgins.
Lastly, we thank Chanelle Hardy, Maab Ibrahim,

and Justin Steele of Google.org for their
commitment and support of The Leadership
Conference’s Policing Campaign.
I. INTRODUCTION
Police officers across the country are involved in our everyday lives. They patrol our streets, our
sidewalks, and our public spaces, and they are often first on the scene when crime breaks out and
when disaster strikes. They support people in crisis — and they respond to national crises. They
are — and have been for nearly two centuries — our nation’s first responders.
And yet, our country’s approach to public safety — and whom it protects and serves whether real
or perceived — has undermined community trust.
This has long been so — from early slave patrols, to harassment and unlawful surveillance of
civil rights activists, to criminalization of people of color. This history is alive today, borne out in
disparities in policing practices — from stops and searches to arrests and use of force. From
Ferguson, Baltimore, and Sacramento; to Watts, Detroit, and Los Angeles; to Chicago, Newark, and
Selma. The places and the times are different, but the impact of the tragedies are the same.
In recent years, outrage over harassment and deaths of people of color, Black people specifically,
at the hands of police officers has ignited the Movement for Black Lives and inspired national
debate around systemic racial profiling and police violence. It has prompted collective calls to
#SayHerName and to recognize the unique experiences of Black women, transgender people
and gender nonconforming people, people with disabilities, people who have experienced sexual
violence or misconduct by police, and people who have been killed by police or died in police custody.
Local, state, and national organizations have long worked to reform policing and strengthen
accountability — and are now redoubling their efforts to reimagine public safety and create a
stronger, safer country for us all. We support and join this effort. Our entire country — and its
many diverse communities, police officers included — will benefit if we succeed.
To make this vision a reality, we need a common language so we can work together to promote
public safety while protecting civil rights. We need to work at the national, state, and local levels
— in our communities — to realize a shared vision of public safety that respects and protects
human life and lifts up those most affected by harmful police policies and practices. And we need
innovative ideas — from all perspectives in our diverse society — to rethink public safety and
renew community trust.
We can overcome the challenges facing us, and this toolkit shows us how. Individuals and
communities have the power to shape policing and change our approach to public safety by
organizing, harnessing data, and leveraging determination on all sides to improve our justice system.
Introduction 9
We Have the Power to
to Make Change
We all have a role to play in ensuring

that policing practices respect and
protect civil and human rights.
We must hold our leaders accountable to the communities they swear to serve and protect.
Reorienting the way we think about public safety, and the roles of communities and police
departments in promoting it, takes time, effort, and shared understanding. Each of us has the
power, individually and collectively, to effect change through grassroots organizing,
policy advocacy, and civic engagement.
By shaping public opinion

By voting, you can ensure
through organizing and
Public Opinion, advocacy, you can influence
that elected officials share
Organizing, lawmakers and law Voting your vision of public safety
and are willing to take action
and Advocacy enforcement officials to
to change policing.
change the way policing
happens in your community.
Through advocacy and

Through service calls participation in community
Service Calls and complaints, you can Advocacy and oversight, you can help hold
and Complaints shape police priorities and Community departments accountable
document violations of rights for individual and systemic
Oversight
and policies. problems and shape policy
to prevent future violations.
Community members shape policing and public safety every day by making calls for service, attending
community board and precinct council meetings, filing complaints, meeting with legislators and
policymakers, serving on police advisory committees and civilian oversight boards, testifying at public
hearings, advocating for changes to police policies and laws, monitoring police department budgets,
speaking out in the media and at protests, and voting for political candidates who share their views on
public safety and policing.
With more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States, ranging in size from
one to nearly40,000 officers and spanning urban, suburban, and rural areas, there is no one-
size-fits-all solution to police reform. Yet there are universal guiding principles that should inform
how police departments ensure public safety and build community trust – through policies and
practices that deliver fairness, equity, procedural justice, transparency, and accountability. There
are many ways to achieve social change. This toolkit is intended to help activists, organizations,
and communities identify and act on solutions to change policing for the better in their own
communities. It contains information and resources about:
Key policing statistics

Major policing challenges and how to advocate for change
Police department structures, targets, pressure points, and opportunities for action
How to find out about your department’s policies and practices
How to develop strategies for change
How to organize strategic police reform campaigns that advance alternative visions of public safety
Whether you are one person concerned about a specific incident, a group of people who want to
form a campaign in response to a pattern of policing in your community, or an organization looking
for specific information, fresh perspectives, or different strategies, this toolkit has something for
you. It is designed so you can easily find the issue you are concerned about and quickly access
best practices, talking points, and strategies for overcoming opposition. It also offers guidance on
how to pressure police departments to update their policies and how to organize a campaign to
make the change you want.
Introduction 11
How Can I Change
Policing Practices?
Start a conversation:1
Talk to family members, friends, and neighbors about policing and safety in your community.
What does public safety look like? What needs to change? How can it be changed?
Get involved:
Attend a public forum on policing, a community board meeting, a precinct meeting, a public
meeting of your local police commission or oversight agency, or go on a ride-along with a police
officer. Find out what people are talking about and determine what changes you want to see.
Access more information:

Find out about your department’s policies and accountability structures. What data are
available about stops, searches, arrests, uses of force, and other issues? You can also research
organizations in your local community that are already working on civil rights and policing
reform.
Speak out:
Tell your story and share your opinion. Write a letter to the editor or an op-ed in your local
newspaper, or testify at a public forum to share your views about policing and safety in your
community. Join the conversation online through social media, and support online campaigns
for increased police accountability.
Organize:
Join an existing organization, coalition, or campaign — or start a new one!
Information about local precinct or community board meetings can generally be found on the
police department or city website. If not, call the city’s general information line to find out when
the next one will take place.
II. POLICING BY THE
THE NUMBERS
Facts are important in

your advocacy. Here are
some useful statistics
that can help inform your
organizing.
Policing by the Numbers 13

Profiling:
• Officers stop Black drivers at higher rates than White drivers.2
• Officers ticket, search, and arrest Black and Latinx drivers more often than White drivers.3
• When searching Black and Latinx drivers, officers have less evidence than when searching
White drivers and are less likely to find contraband.4
• Officers are almost three times more likely to search Black and Latinx drivers than White drivers.5
• Black people are four times more likely than White people to be arrested for marijuana.6
• According to a recent study, half of transgender people report feeling uncomfortable
seeking police assistance. Approximately 6 percent of transgender people reported they
experienced bias-based assault by an officer.7
Use of Force:
• Officers in the United States killed approximately 998 people in 2018.8
• Native Americans have the highest rates of fatal encounters with police, followed by Black people.9
• The overwhelming majority of people killed by officers from 2015-2018 died by gunshot
(95 percent). The remaining deaths occurred as a result of other uses of force (e.g., Tasers,
physical force).10
• Black people are three times more likely to be killed by officers than White people; between
2010 and 2012, Black men aged 15-19 were 21 times more likely to be killed by officers
than their White male counterparts.11
• Unarmed Black people (especially women) are more likely to be killed than unarmed people
of other racial or ethnic backgrounds.12
• At least one-quarter (24 percent) of people killed by police from 2015-2018 involved
people with signs of unmet mental health needs.13
• Black people are 2.5 times more likely than White people, and 1.7 times more likely than
Latinx people, to experience the threat or use of nonlethal force during an encounter with
police officers.14
Sexual Misconduct:
• A police officer is caught in an act of sexual misconduct about every five days.15
• Approximately 70 percent of sexual misconduct cases involve people subject to traffic
stops, crime victims and witnesses, or minors.16
• One-quarter of known survivors of police sexual misconduct are minors.17
14
Accountability:
• As of 2015, all 50 states and the District
of Columbia failed to comply with
international standards of lethal force by
law enforcement officers.18
• From 2006-2017, at least 1,881 police
officers were fired from the nation’s 37
largest police departments – 451 of
those officers successfully appealed and
won their jobs back.19
• Grand juries rarely return indictments
in officer-involved shooting cases. For
example, in Dallas, of the 81 officer-
involved shootings reviewed by a grand
jury between 2008 and 2012, there was
only one indictment.20
• A U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
investigation of the Chicago Police
Department found that the department
sustained fewer than 2 percent of
30,000 misconduct complaints between
2010 and 2015.21
• The Baltimore Police Department
sustained only 1 of 60 complaints of
unlawful strip searches from 2012 to
2016.22
• The Philadelphia Police Department
sustained 138 of 8,555 misconduct
complaints between 2013 and 2016,
however none of the officers were
penalized.23
Policing by the Numbers 15

III. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT...
MY COMMUNITY’S
APPROACH TO POLICING
Our society’s approach to

public safety is structured
so that law enforcement
is present in nearly every
aspect of American life.
16
Police officers are in our schools, at scenes of mental health crises, and even in coffee shops
arresting people. This type of “proactive policing” undermines public safety; when people do not feel
safe, they are not safe. Making matters worse, proactive policing creates a culture that positions
officers as “warriors” who enforce the law rather than as “guardians” of public safety.
Under this type of proactive approach to policing, departments formally or informally measure
officers’ performance by the number of tickets they issue or arrests they make. It involves
saturating communities of color, immigrant communities, and low-income communities with
police officers. And it can result in adverse effects: residents of these communities are subject
to disproportionate rates of traffic stops, stop-and-frisk tactics, and discriminatory enforcement
of low-level offenses, such as disorderly conduct, drinking in public, loitering, and marijuana
possession. In some cities, such as Ferguson, Missouri, police departments raise significant
revenues through fines, fees, and seizure of property.24 In other words, some departments finance
their activities by over policing targeted communities.
Your advocacy can encourage departments to take a community centered approach that embraces
a guardian mindset25 — which is widely regarded as a more effective and lasting approach to
building public safety.
I am Concerned About... My Community’s Approach to Policing 17

Some departments promote
“broken windows” policing as a form
of community policing, but there are
significant differences between the two:
Community Policing
++ Engages all community members in meaningful

decision-making, implementation, and evaluation
of departmental policies, practices, and priorities.
Police leaders value community perspectives,
especially of those most impacted by policing.
++ Emphasizes prevention and problem-solving

over arrests and criminalization.
++ Promotes fair and equal treatment of all

community members and judicious use of
resources to promote public safety rather than to
criminalize minor offenses.
Broken Windows Policing
−− Does not involve community members in

creating or implementing policies, in overseeing
department practices department practices, or
in holding officers and departments accountable
for systemic problems. Police leaders prioritize
input from community members who support
aggressive enforcement of minor offenses.
−− Emphasizes quotas for stops and arrests over

prevention and problem-solving.
−− Targets youth of color, people experiencing

homelessness, and people believed to be
engaged in prostitution and street vending for
aggressive enforcement of minor offenses.
18
Key Challenges
Lack of accountability:
A lack of accountability for police officers to the communities that they are meant to protect
and serve prohibits trust-building. Law enforcement is accountable to all community members,
including people of color, women, gender nonconforming people, LGBTQ people, youth,
undocumented immigrants, people with limited English proficiency (LEP), people with disabilities,
religious and ethnic groups, low-income people, people experiencing homelessness, as well as
people suspected or accused of violating the law.
Lack of familiarity:
Some police officers are not familiar with the communities they work in. This can create problems
if officers are not aware of community dynamics, culture, or social problems. Police officers should
be familiar with and have an awareness of social problems, their underlying societal causes and
consequences, and the community that they serve and protect.
Lack of community input:

Community policing is essential to improving public safety. Some departments develop policies
and practices, mission statements, organizational structures, strategic plans, and priorities without
community input.
Lack of trust:
High-profile police shootings of unarmed Black people and other incidents of police misconduct,
coupled with heavy enforcement of low-level offenses, have eroded trust in law enforcement
in many communities — and especially in communities of color. This lack of trust strains police-
community relationships and undermines public safety.

Require trainings on community policing.
Departments should train officers in the
Making Change goals and methods of community policing.

Community members should be directly
involved in the development and
delivery of trainings.
Adopt a community policing philosophy.
Police departments should adopt Implement policies for
engagement with specific groups.
community policing as their key operational
Departments should implement policies
philosophy and embrace a guardian
for encounters with people who have
mindset to policing that is reflected in
limited English proficiency (LEP), who are
mission statements, strategic plans, and
Deaf or hard of hearing, or who have other
day-to-day operations.
disabilities that affect communication.
End “broken-windows” policing.
Collaborate with communities.
Departments should end “broken windows”
Departments should collaborate with
and other policing models that emphasize
communities to improve safety by:
the quantity of tickets and arrests over the
quality and effectiveness of policing. ++ Identifying strategies to make
communities safer.
Interact with communities. ++ Increasing interactions between police
Departments should work to form trusting officers and community members in
nonenforcement settings.
relationships with communities by creating
opportunities for officers to engage ++ Creating comprehensive community-
with community members to increase outreach programs.
understanding of societal causes and ++ Involving community members in the

consequences of social problems. development of policies and in the
creation and delivery of trainings.
Reallocate resources.
Value community input.
Departments should divert resources from
Departments should establish a formal
other budgetary areas and invest more in
role for community members to publicly
community policing.
evaluate departments. This process should
include, but not be limited to:
• Neighborhood meetings and councils
• Complaint and compliment forms
• Online surveys
• Public fora on policy changes Enforce procedural justice principles.
• Advisory groups representing Every aspect of a department’s work should
communities directly impacted by incorporate the principles, goals, and
policing practices, including people of objectives of procedural justice internally
color, women, LGBTQ people, youth,
undocumented immigrants and people and externally.
with limited English proficiency (LEP),
people with disabilities, religious and Create staffs that reflect the
ethnic groups, low-income people, and community.
people experiencing homelessness Departments should focus on recruiting,
Establish formal structures for retaining, and promoting applicants from

community input. historically underrepresented groups in
Departments should establish formalized the policing profession, such as people
structures and resources to gain community of color, women, and people from other
members’ feedback about: underrepresented backgrounds.
• Decision-making around policies, Develop performance measures

priorities, and day-to-day operations that reflect community policing.
• Training Departments should evaluate officers
based on community policing principles
• Accountability for officers who violate
departmental policies and practices and practices, such as engaging and
collaborating with community members,
• Development, implementation,
and oversight of specific policies solving problems with community input,
and procedures governing policing and tracking satisfaction with policing services.
of marginalized communities that
emphasize effective communication
Provide incentives.
and engagement
Departments should incentivize community
Reconcile with the community. policing by rewarding officers for solving
To rebuild trust, departments should problems with community input, resolving
acknowledge the long and complex history community concerns without resorting to
between communities of color and police use of force, and treating all community
officers. Restorative justice and reconciliation members — including those suspected or
models open lines of communication and accused of violating the law — fairly and
create opportunities for engagement. respectfully.
End the use of police in schools as a solution to student discipline:
Some school districts are increasingly turning disciplinary matters over to school police —
sworn police officers who are deployed to schools to improve safety and prevent crime, often
under the mantle of community policing. This model often relies on arrests to address student
discipline, usually for minor age-appropriate behaviors and funnels youth, and especially
students of color, into the school-to-prison pipeline.26 There are better ways to manage student
discipline and keep students safe. Instead of police, schools should have professionals who are
trained to handle disruptive behavior in school, such as counselors, mental health professionals,
community intervention workers, and restorative justice coordinators.
How to Advocate for Change
Advocate for community policing.

Pressure your mayor and city legislators to require your local police department to adopt
community policing as its key operational philosophy. Pressure the chief of your local police
department to implement community policing principles and practices throughout the department,
and ensure that all officers — not just a designated few — apply these principles and practices
to their work. Also, make sure your police department’s decision-making processes include
representatives from communities that are most directly impacted by policing.
Exercise your electoral power.

Make a commitment to community policing a central issue in every election season and a condition
of your support for candidates for office on both the state and local level.
Get involved in the hiring process.

Pressure your mayor and city legislators to hire a police chief who has demonstrated a
commitment to community policing principles and practices.
22
Talking Points
Community policing increases public safety.

When communities and police departments collaborate to co-produce and implement a vision
of public safety for all members of a community, and when police officers treat people fairly and
respectfully, community members and officers are safer.
Community policing reflects 21st-century policing principles and practices.

Community policing principles and practices have been endorsed and promoted by the
Department of Justice’s Office on Community Oriented Policing Services, the President’s
Task Force on 21st Century Policing, and many law enforcement associations, including the
International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, and the Major
County Sheriffs of America.
Overcoming Opposition
The Opposition:
“Community policing takes valuable resources away from fighting crime. Police officers are not
social workers and should not be wasting their time at community meetings or taking orders
from community members.”
+ Overcoming the Opposition:

“Police officers are public servants and must be deeply engaged with all members of the
communities they serve to ensure safety for all. That cannot be accomplished without
strong relationships with, and accountability to, communities.”

PROFILING AND
BIAS-BASED POLICING
Profiling is presuming that

someone is involved in
criminal activity based on
who they are rather than
what they have done.
24
Profiling is often based on race or ethnicity but can also be based on national origin, religion,
gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, familial status, immigration status,
veteran status, health status, housing status, economic status, occupation, proficiency with the
English language, or other personal characteristics. It can arise from explicit or implicit biases
about people based on personal characteristics, such as beliefs that some groups of people are
more dangerous than others and more prone to certain types of criminal activity. No matter the
motivation behind it, the result is the same for people on the receiving end: discrimination. Profiling
profoundly undermines civil and human rights, including equal protection of the law, freedom from
discrimination, freedom of movement, and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.
Profiling and bias-based policing are well-documented and systemic problems across the country.
Police departments’ data demonstrate that officers stop, search, and arrest Black and Latinx
people at higher rates than White people, even though these groups violate laws at equal rates.
Profiling entire communities or groups of people based on stereotypes or beliefs perpetuates
unconstitutional and discriminatory policing practices, including disparities in stops, searches,
arrests, and uses of force.
I am Concerned About... Profiling and Bias-Based Policing 25

Key Challenges
Racial and ethnic bias:

In the United States, Black, Latinx, South Asian, Asian, Arab, and Indigenous people are routinely
racially, ethnically, and religiously profiled by police officers. In some communities, more than 80
percent of people subject to traffic and/or street stops are Black or Latinx,27 even though these
groups make up a much smaller percentage of the general population. Profiling of Muslim, Arab,
South Asian, and Middle Eastern people has been documented in the “Global War on Terror.”
Criminalization of everyday activities:28

In some jurisdictions, Black and Brown people, particularly Black and Latinx youth, are
disproportionately ticketed and arrested29 for “broken windows” offenses, such as riding a bicycle
on the sidewalk, being in a park after dark, loitering (including “loitering for the purposes of
prostitution”), eating or drinking in public, making “unreasonable noise” or engaging in “disorderly
conduct,” and trespassing in their own homes.
Gender and sexual orientation bias:

Police officers often deny protection to women, LGBTQ people, and gender nonconforming
people who survive intimate partner violence, profiling them as perpetrators of violence rather
than targets, or holding them responsible for abuse they and their children experience.30 As a
result, police officers sometimes fail to properly respond to allegations of sexual assault or intimate
partner violence, arrest them under “mandatory arrest” laws, or criminalize them for exercising their
right to self-defense.
Criminalization of people experiencing homelessness:

Police officers often discriminatorily ticket and arrest people based on their housing status, and profile
people who are homeless for “broken windows” offenses like sleeping or urinating in public or loitering.31
26
Religious intolerance:
Freedom of religion is a cherished ideal in the United States, but this right is not always respected
or protected. People who practice nonChristian religions are often profiled — and sometimes
criminalized.32 This is especially true of Muslim and Sikh people, who can be suspected of
terrorism — and treated as such.
Disability bias:
People with disabilities experience discriminatory policing practices, such as excessive use of
force and failure to properly respond or provide necessary resources (e.g., independent nonlaw
enforcement interpreters for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing or materials in braille for
blind people) during police interactions. People experiencing mental health crises or who require
accommodations so that officers can effectively communicate with them may be perceived as
resisting, failing to immediately comply, or engaging in erratic or atypical behaviors. Officers
may see them as being aggressive, threatening, or “noncompliant,” and may respond with
disproportionate and sometimes lethal force.
Collaboration with immigration authorities:

While law enforcement agencies often collaborate with federal authorities regarding matters of
public safety (e.g., terrorism, drug and human trafficking, etc.), few have interest in or resources
to devote to civil immigration matters, such as deportation proceedings. The Final Report of the
President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing recommends that federal immigration enforcement
be decoupled from routine local policing for civil enforcement and nonserious crime.33
I am Concerned About... Profiling and Bias-Based Policing 27

Ban reliance on perceived identity.
Making Change Department leaders should explicitly prohibit

police officers from engaging in any form of
profiling or discriminatory policing, including
that based on who they think people are. For
instance, many Sikhs wear turbans as a form
Expand the definition of profiling. of religious observance, but people often
Department policy should ban profiling presume they are Muslim and profile them
of all members of targeted communities. as such.35 This is a form of discrimination,
Department leaders should, at a minimum, even though the victim does not identify
prohibit profiling and discriminatory policing with the targeted group. Similarly, an officer’s
based on the following categories,34 as belief that an Indigenous person is Latinx or
well as any others found to be relevant in a that a straight man is gay constitutes profiling,
specific community: actual or perceived race, even if the officer is not wrong. Profiling
ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, bans should prohibit officers from acting on
gender identity, sexual orientation, age, actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national
disability, familial status, immigration status, origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual
veteran status, health status, housing orientation, age, disability, familial status,
status, economic status, occupation, immigration status, veteran status, health
proficiency with the English language, or status, housing status, economic status,
other personal characteristics. occupation, proficiency with the English
language, or other personal characteristics.
Ban profiling in all law
enforcement activities.
Ban reliance on prohibited categories.
Profiling bans must apply to all discretionary
Department leaders should prohibit officers
decisions by law enforcement, including
from relying on identity to any degree, unless
decisions to stop, investigate, question,
they are looking for someone based on a
search, arrest, respond to a call for service,
specific, reliable, and credible description of a
seize property, initiate asset forfeiture, or
person engaged in an activity at a specific time
charge an individual with a crime. and location that includes information beyond
the prohibited characteristics.
Profiling bans should include
discriminatory impacts in policies.
Profiling bans should also prohibit law Some policies only prohibit use of
enforcement decisions that have a these factors as the sole reason for law
discriminatory impact on particular groups enforcement action, or as the determinative
of people and communities, regardless of factor. These restrictions do not go far
officers or departments’ specific intent. Bias- enough, as they allow an officer to come up
free policies should include specific examples with a pretext for a decision to initiate law
of prohibited conduct. It can be helpful to enforcement activity that is motivated by
include specific examples of less commonly race, gender, etc.
discussed types of prohibited profiling.
28
Require training for interacting with leaders accountable for violating profiling
specific groups. bans by filing a complaint or a lawsuit.
To reduce bias-based policing, department When complaints are filed, supervisors
leaders should provide officers with specific must investigate the matter in a thorough,
guidance and training on how to respect impartial, and timely matter.
the rights of particular groups of people
— such as people of color, women, gender Collect and publish data.
nonconforming people, LGBTQ people, Departments should collect, analyze,
youth, undocumented immigrants, people and regularly make public aggregate,
with limited English proficiency, people with anonymous data about the race, ethnicity,
disabilities, religious and ethnic groups, age, and gender of people who are stopped,
low-income people, people experiencing searched, and arrested. Demographic data
homelessness, and other groups as relevant should be based on the officer’s perception
to your community. of people’s demographic characteristics
(e.g., race or age) before and after the
Ban questions about sexual orientation, encounter because it may change over the
gender identity or immigration status. course of proceedings as information comes
Department leaders should prohibit officers to light. Police officers should not ask a
from asking people about their sexual person about their sexual orientation,
orientation, gender identity, or immigration gender identity, or immigration status. Only
status. Only if a person voluntarily if a person voluntarily provides information
provides information regarding their sexual regarding their sexual orientation, gender
orientation, gender identity, or immigration identity, or immigration status, and it is
status and it is related to the incident (e.g., related to the incident (e.g., a potential hate
a potential hate crime), may officers record crime), may officers record the information.
the information.
Identify and investigate hate crimes
Require supervisors’ approval for and incidents.
discretionary enforcement activities. Hate crimes and incidents have increased in
Some enforcement activities, such as recent years.36 Police departments should
arresting people for disturbing the peace or encourage the reporting of hate crimes and
resisting orders, involve a large degree of incidents, and properly investigate them when
officer discretion. To ensure these actions they occur. This involves reaching out to
are not influenced by bias, departments potentially targeted communities to explain
should require that supervisors be notified the reporting and investigation processes.
and approve the arrest before it takes place.
Ensure accountability.
Departments should train supervisors
and officers to detect, manage, and report
profiling and discriminatory policing. People,
organizations, and oversight agencies must
be able to hold officers and department
Change the law.

Pressure your legislators to pass a state or local law with an expansive ban against discriminatory
policing that includes mechanisms — such as a private right of action — for individuals and
organizations to hold officers and departments who violate the ban accountable.
Organize around a specific incident.

If profiling or discriminatory policing led to a critical incident of excessive or lethal force, pressure
your legislators, your mayor and/or governor, and the chief of your local police department to pass
or strengthen policies and laws on bias-based policing.
Build a campaign.
Build a campaign based on the profiling issue at hand. Make sure to reach out to a range of
communities experiencing profiling and discriminatory policing who can create a coalition structure.
Build a coalition.
Be creative when building your coalition and include community members with diverse skill sets,
interests, identities, and backgrounds. Coalition members that work on the campaign can include clergy,
grassroots activists, academics, attorneys, students, artists, etc. - or anyone committed to the cause.
Encourage bias-free recruitment practices.

Communities should support and encourage departments in creating cultures of equity and
inclusion that prohibit racial and gender bias, and in building diverse workforces.
Press for proper investigation and discipline.

Community members and organizations can advocate for change by pressuring civilian
oversight boards to properly investigate complaints of discriminatory practices and by pressuring
departments to mete out swift discipline when warranted.
Organize around the release of data.

The public release of data documenting police profiling and bias-based policing is a good time to
press legislators, the mayor and/or governor, and the police chief to pass or strengthen a policy
or law on bias-based policing. If your law enforcement agency does not collect or release data,
demand that they do so, or start a community-based data collection project.
Talking Points
Police officers have a duty to uphold

constitutional rights and federal laws.
Federal laws prohibit discrimination based on
race, religion, national origin, and gender. Many
federal, state and local laws, constitutions, and
charters prohibit discrimination against these and
other protected classes (e.g., sexual orientation,
disability, and housing status). A ban on profiling is
inconsistent with the oath police officers take when
joining a police department.37
Profiling bans make everyone safer.

Antidiscrimination and profiling bans make
communities safer, because law enforcement
activities based on stereotypes, beliefs, and biases
(as opposed to actual evidence) do not prevent
violence or increase public safety.38
All people deserve protection.

Although racial and ethnic profiling is the most
commonly discussed form of discriminatory policing,
police officers also profile based on national origin,
religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation,
age, disability, familial status, immigration status,
veteran status, health status, housing status,
economic status, occupation, proficiency with the
English language, and other personal characteristics.
Everyone is entitled to the equal protection

of the law — and equal treatment by law
enforcement officers!
The Opposition:
“Officers are just acting on data that show higher rates of crime in particular communities.
Profiling bans keep police officers from going where crime is and focusing on the most likely
suspects.”

“Arrest rates are often higher in communities of color and low-income communities because
that is where enforcement is focused — not because crime rates are necessarily higher
in those communities.39 This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: If officers enforce the law
in some communities more than others, then data will indicate those communities have
higher crime rates. However, all communities have crime. We cannot criminalize entire
communities and then use high arrest data to justify overpolicing certain communities,
profiling, and other forms of discriminatory policing. There is no evidence that profiling and
overpolicing reduce crime. We do know that these activities violate civil and human rights,
erode trust and confidence in police, and decrease public safety.”
The Opposition:
“Profiling bans get in the way of officers doing their jobs and fighting crime.”

“Profiling bans do not stop officers from responding to calls for help or from pursuing people
based on specific descriptions. Instead, they make policing more effective because they
require descriptions of individuals suspected of involvement in specific activities rather than
generic characteristics like race or religion, which typically produce no evidence of crime.”40
32
STOPS, SEARCHES,
AND ARRESTS
Racial and ethnic profiling

contributes to discriminatory
policing practices,
including unconstitutional
stops and searches that
disproportionately impact
people of color.
In many communities across the country, police officers routinely stop Black and Latinx people
walking in their community or driving in their cars without any legal basis and for no apparent reason
other than the color of their skin.
The Supreme Court has authorized “pretextual” stops41 as long as the officer has an objectively
reasonable basis to suspect the person has violated a traffic law (however minor) or other infraction.
In practice, this means that officers can use any violation of the multitude of traffic regulations, such
as performing an incomplete stop at a stop sign, having a broken taillight, or littering, as a pretext to
stop someone. When misapplied, this power exacerbates disparities. Additionally, police officers can
arrest people for breaking any law in the criminal code — even a minor infraction, such as failure to
wear a seat belt — regardless of whether the arrest furthers public safety. Arrests based on profiling
and pretextual stops can have serious consequences even when they are for minor offenses.
These consequences include loss of employment, housing, and child custody; steep fees and fines;
permanent arrest records; and incarceration, deportation, or other lifelong consequences.
You, however, have the power to limit unlawful stops, searches, and arrests.
Stop-and-Frisks:
Under the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Terry v. Ohio,42 a stop must be based on a
reasonable, articulable suspicion that a person is committing, is about to commit, or has
committed a crime. Stop-and-frisk practices and policies must comply with the Fourth
Amendment of the U.S Constitution.
A frisk is a brief pat down of the outer clothing, and must be based on a reasonable articulable
suspicion that the person is armed and presents a danger to an officer during a lawful investigatory
stop. Unless an officer feels something that could be a weapon through the outer clothing, they
cannot go inside a person’s pockets or under their hat or other clothing items during a frisk.
Searches:
To search people or cars, an officer must have probable cause to believe that they are concealing
weapons, evidence, or contraband. Except in cases of emergency, an officer must have a search
warrant to search a home or building. Strip searches and body cavity searches are allowed only
when officers have probable cause to believe that someone is concealing weapons, evidence,
or contraband in a way that cannot be detected using regular search methods. Strip searches
and visual cavity searches must be conducted in private by an officer of the same gender
identity as the person being searched. Intrusive cavity searches must be conducted by a medical
professional in a private area.
Consent Searches:
A person is entitled to refuse or withdraw consent to a frisk or search where an officer does
not have a reasonable suspicion that they are concealing a weapon, evidence, or contraband,
or probable cause to believe they are committing or have committed a crime. Officers should
inform people of their rights to refuse or revoke consent, and document an individual’s informed,
voluntary consent before proceeding with a consent search.
Arrests:
An arrest must be based on probable cause – a belief, based on specific facts, that would lead
a reasonable officer to conclude that it is more likely than not that a person is breaking or has
broken a criminal law. Before questioning a person who is, or reasonably believes they are, under
arrest, an officer must read their Miranda rights and document an informed voluntary waiver of
their right to remain silent and to speak to an attorney.43
Key Challenges
Unlawful and discriminatory searches:

Police officers disproportionately conduct stops, frisks, and searches on pedestrians and motorists
of color without legal justification; this is part of a larger pattern and practice of profiling in law
enforcement. Police officers also conduct unnecessary and unlawful frisks and searches, including
strip searches of people who are transgender and gender nonconforming for the impermissible
purpose of assigning gender based on anatomy or to humiliate and punish them.
Lack of informed and voluntary consent:

Consent for searches is often presumed without advising the person that they have the right to
refuse consent if there is no other legal justification for the search, and documenting the person’s
voluntary, informed consent to the search.
35
Arrests every three seconds:
Police officers make an arrest every three seconds in the United States, reflecting the increasing
criminalization of our communities.44 The vast majority of arrests are for minor or low-level
offenses, including “broken windows” offenses, traffic offenses, and possession of small amounts
of drugs like marijuana.
Incentives to arrest:
Many jurisdictions measure police officers’ performance by how many arrests they make and how
many tickets they issue — not by how well they work with communities to solve problems, resolve
conflict, and increase public safety. According to the Pew Research Center, more than one-third
(34 percent) of police officers reported that their departments had informal arrest quotas.45
Raising revenue through fines and fees:

In some communities, tickets, fines, fees, and asset forfeitures generated by arrests contribute to a
significant portion of revenue and law enforcement budgets, thereby incentivizing overpolicing.46
Sexual harassment and assault:

Sexual misconduct is a serious crime. Some police officers inappropriately touch, sexually harass,
and sexually assault people during frisks and searches. A police officer is caught in an act of sexual
misconduct about every five days.47
Problematic search practices:

Public strip searches and gender searches are problematic.
• Public strip searches and cavity searches are sometimes conducted in public in the context of
“stop-and-frisk” and drug enforcement.
• Officers conduct unnecessary and unlawful frisks and searches, including strip searches, of
transgender and gender nonconforming people for the impermissible purpose of assigning
gender based on anatomy, or to humiliate and punish them.
36
Making Change
Establish clear legal standards Ban and/or strictly regulate consent

and practices. searches.
Stop, search, and arrest policies and Police departments should ban — or, at
procedures should: minimum, strictly regulate — consent
searches of people and their cars. Police
++ Clearly articulate applicable legal
standards. officers should be required to tell the person
they want to search, in a language or mode
++ Explain the meaning of legal standards
using specific examples. of communication that is effective, that
(1) they have the right not to consent to
++ Prohibit police officers from
discriminating against any protected a search, and (2) that refusing consent to
group in enforcement activities. a search will not be used against them.
++ Clearly articulate the method police Officers should also obtain written or
officers must use to frisk and search recorded proof of the person’s informed,
people of all genders, and specifically voluntary consent before conducting the
women.
search.
++ Clearly prohibit any kind of search
to assign a gender to or to harass, Require training.
humiliate, or punish someone.
Ensure all officers are trained to identify
++ Collaborate with LGBTQ communities explicit bias and recognize patterns that
to develop and tailor stop-and-frisk
policies indicate implicit bias in officer
decision-making.
++ Prohibit pretextual stops.
++ Reinforce procedural justice in all

enforcement actions.
++ Include comprehensive training on stops,

searches, and arrests based on community
policing principles and practices.
37 Community Policing 37
tickets or arrests an officer issues or makes.
Collect and publish data. Decouple revenue from arrests.
Police departments should be required to: Prohibit municipal financial structures that
incentivize officers to make more arrests,
++ Collect, analyze, and make data public in
alternative and accessible formats: issue more tickets, and seize more assets as
a way to fund law enforcement activities.
• The number of stops, frisks, searches,
and consent searches conducted; who
they were conducted on; and the basis Require supervisors to review arrests.
and outcome of the searches. Police departments should require
• Information about arrests, including supervisors to review and evaluate the legal
specific information about the facts that basis and justification of officers’ stops and
led to an arrest.
arrests on a regular basis to detect any
++ Enable legislators, oversight bodies, and indication of bias and to evaluate officer
the public to evaluate whether searches performance. Leaders should discipline
are being performed effectively and
lawfully. officers who conduct improper stops and
CAUTION: Departments should never should train them on alternatives to arrests:

be required or permitted to collect or • Officers can give verbal warnings rather
maintain information about individuals’ than writing citations or making arrests.
immigration status, sexual orientation
• Officers should explore alternatives
or experience as transgender or to enforcement, such as diversion or
gender nonconforming. deflection programs.
Decriminalize and deprioritize minor

Ban quotas and evaluation based on offenses.
number of arrests. Police departments should decriminalize
Police departments should prohibit quotas, and deprioritize arrests for minor offenses
formal and informal, for tickets and arrests such as loitering, drinking alcohol in public,
and focus instead on the quality of policing. disorderly conduct, public urination, etc.,
Departments should also not evaluate and establish preferences for a warning or a
officer performance or make decisions summons over an arrest.
about promotion based on the number of
38
Change the law.

Regulating stops, searches, and arrests is best achieved by passing legislation that:
++ Creates clear and lasting legal standards for conducting stops and searches.
++ Bans or strictly regulates consent searches.
++ Decriminalizes minor offenses.
++ Creates mechanisms for individuals and organizations to hold individual officers and
departments accountable for violations of constitutional rights.
++ Requires departments to collect, analyze, and regularly publish data on stops, searches, and
arrests in alternative and accessible formats.
Reallocate resources.
Advocate for the municipality to divert resources away from making arrests and toward programs
that meet people’s basic needs.

Use data demonstrating discriminatory use of frisks, searches, and arrests to argue for policy
change and call on your police department to make such data public. Data should be published
online and in alternative and accessible formats.
Strengthen policies.
Pressure the mayor, police chief or sheriff to adopt, strengthen, or effectively enforce existing
police department policies on stops, searches, and arrests.
I am Concerned About... Stops, Searches, and Arrests 39

Talking Points
Officers need training and guidance on stops, searches, and arrests.

Officers are entitled to receive specific guidance and training on how and when to conduct a stop,
search, or arrest.
Unlawful searches are inefficient and ineffective.

Unlawful searches are inefficient and ineffective because evidence recovered cannot be used in
court.
Unlawful and discriminatory searches reduce public safety.

Unlawful and discriminatory stop-and-frisk practices make communities less safe. People
subjected to frequent stop-and-frisk interactions with police officers experience high levels of
anxiety, feel demeaned and humiliated, and are less likely to trust or cooperate with police officers.
These practices also funnel people into the criminal legal system.
Transgender and gender nonconforming people must be protected.

Officers must not commit sexual harassment or assault during searches or violate the rights of
transgender and gender nonconforming people.
Unlawful searches come at a public cost.

Baseless arrests, arrests for minor offenses, and discriminatory arrests come at a significant
financial and human cost to our communities and decrease, rather than increase, public safety.
Deflection and diversion programs are effective.

Referring people to services that meet their needs has proven to be far more effective at increasing
public safety than arresting people for minor offenses — particularly offenses related to poverty
and drug possession or use.
40
The Opposition:
“Limiting officers’ ability to stop-and-frisk people and conduct consent searches ties their hands
and prevents them from finding weapons and drugs.”

“Indiscriminate and discriminatory stops, frisks, and searches are an ineffective methods
of finding weapons or contraband. Police officers search Black and Latinx people more
often than White people, but data show that officers are more likely to find weapons and
contraband on White people.48 In New York City, officers engaged in widespread stops
and frisks without legal justification — but they uncovered weapons in less than 2 percent
of stops.49 We would never accept such a low rate of return on a public investment in any
other context, and we cannot allow it in law enforcement, either.”
The Opposition:
“Consent searches are essential; they enable officers to act on their instincts and hunches to
find weapons and drugs.”
+ Overcoming the Opposition (1):

“Consent searches are not an effective law enforcement tactic and lead to discrimination.
Dr. James Fyfe, former director of training for the NYPD, urges police departments to ban
consent searches because they threaten our Fourth Amendment rights, and are not an
efficient law enforcement tool.”50

“Requiring that officers obtain proof of consent to search where no other legal basis for
the search exists is good law enforcement practice. Waivers of Fourth Amendment rights
are valid only when they are made voluntarily and intelligently, when people have the
information they need to give their consent. If police officers find a firearm during a consent
search, they need proof the search was legal and based on informed, voluntary consent for
the charges to hold up in court.”
I am Concerned About... Stops, Searches, and Arrests 41

The Opposition:
“Officers should not be prohibited from arresting people who are breaking the law.”

“Police officers exercise considerable discretion when deciding whom to arrest, for what,
and when. They can decide to issue a warning or look the other way when one person
engages in unlawful conduct and to bring the full power of the law down on someone else
who does the same thing. This is tremendous power — and should be carefully monitored
and regulated to ensure that officers are acting with the necessary legal basis and not
based on bias.”
The Opposition:
“Officers just make arrests; the courts sort out later whether people actually committed crime.”

“An arrest is a traumatic experience that can have a tremendous impact on a person’s life. It
can cause them to miss work, school, and childcare responsibilities, and even lose housing,
employment, and custody of their children, especially if they are held for long periods
because they cannot afford bail (even when bail is low). An arrest should be a last resort, not
an automatic response.”
42
USE OF FORCE
Excessive force is consistently the number one complaint against police. And discriminatory,
unnecessary, and unconstitutional use of force by officers is a primary concern for communities,
particularly people of color, women, gender nonconforming people, LGBTQ people, youth,
undocumented immigrants, people with limited English proficiency (LEP), people with disabilities,
religious and ethnic groups, low-income people, and people experiencing homelessness.
Use of lethal force is the most serious and commonly discussed forms of force. Over the past
several years, police killings of Black people have ignited — and reignited — mass movements
across the country, prompting investigations of individual officers for discriminatory practices and of
departments for systemic discrimination.
Police Shootings in the United States, 2015-2018
1500
Police Shootings
Total number of
995 963 987 998

1000
500
0
2015 2016 2017 2018
Year
Source: The Washington Post. Police Shootings Database. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/police-shootings-2018/
I am Concerned About... Use of Force 43

Force also includes deployment of less-lethal instruments, including Tasers, pepper spray, tear gas,
batons, and canines, as well as the use of physical force, such as chokeholds, hogtying, and other forms
of bodily restraint. Sexual violence or misconduct by police officers can involve the use or threat of force.
We must address police officers’ use of excessive, discriminatory, and unconstitutional force when
assessing law enforcement and public safety strategies.
Key Challenges
Discriminatory force:
Police officers are more likely to use force, including lethal force, against Black, Latinx, Indigenous,
and Asian people than against White people.
Lethal force:
From 2014 to 2018, police officers killed approximately 1,000 people a year, committing 10
percent of the annual homicides in the United States.
Lethal responses to people in mental health crisis:

Roughly one-quarter (24 percent) of people killed by police from 2015-2018 involved people with
signs of unmet mental health needs.51
Tasers and other less lethal instruments:

“Less lethal” instruments are intended to be safer substitutes for lethal force. But alternatives to
lethal force, such as Tasers, are still deadly. Police officers killed more than 1,000 people with
Tasers from 2000-2017.52 Police officers also use them inappropriately in situations where lethal
force is not warranted, and against vulnerable populations, such as pregnant people, youth, older
people, people with disabilities, people with unmet health needs, and people who are under the
influence of drugs or alcohol.
44
Making Change
Prioritize respecting and protecting disengaging, using verbal persuasion,

human life and ensuring safety for all. waiting a situation out, and taking cover.
Use-of-force policies and trainings must Policies should also specifically prohibit
reflect a commitment to respect and officers from, and departments should
protect human life, including the lives of discipline officers for, using force:
people who are suspected or accused of
++ In retaliation or against people who
violating the law, and must clearly limit the verbally confront officers.
use of lethal force, with few exceptions.
++ Against people who are handcuffed or
Force must be necessary and proportional otherwise restrained.
to the threat.
++ To subdue people who are not suspected
of violating the law, unless necessary to
Provide all officers with training to protect public safety.
mitigate uses of force.
Departments should train all officers in Limit the use of force against
mitigating the use of force, including, vulnerable populations.
but not limited to, topics such as crisis Policies and trainings should include clear
response, de-escalation, implicit bias, and specific limits on the use of force against
cultural awareness, procedural justice, and pregnant people, youth, older people, people
leadership. Trainings should be ongoing with disabilities, people with unmet mental
and scenario-based. health needs, and people who are under the
influence of drugs and alcohol.
Use the least amount of force.
Use-of-force policies and trainings should Place limitations on instruments
require officers to use force only when and tactics.
there is an imminent threat of death or Use-of-force policies and trainings should
serious injury (to themselves or others) and include clear and instrument-specific
to use the least amount of force necessary. guidelines for proper use, especially for
Policies should prioritize and describe in military-grade weapons. These guidelines
detail de-escalation techniques, including should also detail restrictions and prohibitions.
45 I am Concerned About... Use of Force 45

Establish a duty to intervene and submitted with the force report. Supervisors
provide medical assistance. should formally investigate all use-of-
Use-of-force policies and training should force reports and analyze them for broader
require officers to intervene and report patterns.
when an officer uses excessive force and
to render aid to injured people until medical Departments should regularly make public
assistance arrives. data in alternative and accessible formats
on departmentwide uses of force, including:
Ensure accountability. date, time, and geolocation of the incident;
Departments should establish fair, actual or perceived race, ethnicity, age,
thorough, objective, and transparent and gender of the people involved; reason
processes to review and evaluate all for enforcement action; search conducted
force incidents in a timely manner. (if any) and if it was consensual; evidence
The community should be involved in located (if any); and name of officer(s) involved.
formulating use-of-force policies, and
the department should release and make
public information about serious and lethal Firearms
uses of force when possible, and as quickly
Officers should not holster, draw,
as possible. Disciplinary actions should be
point, or show their firearms
initiated whenever officers violate policy; unless they have a reasonable,
and disciplinary policies and enforcement nondiscriminatory basis to believe
that there is an imminent threat of
actions in use-of-force incidents should be
death or serious injury (to
made publicly available. themselves or others).
All uses of firearms, including

Establish reporting requirements. pointing one at someone, should be
Departments should require and train immediately reported and investigated.
officers to report every use of force
(except for handcuffing or escorting
a person with no resistance, injury, or
Car and Foot Pursuits
complaint of injury). Reports should
explain the tactics the officer employed Policies should limit car and foot
before using force and provide a detailed pursuits to situations in which an
individual poses a serious threat to
justification for each use of force. Officers public safety.
who witness more serious uses of force
(e.g., the use of a Taser, baton, or physical Policies should explicitly prohibit
officers from shooting at or shooting
force that could cause serious injury) from moving vehicles.
should write a force statement to be
Pregnant People
Police officers should not force pregnant people to the ground facedown or rear-handcuff them.
Officers should not use Tasers on pregnant people.
Chokeholds
Departments should explicitly prohibit the use of chokeholds, hogtying, and other
methods of restraint that cut off the supply of oxygen to the brain or contribute to
suffocation, or positional asphyxia, including placing an officer’s weight on a person’s
back while they are face down on the ground.
Canine Units
Police officers should not use canine units for force or intimidation, to subdue a
suspect, for crowd control, or against pregnant people, youth, older people, people
with disabilities, people with unmet mental health needs, or people who are under the
influence of drugs and alcohol.
Dog handlers should get supervisor approval before deploying a canine for any
purpose, give a verbal warning before using a canine that is trained to bite, and call
off the canine as soon as possible.
Tasers
Use of tasers should be prohibited except in situations where lethal force would be
authorized.
Departments should prohibit the use of Tasers against individuals who are
suspected or accused of minor offenses, who pose no danger to the officer, or who
are fleeing the scene of a minor offense.
Departments should strictly prohibit the use of Tasers against high-risk groups, such
as pregnant people, older people, young children, or people who are visibly frail, have
known heart conditions, are in a medical or behavioral crisis, are under the influence of
drugs (prescription or illegal) or alcohol, or who have slight builds. Tasers also should
not be used on vulnerable parts of the body (i.e., the head, neck, chest, or groin).
Departments should require officers to use verbal de-escalation techniques and

provide a verbal warning before using a Taser. Officers should give the individual a
reasonable amount of time to comply with their requests and report the justification
for each use of a Taser.
SWAT Teams
Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams are highly militarized teams created
to handle hostage situations, active shooter situations, and terrorism. Some police
departments are now using them to execute drug warrants. Departments should use
SWAT teams only when officers cannot otherwise safely execute a search warrant or
negotiate a situation.
SWAT team members should be specialized and receive ongoing training to reduce
the use of force.
Change the law.

Advocate for the passage of legislation that specifically states when the use of lethal force is
prohibited and allowed, bans or regulates certain types of force, and creates mechanisms for
individuals to hold officers and departments accountable for violations of the law.
Pressure civilian oversight boards.

Community members can call on a civilian oversight board to conduct proper and thorough
investigations of critical incidents including police misconduct and use of excessive force.
Pressure the mayor, police chief or sheriff to adopt or strengthen existing police department
policies and oversight.
Talking Points
Keep everyone safe.

Respect and protect human life and ensure safety for all by requiring and training officers to use
de-escalation practices and techniques that do not rely on force. These practices and techniques
are safer for both community members and officers.
Reduce violence.
Public safety includes safety from police violence.
Promote trust.
Clear policies that protect people’s constitutional and human rights increase community trust and
confidence in the police department and reduce fear during police encounters.
48
The Opposition:
“Policing is a dangerous job. Officers need to protect themselves when they feel threatened so
they can stay safe and go home at night to their families.”

“Requiring officers to use de-escalation techniques, and training them to do so, increases
everyone’s safety during police encounters, and actually makes both officers and bystanders
safer. Escalating situations increases the likelihood of an instrument malfunctioning, retaliation,
injury to bystanders, and force being used against officers. When officers de-escalate situations
and defuse conflicts, everyone is safer.”
49
POLICE AND COMMUNITY
RESPONSE TO CRISES
Health professionals — not

police officers — should
respond when people
with mental health and
developmental disabilities
or with substance use
disorders are in crisis.
50
Police officers are increasingly the primary or only response to people with unmet mental health
needs or in crisis. Calls about people in mental health crises make up a significant percentage of calls
for police service. Police encounters with people who are or are perceived to be in a mental health
or other crises too often involve excessive or lethal force. It is therefore critical that society adopt a
public health approach and prioritize meeting the mental health and other basic needs of community
members to avoid conditions that can precipitate actual or perceived mental health crises.
Additionally, police officers can mistake some people’s failure to respond as noncompliance when,
in fact, it is the result of a mental health or developmental disability, or other disability that interferes
with the officer’s ability to communicate effectively with the person. This can lead to unnecessary,
inappropriate, or excessive force.
Key Challenges
Escalation:
The presence of armed police officers issuing orders can escalate a crisis, such as those relating to
unmet mental health needs, developmental disabilities, or substance use disorders.
Lack of services:
Inadequate mental health, disability services, and prevention programs have left police officers as
the primary response to people in health crises — and the only response in some communities.
Lack of appropriate guidance:

Many departments do not provide or effectively enforce policies or guidance on interacting with
people who are in crisis, whether due to a mental health or developmental disability, or substance
use disorder. Officers also lack the skills and trainings to communicate effectively with people who
are Deaf or hard of hearing, or who have a disability that interferes with communication. This, in
turn, can lead to incidents of excessive and lethal force.
I am Concerned About... Police and Community Respond to Crises 51

Making Change
Strengthen community-based services. Provide basic crisis response training

Communities should have more options to all officers.
than calling the police and should strive All officers should receive basic training in
for widely available preventive mental crisis response. Even where there are sufficient
health services and nonpolice responses to community-based services, they will encounter
crises. Police officers are not trained to and people in crisis at some point in their work and
should not be responsible for responding must be trained to respond properly.
to people in a mental health crisis. State

Reallocate resources to preventive
and local officials should create adequate
care.
community-based services, such as crisis
Ideally resources currently devoted to police
hotlines, walk-in centers, mobile crisis
responses to people in mental health crisis
teams, peer crisis support services, and
should be reallocated to provision of accessible,
crisis stabilization units to meet the needs
comprehensive, and culturally sensitive
of people in mental health, substance use,
community-based mental health care.
or other crises. Communities should also
implement harm-reduction models for Activate trained mental health
interactions with people with substance professionals.
use disorders that support diversion Trained mental health professionals, social
programs rather than involvement in the workers, and community members should
criminal justice system. be the first line of response when someone
is in a mental health crisis. Emergency
service dispatchers should be trained to
identify calls involving people in crisis.
52
Provide 24-hour coverage. Pair officers with mental health and
Mental health professionals and officers developmental disability experts to
respond to crisis.
trained in crisis response techniques and/or
All departments should work in tandem
on crisis intervention teams (CITs) should be
with mental health and other professionals
funded and available 24 hours a day.
to develop crisis response approaches
Establish detailed policies and procedures. and a network of services to direct people in
Departments should implement and crisis to appropriate health services. Some
effectively enforce specific policies outlining departments may have specialized CITs staffed
procedures for how to interact with people by officers who receive specialized, intensive
with mental health or developmental training. Others use a “co-responder” model
disabilities. People from the disability and officers are paired trained mental health
community should participate in developing professionals.
policies and delivering trainings.
Collect and publish data.
Departments should track calls for service
CAUTION: Policies should provide for and department responses to people
independent, certified interpreters who
in crisis. They should conduct regular
speak the specific sign language a
assessments to determine the effectiveness
person who is Deaf or hard of hearing
is fluent in. Law enforcement officers of response efforts and to advocate for
should never serve as interpreters for a more community-based services.
person who is Deaf or hard of hearing
during questioning or interrogations.

Pressure your local department.

Demand that your local police department adopt and effectively enforce clear policies for interacting with:
• People in mental health or other crises, disability rights advocates, and public health experts.
These policies should prioritize responses by trained mental health professionals, emphasize
de-escalation, and prioritize the wellbeing of people whose mental health needs are not being met.
• People with developmental or physical disabilities, or who are under the influence of drugs or
alcohol, in consultation with disability rights advocates.
Reallocate Resources.
Insist that your legislators and policymakers allocate sufficient funds to support community-based
services such as: 24-hour mental health crisis response teams, preventive mental health services,
mobile crisis units, walk-in centers, mobile crisis teams, peer crisis support services, and crisis
stabilization units.
Talking Points
Officers are not social workers.

Police officers are not equipped with the necessary skills or appropriate tools to respond to people in
mental health, substance use, or related crises. Relying on officers to serve in this role sometimes has
lethal consequences.
Alternative responses make everyone safer.

Relying exclusively on police officers to respond to people in crisis jeopardizes the safety of
individuals, families, and communities — and police officers themselves. And alternate response
models make everyone safer.
Departments must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as state and local civil rights laws,
departments must adopt policies that give officers clear guidance on how to interact with people
with physical, mental, or developmental disabilities.
The Opposition:
“Police officers enforce the law. When people with mental health or developmental disabilities
break the law or act dangerously and erratically, police officers must restore order and protect
themselves and the community.”

“Relying on police officers as the first — and often only — responders to a scene involving
someone who is or is perceived to be in mental health or other crisis puts everyone in danger. It
puts officers in a difficult position; they have limited tools and skills to respond but are sometimes
required to do so, particularly in areas where no other social services exist. And it deprives
people in crisis of care they need. Trained mental health professionals and crisis response
specialists are ideal first responders; these professionals make everyone safer and help ensure
that community members’ needs are effectively met.”

FIRST AMENDMENT
PROTECTIONS
First Amendment rights to free speech,

a free press, to peaceably assemble,
to petition the government, and to
practice religion lie at the heart of our
democracy. Yet they can be a source of
tension between police departments
and the communities they serve.
56
In recent years, officers used force against protesters in cities like Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore,
Maryland; surveilled Black Lives Matter activists; targeted immigrants’ rights activists for deportation;
used social media profiles in gang prosecutions and border enforcement; and used drones, facial
recognition software, and license plate recognition software. Activities such as these have raised
concerns about the expression of free speech and protest, and the reach of surveillance in recent years.
Regulating surveillance and protecting the right to expression and protest are essential to the
protection of civil and human rights. Furthermore, the money that law enforcement agencies
spend on these technologies, and on acquiring and using military equipment (most notably against
protesters in Ferguson), has raised concerns about protecting civil liberties and avoiding unnecessary
expenditures of public resources by law enforcement agencies.
Furthermore, “predictive policing” technologies focus primarily on communities of color, the use
of “big data” (i.e., drones, facial recognition software, cell-site simulators, license plate recognition
software), and increased collaboration between police departments have had little to no
demonstrable impact on public safety and are subject to the same racial and ethnic biases as other
policing strategies.53
I am Concerned About... First Amendment Protections 57

Key Challenges
Inhibition of free speech and assembly:

Police surveillance and militarized police responses to demonstrations discourage people from
exercising their constitutionally protected rights to free expression and assembly.
Discriminatory use of surveillance technologies:

Discriminatory surveillance of Black, Latinx, Muslim, and immigrant communities violates the U.S.
Constitution and does not promote public safety. Technologies such as drones, facial recognition
software, cell-site simulators, and license plate recognition software present significant risks to
privacy and increase police power to surveil people and communities.
People should be able to exercise their rights without fear of retaliation.

Police should not interfere with, or retaliate against, individuals exercising their constitutional right
to observe, document and film police activity.
58
Making Change
Establish guidance for Limit information gathering and

demonstrations. surveillance.
Clear guidance regarding protection of Community members should collaborate
constitutional rights during demonstrations with police departments to set clear
benefits members of the public, media, limitations on the use of military and
and law enforcement. Instead of blocking surveillance equipment and information
peaceful assemblies, police officers should gathering. This should include surveillance
engage in cooperative and strategic of individuals engaged in activities
advance planning with community protected by the First Amendment,
members to ensure public safety before, including filming police officers’ activities,
during, and after demonstrations. protesting, and practicing religion.
Reallocate resources. Prohibit use of canines and military

Communities should carefully consider equipment.
whether acquisition of military weaponry Department policy should prohibit the use
and surveillance equipment is the best of canines, water cannons, and acoustic
use of resources given other needs which, instruments during demonstrations because
if met, would reduce law enforcement they are dangerous and usually constitute
engagement. excessive force.
Train officers to use less lethal force.

All officers policing a mass demonstration
should understand department policies
and procedures for engagement, use
of force, and mass arrest. Departments
should develop clear policies for managing
disorderly members of a large, peaceful
protest while limiting the use of force.
Policies should strictly regulate the use of
pepper spray, tear gas, and rubber bullets
during protests.
59 I am Concerned About... First Amendment Protections 59

Change the law.

Require police departments to obtain legislative approval for the acquisition of new equipment
after conducting a thorough needs assessment and an assessment of the fiscal and social impacts
of the proposed acquisition.
Ensure that your department’s policies clearly and strictly limit policing of protests; retaliation against
people who record police officers’ activities or who exercise free speech; and surveillance of activists,
religious practices, and institutions.
Restrict data sharing and collaboration across police departments.

Ensure that policies and regulations limit the amount of data collected about people that departments can
share with other agencies, including border patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Challenge the purchase and use of military equipment.

Monitor police department budgets and requests for funds to acquire military or surveillance
technology be reinvested.
Talking Points
First Amendment rights should be protected.
The right to protest, speak, observe public officials, and practice religion are cornerstones of
democracy and must be protected.
Advanced technologies do not advance public safety.

Advanced technologies are expensive and do not represent the best use of our community’s
resources to advance public safety.
Surveillance hinders trust building.

Being surveilled by or being “under the watchful eye” of government does not foster a sense of
public safety. Rather, it makes people feel like authorities are suspicious of them and believe they
are untrustworthy.
The Opposition:
“Protesters need to be kept under control, and police should be able to do what they need to do.”

“Over-aggressive and militarized responses to public demonstrations increase the risk of public
and officer injury, escalate conflict, and suppress speech. Working with communities to execute
strategies and plans for peaceful demonstrations increases public and officer safety.”
The Opposition:
“If people are not doing anything illegal, they should not be worried about being surveilled.”

“Police surveillance and data collection, like all police strategies and practices, are subject to
biases and target marginalized communities. Surveillance has been proven to be ineffective,
used without proper limits or controls, and to have a negative impact on public life.”54
61
ACCOUNTABILITY:
OFFICER MISCONDUCT
AND DISCIPLINE
Accountability is central
to fair policing.
Police officers are given extraordinary powers and enormous discretion – the authority to conduct
surveillance, to use force, and to deprive individuals of their liberties when justified. But with this
power comes the expectation that officers will exercise their authority appropriately – and that
misconduct and inappropriate or deficient performance will be identified and addressed. Robust
accountability builds public trust, which, in turn, strengthens communities.
62
Key Challenges
Lack of transparency:
In many jurisdictions, complaints against police officers are private, subject only to internal
investigation, and discipline is within the sole control of the department’s chief or commander.
Lack of trust:
Lax accountability erodes trust and confidence in policing, weakens relationships between police
departments and the communities they serve, and undermines legitimacy of law enforcement and
the criminal justice system.
A lack of accountability for police officers related to the use of lethal or excessive force, racial and
ethnic profiling, discriminatory policing practices, and sexual violence and misconduct violates civil
and human rights.
Lack of oversight:
Not every police department is overseen by the community. Where community oversight of police
does exist, oversight bodies’ authority and power vary. They can: have access to information about
internal police department investigations, independently investigate and prosecute complaints,
impose or recommend discipline, address systemic issues, and set policing policy and priorities.
Unchecked power of police unions:

Police unions have a great deal of power in providing protections to officers that limit accountability
or discipline.
I am Concerned About... Accountability: Officer Misconduct and Discipline 63

Making Change
Oversight bodies should represent all
sectors of a community, including those
disproportionately impacted by policing.
Make it easy to file complaints.

Establish clear policies and procedures. Departments should accept anonymous
Departments and communities should and third-party complaints and should
work together to create clear policies not require cooperation or a signed
and procedures for investigating officer affidavit from complainants to investigate
misconduct. These policies should address a complaint. Complaints where the
how and by whom misconduct complaints complainant has stopped cooperating in
are investigated; and they should specify the investigation should be investigated,
that investigations must be based on the nonetheless.
nature of the complaint and involve an
independent prosecutor when necessary. Establish clear discipline policies.
Departmental policies should delineate
Review training programs. disciplinary actions by type and severity
Department leaders should periodically of violation. Departments should use
review data to identify potential problems nondisciplinary early intervention systems
in policing practices and audit training programs to track unlawful officer behavior and
to update curricula and improve effectiveness. address officer needs or deficiencies.
Create multiple mechanisms of Ensure effective and impartial

accountability. investigations.
Complaint forms should be available in Departments should swiftly, thoroughly,
multiple languages and in alternative and and fairly investigate complaints, using
accessible formats, and in locations outside nonlaw enforcement personnel with
of police department facilities, such as investigatory authority when possible.
community organizations and institutions. Clear protocols should be established
Departments should also accept for determining who investigates and
complaints by phone and online. prosecutes officer misconduct, including
officer-involved crimes and shootings.
Require oversight.
Oversight of police departments should Collect and publish data.
include independent investigators, Police departments should regularly publish
monitors, and civilian oversight boards information about complaints filed against
with full investigatory, prosecutorial, and police officers in alternative and accessible
disciplinary powers, as well as the power formats. This information should include the
to set or recommend changes to policing race, gender, age of complainants, location,
64
policy based on complaint patterns. and context of the complaints
Establish a community oversight board.

Join or create a civilian oversight board that monitors police departments and holds them
accountable. Expand the powers of existing oversight boards or create one if one does not exist.
Depending on state law, this may require a change in a city charter or state law.
Establish strong community oversight of police collective bargaining process.

Oppose provisions in collective bargaining agreements with police unions that undermine or
weaken accountability systems.
Demand an independent investigator.

An independent investigator is an individual or agency outside of the department that is
authorized to oversee or participate in the investigations of individual officers. Communities should
advocate for independent investigators to strengthen accountability and transparency.
Require an independent monitor/auditor.

Demand independent monitors or auditors review your local police department’s overall
performance across uses of force, stops, misconduct investigations, and discipline.
Demand publication of data.

Demand that your local department and civilian oversight board publish data publicly and in
alternative and accessible formats.
I am Concerned About... Accountability: Officer Misconduct and Discipline 65

Talking Points
Police accountability mechanisms ensure public safety.

Public safety depends on effective, transparent, and timely investigation of complaints against
police officers, and swift and effective discipline.
Accountability improves police-community relations.

Department legitimacy is improved when departments hold officers accountable and address
community concerns. This, in turn, improves police-community relationships and cooperation.
Police departments are accountable to the communities they serve.

Community members should be active participants in holding their police departments accountable
for undermining public safety.
The Opposition:
“Community oversight lowers morale and impedes officers from fighting crime by forcing
them to waste time responding to baseless complaints and investigations by unqualified
investigators. Police departments are best qualified to investigate misconduct internally.”

“Community oversight provides a necessary check on departments and increases public
confidence in the integrity of investigations and disciplinary proceedings. Review boards lend
credibility to police departments, thereby strengthening community trust.”
66
DATA AND
TRANSPARENCY
Public safety requires

public access to police
data and information.
Data about police officers’ interactions allow communities to identify problems and pinpoint areas
in need of policy reform. Public release of information about critical incidents is essential to building
relationships with communities and collective problem-solving to prevent future incidents.
The use of body-worn cameras (BWC) is not a cure-all for accountability and, in fact, raises concerns
about profiling and other discriminatory practices, especially in communities of color. But, with the
right policies and safeguards in place, they can help communities hold departments and officers
accountable.
I am Concerned About... Data and Transparency 67

Key Challenges
Lack of data:
Some departments do not collect or publish data related to complaints, stops, searches, arrests,
use of force incidents, hate crimes or incidents, or calls for service. Similarly, data that is collected is
not always disaggregated by demographic information.
Lack of transparency:
Publicly available information about department policies and data on stops, searches, uses of
force, arrests, and calls for service are critical. This information is necessary for assessing the
effectiveness of policing practices and priorities, and for community involvement and accountability.
Improper use of technology:

The collection and storage of large amounts of data about members of the public runs the risk of
infringing on privacy rights. Use of predictive policing technologies, “big data,” and BWCs can have
negative consequences on communities of color and religious communities.
Making Change
Police departments should collect, analyze, and publish data — including date, time, and geolocation
of the incident; actual or perceived race, ethnicity, age, and gender of the people involved; reason for
enforcement action; search conducted (if any) and if it was consensual; evidence located (if any); and
name of officer(s) involved. This will help communities and departments better understand whether
enforcement decisions and strategies disproportionally affect specific groups. Departments should
collect, analyze, and publish the following data in alternative and accessible formats:
• Critical incidents
• Uses of force
• Complaints of sexual violence and misconduct by police officers
• Stops, searches, and arrests
• Profiling or discriminatory policing policies
•
68
Hate crimes and hate incidents
Make policies publicly available. BWCs, including their effectiveness,
Police department policies should be consistent recording, and privacy concerns.
searchable and publicly available online, Together they should create policies
including in alternative and accessible formats. regarding recording, storage of data,
access, and public disclosure.
Properly handle critical incidents.
Departments should have clear policies Establish clear policies for BWCs.
regarding public release of information Clear and enforceable policies governing
regarding critical incidents, including deaths the use of BWCs and access to BWC
in police custody. Such policies should also footage should be developed in consultation
ensure that public statements respect the with communities and after public notice
gender identity of crime victims and people and comment. Policies should:
believed to have violated the law. Information ++ Clearly state when officers must
related to critical incidents should be released activate BWCs.
to the public in a timely manner.
++ Require officers to advise people they
come into contact with that they are
Create adequate databases. being recorded, and record consent to
Departments should procure adequate recording.
systems for collecting and storing data that
++ Clearly state exceptions to recording
can aggregate and analyze all data sets.
requirements, including exceptions
when interacting with or observing
Exclude discriminatory information. people engaged in political and religious
Departments should not ask people about their activity and during interviews with
sexual orientation, gender identity or immigration crime victims or when in contact with a
child.
status. Only if a person voluntarily provides
information regarding their sexual orientation, ++ Require training of officers on how to
gender identity, or immigration status, and it use and maintain BWCs.
is related to the incident (e.g., a potential hate
++ Clearly articulate standards for the
crime), may officers record the information. release of video footage.
Require training. ++ Prohibit officers from watching video

footage before filing reports.
Police departments should train all officers
on the proper use and maintenance of ++ Establish clear discipline for officers
BWCs, including when they must activate who turn off cameras or tamper with
them. Officers should also be trained on data footage.
collection protocols to ensure all data are ++ Avoid using facial recognition software
collected and recorded. with video footage.
Community input on BWCs. ++ Require supervisory review of video footage.

Communities and police departments ++ Require the implementation of storage
should work together when adopting BWCs practices and systems for video footage,
or changing BWC policies and discuss and the preservation of the integrity of
concerns about data collected through video footage.
69 Community Policing 69
Change the law.

Data collection can be mandated by local, state, or federal law or an administrative official, such as
a mayor, or it can be requested by local legislators exercising oversight functions.
If your department uses BWCs, ensure there are clear policies around training and the use, release, and
preservation of footage.
Talking Points
The community has the right to know.

Police departments serve communities, and they use community resources to do so. Communities
have a right to know how departments are doing in their work and whether community resources
are being used efficiently and effectively.
Transparency is essential to community policing.

Informed community members are better positioned to make positive and productive contributions
to co-producing public safety.
Communities deserve privacy, transparency, and accountability.

To the extent that a department has decided to adopt BWCs, communities are entitled to have a
say in how footage of community members will be collected, stored, and released.
70 I am Concerned About... Data and Transparency 70

The Opposition:
“Data collection is burdensome and time-consuming, and it takes time and resources away
from legitimate law enforcement activities. It turns officers into bureaucrats instead of crime
fighters. Data do not tell the whole story. Officers should be able to act on their instincts without
worrying about what the numbers will show.”

“Communities are entitled to information about how law enforcement officers carry out their
duties and the impact and effectiveness of policing policies and practices. Data collection helps
communities make wise investments in public safety and ensures that all community members’
rights are being respected in police interactions.”
I am Concerned About... Data and Transparency 71

POLICE TRAINING
Adequate and ongoing training for

police officers is essential. To serve
communities well and to maintain
public safety, officers must stay
up-to-date on best practices and
continue to develop their skills.
72
Key Challenges
Lack of uniformity:
There are no universal standards for police trainings; each state and jurisdiction set its own
requirements for officer training.
Minimal instruction:
Some departments only offer baseline trainings to officers. And some trainings only have a one-time
completion requirement.
Lack of community involvement:

Effective training, especially related to marginalized communities (such as cultural competency, gender
bias, hate crimes, procedural justice, bias-free policing, sexual violence and misconduct, leadership
training, and issues related to LGBTQ communities and people with disabilities), requires input of
people from communities most affected by the practices. Many departments develop and deliver these
trainings without involving the community.
I am Concerned About... Police Training 73

Making Change
Require training.
All officers should be required to complete training on procedural justice, bias-free policing,
crisis response, de-escalation, cultural competency, sexual misconduct, and leadership.
Consult the community.

Departments should seek input from community members in the development and
implementation of all trainings.
Ensure transparency and accountability.

Departments should maintain complete, accurate, and up-to-date records of training curricula,
materials, and attendance. Department leaders should periodically review, audit, and assess
training programs to ensure they discuss contemporary topics and use adult education techniques.

Change the law.
Urge your state and local legislators to pass laws mandating trainings related to community
policing, including procedural justice, bias-free policing, basic crisis response, de-escalation,
cultural competency, and leadership.
Activate your civilian oversight board.

If your community has a civilian oversight board, encourage it to review data and policies to ensure
training is effective. The oversight board can also recommend that departments involve community
members in the development of training initiatives and curricula, and the public release of training materials.
Demand a policy.
Demand that your local police department immediately pass and effectively enforce policies that
mandate training in community policing for all officers.
Talking Points
Effective training support community policing.
Training serves as the foundation by which departments teach officers practices and tactics to
police in a fair, safe, and effective manner, and reflects and affirms a commitment to community policing.
The Opposition:
“Trainings are time-consuming and costly. Police officers should spend their time patrolling the
streets, not taking classes in a classroom.”

“Officers who receive trainings in de-escalation and minimizing force, crisis intervention,
procedural justice, implicit bias, cultural awareness, and sexual misconduct, perform better in the
field and will resort to force less often, which reduces the department’s exposure to legal liability.”

“Training makes for better officers and improves relationships with the community. When
communities have stronger relationships with police departments, they are more likely to
cooperate in solving serious crime.”
I am Concerned About... Police Training 75

SEXUAL HARASSMENT
AND ASSAULT BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
Sexual assault and

intimate partner violence
are problems that
demand our attention.
76
Movements against sexual harassment and violence against women are gaining visibility in the news
media through hashtags like #MeToo, #WhyIDidntReport, and #BelieveSurvivors. Sexual violence
and misconduct by officers, however, have not received enough attention. Incidents involving officers
can go unreported because survivors fear retaliation or that the case will not be properly investigated.
Sexual violence and misconduct by police officers are an abuse of power and authority. Police officers
frequently target: women of color, gender nonconforming people, LGBTQ people, youth, survivors
of and witnesses to violence, undocumented immigrants, people with mental and developmental
disabilities, religious and ethnic groups, low-income people, people experiencing homelessness, and
people who are or are believed to be part of the drug or sex trades or other criminalized or informal
economies for sexual harassment and assault.55 Beyond holding individual officers accountable, we
need to develop and implement effective methods to prevent and detect misconduct and support survivors.
The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, the Department of Justice, and the International
Association of Chiefs of Police recommend that law enforcement agencies adopt policies to
effectively prevent, detect, and ensure accountability for sexual harassment and assault by law
enforcement officers.56
I am Concerned About... Sexual Harassment and Assult by Law Enforcement Officers 77

Key Challenges
Prevalence of the problem:

Sexual harassment and assault by police officers are pervasive and systemic problems, yet they
are underreported and under-investigated.
Lack of policies:
Many police departments’ policies do not specifically prohibit officers from sexually harassing
members of the public or engaging in sexual conduct while on duty. Departments generally do
not address these issues in training. All departments have policies governing sexual harassment
among employees, as required by federal law, but these policies do not apply to the public. This
is the case even though officers exercise tremendous power over the people with whom they
interact in their official capacity (e.g., community members, people suspected of criminal activity,
survivors of sexual or intimate partner violence, witnesses, and youth involved in community
engagement programs).
Internal investigations of complaints of sexual harassment and assault by officers can be
intimidating for accusers and are incomplete when investigators do not take accusations seriously.
78
Making Change
Comprehensive policies. contact with youth in schools and

Police departments should be required engagement programs.
by law to adopt and enforce policies
to effectively prevent, detect, and hold Collect and publish data.
officers accountable for sexual harassment Police departments should analyze and
and assault. Policies and laws should make public information, including in
contain clear disciplinary measures for alternative and accessible formats, about
officers who violate policy, up to and community members’ complaints of sexual
including termination and revocation of harassment and assault by officers. This
a law enforcement license. Such policies information should include the race and
should be made public and easily accessible. ethnicity, age, and gender of complainants,
as well as the context and location in which
Training and processes. the conduct allegedly occurred, name of
Specially trained investigators and trauma the officers involved, and the steps the
specialists should interview survivors department is taking to prevent future
of intimate partner violence and sexual sexual violence and misconduct by police
assault by police officers. Departments officers.
must take steps to protect survivors —
whether they are community members, family Comply with the Prison Rape
Elimination Act (PREA).57
members of police officers, or police officers
Police departments that operate holding
who report colleagues — from retaliation.
facilities — even if they just temporarily hold
Supervision. people before being transferred to a jail —
Departments should closely monitor must comply with the standards established
officers who make disproportionate by the PREA for police lockups.58
numbers of stops of people of color,

women, transgender people, gender
The Prison Rape Elimination Act, or
nonconforming people, and people
PREA, was passed in 2003 and is the
experiencing homelessness. They should first United States federal law intended to
also monitor unauthorized detours when deter the sexual assault of prisoners. More
transporting detainees; unnecessary information can be found at
callbacks and communications with www.prearesourcecenter.org/
survivors and witnesses; and inappropriate
Change the law.

Urge your state and local legislators to pass laws that:
++ Prohibit officers from abusing their authority to commit sexual harassment or assault when
acting under color of law.
++ Mandate officers to forfeit their employment upon a criminal conviction or administrative
finding of sexual violence or misconduct.
++ Require police departments to pass and effectively enforce policies to prevent, detect, and
ensure accountability for sexual harassment and assault of members of the public by law
enforcement agents.
++ Require police departments to annually report how many complaints of sexual harassment and
assault by officers they received, investigated, and that have resulted in discipline.
Demand policy change.

Demand that your local police department immediately pass and effectively enforce policies to prevent,
detect, and ensure accountability for sexual harassment and assault of community members by officers.
Demand community oversight.

If your jurisdiction has a community oversight agency, urge it to take over investigations of sexual
harassment and assault. Survivors of sexual assault by police officers should have the right to have their
complaints investigated and adjudicated by an agency other than the one that employs the person who
assaulted them, and to pursue accountability through an administrative mechanism that is not controlled
by the police.

Demand that your local department and community oversight board report annually on the
number of complaints of sexual violence and misconduct by officers received, investigated, and
that have resulted in discipline.
80
Talking Points
Safety from sexual harassment and assault requires strong policies preventing
police sexual violence or misconduct.
Public safety depends on a strong statement in policy and practice that sexual harassment,
extortion, or violence by police officers against community members is not tolerated.
Proactive prevention is essential.

It is not enough to have a written policy and to discipline officers if they are caught. Department
leaders must take proactive steps to prevent sexual violence and misconduct by police officers
through close supervision and monitoring of how officers:
• Conduct traffic stops
• Respond to intimate partner violence and sexual assault
• Address offenses related to prostitution
Explorer programs are
• Address “broken windows” offenses
community engagement
• Behave as school resource officers
programs placing youth with
• Interact with the community in community engagement
law enforcement agencies in
programs (including “Explorer” programs)
“shadowing” roles.
• Interact with immigrant communities
• Act in other contexts in which sexual violence or misconduct
by police officers is prevalent
Prosecution is not enough.

It is not enough for police departments to rely on criminal prosecutions of officers when survivors
of sexual assault come forward. Many survivors never come forward; this is especially true of
survivors of sexual assault by police officers, who are particularly unlikely to come forward out
of fear of not being believed, retaliation, or lack of protection. In many cases, survivors have no
evidence — it is their word against the officer’s. This is because sexual harassment and assault
takes place out of public view, and because threats of force, including lethal force, and threats of
law enforcement action can be used to secure compliance. Prevention and detection are key to
advancing public safety.
I am Concerned About... Sexual Harassment and Assult by Law Enforcement Officers 81

The Opposition:
“Sexual harassment and assault are against the law. We do not need to tell police officers not to
commit these crimes.”

“This is true of many things addressed in police department policy — like use of excessive
or lethal force. Department policies provide specific guidance on the application of the law to
particular situations and make a clear statement of the department’s values and intention to
hold violators accountable.”

“Sexual violence and misconduct are already against the law, so there is no harm in police
department policy reiterating this fact to ensure everyone’s safety.”

“Police officers and the public are entitled to receive clear guidance about what constitutes
sexual violence or misconduct by police officers, and what actions police departments are taking
to prevent, detect, and hold officers and supervisors accountable for violations of individuals’
rights and the public trust.”
III. STRUCTURE OF POLICE
DEPARTMENTS, PRESSURE POINTS,
AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION
Over the past 50 years, several

federal, state, and local investigations
have looked into individual cases of
police violence and systemic patterns
of discrimination and the use of force
by police officers.
Structure of Police Departments, Pressure Points, and Opportunities for Action 83

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has investigated police departments across
the country for patterns or practices of civil rights violations and has entered into court-ordered
agreements (“consent decrees”) outlining the changes departments must make to comply with the
U.S. Constitution and best practices. Implementation of reforms can be overseen by independent
monitors, who (1) ensure that departments are changing their practices and (2) report to the courts
on the departments’ progress. Some DOJ settlements are out-of-court agreements intended to
reform unconstitutional practices.
In 2014, responding to the police killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, and subsequent
widespread protests, President Barack Obama convened the President’s Task Force on 21st Century
Policing, which issued a report containing over 100 recommendations for police reform.59 In response
to recommendations that police departments collect and publicize data, the Obama administration
launched the Police Open Data initiative to promote the use of data to increase transparency and
build community trust. Since then, dozens of departments have made available information about
stops, searches, and uses of force through the initiative.60
Legislators and policymakers have responded with several measures to reduce discriminatory
policing practices, limit the use of force, and increase police department accountability, including:
• Collecting data on stops, searches, and uses of force
• Banning profiling and discriminatory policing
• Creating laws and policies that regulate searches and use of force
• Creating laws that prevent officers charged with sexually assaulting someone in their custody
from asserting a defense of consent.
Conversely, state and federal legislators have also passed several measures to limit police officers’
accountability. More than a dozen states have passed a Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights that
limits and sets conditions for investigations into police officers’ misconduct and discipline, including
limiting the public release of information. More recently, several states and the federal government
have considered or passed “Blue Lives Matter” bills that increase penalties for individuals accused of
assaulting or threatening police officers.61
It is important to understand the structures of police departments in order to identify pressure points
and opportunities for reform action.
84
The Federal Government
The three branches of the federal government are responsible for ensuring that policing meets
constitutional standards:
The Judicial Branch (Courts):
• District courts handle civil and criminal trials within the federal court system.
• Circuit courts take appeals from the federal district courts.
• The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the American judicial system. It interprets
how the U.S. Constitution applies to law enforcement.
The Legislative Branch (Congress):
• Members of the U.S. Congress (the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives) introduce
and pass legislation regulating law enforcement agencies.
• Members of the U.S. Congress place conditions or priorities on federal funding for state
and local law enforcement agencies.
The Executive Branch (President):
• The president serves as the chief executive and is responsible for executing and enforcing
laws set by Congress.
• The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ):
• Investigates and sues police departments in court for systemic constitutional violations
and to reform policies and practices.
• Prosecutes government actors, including police officers, for criminal conduct.62
• Issues regulations or policies for federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Border Patrol).
• Places conditions or priorities on federal funding for state and local law enforcement agencies.
Accountable to: Pressure points:

• Voters and members of the public • The president
• The U.S. Constitution • U.S. attorney general
• Party leadership • Members of the U.S. Congress
• The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
• The U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of
Justice Assistance
State Governments
• Have primary responsibility for policing and safety.
• Are responsible for protecting the rights guaranteed by state constitutions.
• Pass laws setting general standards for law enforcement agencies including certification of
police officers; stops, searches, and uses of force; and investigations of officer misconduct.
• Can mandate or incentivize policy change through conditions on state funding.
• Can require that police departments collect data and establish task forces to oversee
compliance with legislative standards.
• Pass criminal laws, including laws criminalizing officer misconduct.
• Fund and oversee state police departments.
• Through state attorney generals, can independently investigate officer misconduct and
intervene in local law enforcement issues that violate state constitutions.
Accountable to:
• Voters and members of the public
• State and federal constitutions
• Party leadership
Pressure points:
• Governors
• State attorney generals
• State legislators
• State budget offices
• State law enforcement oversight and licensing agencies
Local Governments
• In most cities and towns, mayors appoint and oversee the heads of police departments,
(i.e., chiefs of police).
• At the county level, and particularly in rural and unincorporated areas, police departments
are typically run by elected law enforcement officials (i.e., sheriffs)
Chief of police Sheriff

• Appointed by the mayor • Elected by community members
• Serves as the chief administrative officer • Appoints deputies
• Jurisdiction over a municipal (city or town) • Oversees the county jail
police department • Jurisdiction over county (unincorporated
areas outside of municipal jurisdiction)
police department
• City, town, or county legislatures have authorities including:

• Regulate policing in ways that do not conflict with state laws and do not infringe on the
mayor’s or police chief’s powers.
• Control the budget and other resources allocated to the police department, including
approving purchases of large items and equipment.
• Mandate data collection and reporting and conduct oversight hearings regarding a law
enforcement agency’s activity.
• Create and fund police department oversight mechanisms, such as short-term
commissions and task forces, or permanent offices, such as an inspector general,
independent monitor, or civilian oversight board.
• Empower existing city officials, like an ombudsperson or public advocate, to monitor the
police department’s activities and receive complaints.

• Voters and members of the public • The mayor
• City and county charters and ordinances • City managers (if applicable)
• The mayor or city manager (if applicable) • County executives
• (The leader of the local legislature • Agency heads
council president or speaker) • The sheriff
• Party leadership • Local legislators
• City council
• Board of supervisors
• Independent oversight bodies
Law Enforcement Agencies
• The sheriff, police chief (sometimes called the commissioner or superintendent of police:
• Creates and enforces departmental policies.
• Typically determines disciplinary action and accountability for violations of policies.
• Sets operational and enforcement priorities.
• Commanders are law enforcement officials who are responsible for a particular
geographical area or department and set priorities for that area or department.
• Supervisors, such as sergeants, oversee individual officers in their day-to-day activities.

• The mayor • The police chief
• Local legislators • Sheriff
• City and county charters and ordinances
• Departmental policies
• Independent oversight bodies
• Members of the public
District Attorney’s Office

The District Attorney (DA) is responsible for prosecuting state and local criminal offenses.
The DA can:
• Prosecute or decline to prosecute criminal conduct by officers.

• Voters and members of the public • District Attorney
• City and county charters and ordinances
Independent Oversight Bodies
Oversight bodies include:
• Commissions and task forces: These are established by the mayor or local legislature,
typically for a limited period of time, and have a narrow mandate to investigate a particular
issue (such as profiling or use of force) or department practices more broadly. These bodies
can recommend changes to policing but have no power to ensure implementation.
• Independent oversight offices and agencies: These may be established by mayors or local
legislatures as a permanent office that can:
• Independently investigate individual complaints and recommend discipline.
• Review the results of internal police department investigations of individual complaints and
recommend discipline.
• Review department policies and practices and recommend changes.
• Review investigation procedures, analyze patterns of complaints and discipline, and investigate.63

• Appointing body (mayor or local legislature) • Head of the agency
• Local legislature for funds expended • Board members (if applicable)
• Complainants • Head of investigations
• Police department • Director of policy (if applicable)
• Members of the public
Police Unions
Police unions advocate for and represent their members in:
• Negotiating union contracts, including provisions on discipline and accountability.
• Protecting officer rights.
• Offering services and benefits to member officers (i.e., life insurance, disability benefits,
counseling services, legal representation).
• Union members • Union president and officers

Opportunities for Action
Sometimes, events create opportunities
to pressure different decision-makers in
the system. These include:
The appointment of a new head of a law enforcement agency
Whenever a new police chief is being selected, community members have the opportunity to
educate the mayor and advocate for candidates who have a particular vision or approach to
policing, relevant experience, and a strong track record.
Budget season
Every year, state and local legislators approve budgets, including budgets for law enforcement.
This creates an important opportunity to advocate for changes to the structure, function, and
resources of a police department and against allocation of funds to buy military equipment.
Critical incidents
Individual incidents of excessive or lethal force, or of other officer misconduct, are important
opportunities to pressure officials to make necessary changes to policing policies and practices, as
well as to increase accountability and oversight.
Release of data
If the police department regularly releases information about stops, searches, and arrests, it can create
opportunities to call for changes to the department’s practices and priorities based on what the data show.
Elections
Elections for key positions, such as mayor, sheriff, and district attorney, present critical
opportunities to raise issues about the impact of policing policies and to press candidates for their
position on policing and public safety during public fora, one-on-one interactions, campaign rallies,
in the press, and on social media.
Oversight hearings
Local legislators can call oversight hearings and ask questions of agencies they fund. Typically, the
public safety committee conducts hearings about how police departments operate, but hearings
can also be called on topics such as race relations, health, and safety. Hearings offer opportunities
to testify about policing practices, to pressure legislators, and to ask the department specific questions.
Mechanisms of Change
Accountable to
Voters
Federal Government Members of the public
The U.S. Constitution
Party leadership
Judicial Branch Legislative Branch Executive Branch

Congress President
Judiciary Committee Attorney general
Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Bureau of Justice Assistance
Accountable to
Appointing body Accountable to
Local legislature Voters
Complaints Members of the public
Police department Party leadership
Members of the public
Accountable to
Independent Oversight Local Governments District Attorney Voters
Head of investigators City Managers Mayor District Attorney Members of the public
Director of party County executives State & federal constitutions
Head of agency Agency heads Sheriff City & county charters
Board members Local legislators & ordinances
Accountable to
Voters
Law Enforcement Agency Members of the public
Police chief or sheriff City & county charters
& ordinances
Mayor or city manager
Leader of local legislature
Accountable to (Council president or speaker)
Accountable to Party leadership
Union members
Mayor
Local legislators
State & federal constitutions
City & county charters
& ordinances
Departmental policies
Independent oversight bodies
Members of the

Change training
Change policing practices by advocating for more or better training. This is often the first response
to a policing problem.
Pros:
++ Training is an effective way to reeducate officers on department policies and practices.
++ Chiefs of police can require officers to attend training.
Cons:
−− Training can be expensive and cost money that could be invested in other services.
−− Not all trainings are equal, and outdated curricula or low-quality instructors do not improve
officer performance.
−− Training alone cannot shift systemic policing practices; policies, accountability, and culture
change are needed to ensure they take hold.
Change oversight
Change policing practices by advocating for the creation or expansion of police department oversight.
Pros:
++ Oversight agencies give complainants a place to voice their concerns outside of law
enforcement agencies.
++ Oversight agencies strengthen community relations by fostering trust between the
community and police department.
++ Oversight agencies can improve the quality of internal investigations.
Cons:
−− Oversight agencies can be difficult to implement, particularly when police unions lobby
against them.
−− Some oversight agencies lack the authority to change policies and hold officers accountable.
• For examples of effective oversight agencies, visit:

•
• Denver Office of the Independent Monitor:
• https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/office-of-the-independent-monitor.html
•
• Austin Police Monitor:
• http://www.austintexas.gov/department/police-monitor
Change policy
Change policing practices by advocating for changes to departmental policies.
Pros:
++ Changing policy is easier than passing new laws. The sheriff or police chief can change a
department policy with a written or verbal statement.
Cons:
−− Policies can be changed or repealed.
−− Individuals, organizations, and communities generally cannot directly enforce policies or
hold police officers accountable for violating policies, though they can pressure department
leaders to impose discipline and ensure accountability.
Change the law

Change policing practices by passing, repealing, or changing a law. States and cities have passed
laws banning profiling, regulating the use of force, banning consent searches, regulating the
purchase of military equipment, and mandating transparent police department records.
Pros:
++ Once passed, laws cannot be easily changed; another law must be passed to change or
repeal it.
++ Laws create opportunities for enforcement by community members through a private
right of action.
++ Laws can establish oversight through task forces, annual audits, or data reporting
requirements.
Cons:
−− Enacting laws is harder than changing a policy. You need to:
• Draft a bill
• Find a legislator willing to introduce it
• Persuade enough legislators to vote it out of committee
• Persuade a majority of legislators to vote for it
• Persuade the president, governor, or mayor to sign it
−− Legislation about policing issues can be controversial and hard to build support around,
particularly when police unions lobby against it.

V. BE THE CHANGE
With dedication and

support, you too can
change policing in your
community!
94
Start with basic principles and values to guide your efforts to change policing practices. How do
you, your organization, and your coalition understand public safety and the root of the policing
problems your community is experiencing? What is your long-term vision of the world you want to
live in and how will it guide your work? Engaging in political education by educating yourself and
others about the history of policing can also inform how you and your group approach the issue.
Use the following list of values, visions, and principles to measure progress toward your proposed
process or solution. And consult this list to center your group when it is under pressure to decide
the next step in its campaign or to address and defuse conflict.
Be the Change 95
Sample Values/Vision/Principles
We believe:
• Every member of our community, including community members who are suspected or
accused of violating the law, are entitled to feel safe.
• Our work must center the voices, vision, experiences, and needs of all communities
directly affected by current policing policies and practices, regardless of race, ethnicity,
national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, familial
status, immigration status, veteran status, health status, housing status, economic status,
occupation, proficiency with the English language, or other personal characteristics.
• Our work should change how people experience policing daily in our community.
• Transparency and accountability are critical for our police department, communities,
campaign, and relationships with each other.
• We should respect the expertise of the people closest to and most impacted by the
problem, make accommodations for people who do not have the same resources to engage
in the process, and respond flexibly but deliberately to changes in circumstance.
• We should aim high and demand what we think will best preserve safety in our
communities, while remaining grounded in current realities and our collective capacity.
• Our work should build community power and define public safety in our community.
96
Checklist for Policing Reforms
Not all reforms are created equal.

Communities can start with this simple
checklist when measuring the impact of
proposed solutions.
Does this reform increase community input around public safety, including the
safety of people most often targeted by policing?
Does the proposed change give community members more power to shape public safety? Does it
protect communities experiencing profiling and discriminatory or abusive policing practices?
Does this reform make the police department more accountable to the
community?
Measures that allow greater community oversight or participation in informing policing policy can
be effective in ensuring sustainable reforms.
Will the proposed reform impact communities in similar ways?

Be careful about reforms that give police officers greater flexibility or discretion in ways that could
lead to some communities being disproportionately targeted.
Does this reform divert resources from efforts to address root problems? What
are the root problems? Are there other strategies that can be taken to address root
problems?
Consider alternatives to police, such as nonpolice responses to crises, eliminating police in schools,
and investing in social programs and services.
Is the recommended policy change feasible?

Think about the cost of the policy change, the potential opposition to it, and the challenges associated with it.
Be the Change 97
VI. MAKING CHANGE
You have the power to create change. How you choose to influence policing in your community
may depend on your purpose, resources, skills, and recent events. Each event below can create
opportunities to pressure the stakeholders and institutions that shape policing and public safety.
Opportunities for reform include:

• An incident of officer misconduct or violence
• Release of data about traffic stops or other activities
• Release of other information about policing in your community
• The establishment of a commission or task force to study policing in your community
• The appointment of a new police chief or election of a new sheriff
• Approval of an annual legislative budget
• Negotiation of a police union contract
• Local or state elections
The methods you choose to effect change depend on where you are in the cycle of change.
98
Cycle of Change
Identify a Problem Build your Coalition
Evaluate the Impact

Center Community Set Goals
of your Campaign
Needs and
Involvement
Engage your
Stakeholders and Gather Information
your Targets
Build a Campaign
Making Change 99
Step 1: Identify the Problem
Change begins with identifying the problem you want to solve.

What are you most concerned about? Racial profiling? Use of force? Sexual violence or misconduct
by police officers? Use of military equipment?
Step 2: Build Your Coalition
Before developing your coalition, identify who is already doing work around the issue(s) you are
concerned about. Decide what voices need to be at the table in a coalition.
A coalition is a group of individuals or organizations who share an interest in a particular issue

and come together to address that issue. A coalition may lead several projects or campaigns, and
these may change over time as conditions change. Typically, one or two individuals represent their
organization’s interests at coalition meetings and events.
Who Came Before Us?

• Do any organizations have experience working on this issue?
• Are there elders in the community or informal groups that have important historical information to share?
• Do any other community members have direct experience with the police department?
Remember to defer to the expertise of those who have been doing this work for a while, even if
they have been doing so with little to no funding or visibility. Having these groups and individuals
at the table as you plan and launch your campaign can be critical to your success.
100
Engage Directly with Impacted Communities
Key players in any campaign include representatives from communities who are experiencing the
brunt of the problem you are trying to solve. For instance, if you are concerned with how police
officers interact with people experiencing homelessness in your community, be sure to engage not
only agencies that provide services to homeless people but also groups that are led by homeless
people.
Whether you form a small group or a very large one, decide on your group’s structure before
launching a campaign together. The group can be a coalition, a new organization, or something else.
Considerations for deciding which structure to use depend on:

• The number of organizations or individuals involved.
• How long you plan to work together.
• Whether you want to work on a general issue or toward a specific set of goals.
• Whether you can raise money to start and operate a new organization or will trust an
organization to hold your collective work as a campaign.
Establishing a clear decision-making structure upfront can help the group navigate difficult
decisions in the future. Consider existing power dynamics in your group as you determine what
makes the most sense for your decision-making structure.
Making Change 101

A Note on Supporting Survivors
in Sharing Their Stories
Sharing personal experiences of profiling or violence by police officers can be traumatic,
particularly in cases of near-lethal force or sexual violence and misconduct; it can be just as
traumatic if a person is humiliated or abused during a brief stop or search. Police representatives
must be mindful of such experiences when asking community members to share their stories,
whether for a community-led research project, a public forum, or a meeting with a legislator. It is
important to:
Ask people who have experienced violence or abuse what they need.
Do they feel comfortable sharing their experience? What would make them more comfortable?
• Having a support person with them?

• Submitting testimony in writing instead of delivering it in person?
• Having someone else read their testimony?
• Sharing their experience privately?
• Including it in an anonymous report?
Have support on hand.

People often do not know how they will react to sharing their experiences, so make sure that
someone who has experience supporting people who have experienced trauma (a healer, social
worker, therapist, community member with skills and experience) is available to speak with
survivors before, during, and after they share their stories. Also, have a list of resources ready for
survivors, including ongoing community support services, crisis lines, and attorneys experienced
in officer misconduct cases who are known to the community.
Do not pigeonhole people.

Often, policymakers and the media categorize people as “victims” (people with direct experiences
of policing) and “experts” (usually lawyers or other professionals who do not have direct
experience with policing). They want to hear from survivors about the problem and from experts
about the solution. Survivors are experts in their own experiences and can also be experts in the
proposed solutions. Work with survivors who share their stories to develop campaign goals so
that they can make connections between their experiences and the solutions in their testimony.
Organize press conferences, meetings, and events in ways that prioritize both survivors’ voices
and the solutions called for. Such an approach can also mean asking people seen as “experts”
on policing issues to step back to make way for people who have more direct experience with
harmful policing practices to speak out and articulate campaign demands.
Decision-making options include:
• Going with the consensus or modified consensus.
• Implementing majority rule.
• Creating a steering committee or advisory council that makes decisions with input from the
larger group or from subcommittees.
• Creating committees that make decisions about their particular issue areas and then report to
the larger group.
Also, consider how the group will be accountable to the larger community. For example, prioritize
the voices and perspectives of people in communities that are directly impacted by the issues you
are working to address. And be mindful that some groups are well resourced with funds, staff, and
legal and policy expertise, whereas others may have no paid staff or budget to support travel or
participation in meetings during work hours.
Often members’ ability to participate in meetings and do work determines whose ideas take
priority and who makes decisions. You can also:
• Schedule meetings for late afternoons, evenings, or weekends, so people with full-time jobs or
young children in school can attend.
• Provide transportation, childcare, and food for attendees.
• Set up structures to equitably share resources to help less-resourced groups participate, such
as by holding teach-ins around issues that require specialized knowledge (e.g., search and
seizure, accountability mechanisms), so that everyone has the same basic information.
• Create opportunities for members of directly impacted communities to share their expertise on
the problem with groups that may not have direct experience.
• Create working groups or committees to make decisions in particular areas or develop
proposals to bring back to the larger group for discussion.
Examples of campaign structures:

Communities United for Policing Reform is a campaign governed by a steering committee made up of
member organizations. The campaign is an independent organization, with a director and staff. Decisions
about the campaign are based on the recommendations of its working groups and its voting members.64
Community Safety Act Coalition (formerly run by the STEP UP Network) is a broad-based coalition that
successfully passed the Community Safety Act in Providence, Rhode Island.65
Coalition Structures
Coalition Organizations and/Individuals

active in Coalition
Individuals or Organizations on Steering or Advisory Committee
Coalition with Advisory

or Steering Committee
Organizations and/Individuals
active in Coalition
104
Host Organization
Coalition with Host Organization
Organizations and/Individuals
active in Coalition
Campaign Structure
Host Organization
Campaign Hosted Campaign

within Organization
Campaign Supporters & Partners
105 Making Change 105

Step 3: Set Goals
Next, decide how you want to make change
and set specific, short-term goals: Do you
want to change policy? Pass a new law?
Change the structure and oversight of a
local police department?
Consider breaking long-term goals into several
shorter-term goals. For example, if your goal is to
end profiling in your community, the best way to
achieve that goal may be to advocate that your
police department adopt policies that address bias-
free policing, including racial profiling and police
officer interactions with people of color, women,
gender nonconforming people, LGBTQ people, youth,
undocumented immigrants, people with limited
English proficiency (LEP), people with disabilities,
religious and ethnic groups, low-income people, and
people experiencing homelessness.
You may also want to advocate for specific policies

regarding stops, searches, and arrests; changes
to police training; and establishing or expanding
oversight mechanisms for reporting. Each can be its
own separate, shorter-term goal.
Use the SMART approach to choose an effective

goal, improve your chances of achieving your
goals, and build on the momentum of a campaign
toward community power.66 This acronym stands
for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and
Timed goals. Goals that are too broad, too vague,
unrealistic, unmeasurable, or constantly changing
will likely result in a campaign that leaves community
members confused, hopeless, or unaware of the
progress they are making toward building true
community power.
Step 4: Gather Information
After you have identified the problem, built a coalition, and set goals, gather all available
information. Is the department already collecting data that would help make your case? What
policies and laws are already in place?
Policing Data.
Police departments are increasingly making public information about stops, searches, and arrests.
So, a good place to start is the department’s website; search for an annual or quarterly report.
Another resource is a local legal organization like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which
analyzes and publishes policing data. The Police Data Initiative, which houses data from dozens
of police departments, is also a good source of information. If no one in your group has the skills
to analyze raw data, consider partnering with researchers at a local university or college. The
Stanford Open Policing Project, the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the Mapping Police
Violence Project are good sources of national data.
Community-Led Research.
Community-led research or participatory action research is another important way to gather
information and data. This can include surveying community members, conducting a poll, and
gathering community members’ quotes and experiences through a story bank. This type of
qualitative data and research can complement data gathered from official sources or be used
in place of official data that have not been collected or made public. It can also be useful if local
officials are swayed more by local data than national data or by stories rather than numbers.
Online resources can help you refine your methodology and conduct research in a way that is
accountable to, empowers, and uplifts directly impacted community members. Your research
findings may result in a one-pager presented to the city council or a report released to the media or
shared at a press conference, protest, or rally.
For information on participatory research, visit the Public Science Project at: http://
publicscienceproject.org/principles-and-values/
108
Public Information.
Some information about your police department may already be publicly available. Many
departments post their policies (standard operating procedures [SOPs] or patrol guides) on their
websites. These data may also be available through an organization that has made a Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) request for them.67 In some jurisdictions, data are available for purchase. Start
with an online search for [X police department] standard operating procedures/patrol guide/policies.
Individuals or groups can issue a FOIA request for information about policies, data, or the
structure of a police department. Read more about FOIA at https://www.foia.gov
FOIA Requests.
If the information you need is not publicly available, you may want to file a FOIA request. The federal
government and all 50 states have laws mandating that information kept by public agencies and
officials be made available on request to members of the public. Some exceptions limit what the
government is obligated to provide. Exceptions include information protected by privacy concerns,
law enforcement privilege, and deliberative process privilege. If your request for information is denied
on any of these bases, you can appeal the decision to the agency and in court.
The Freedom of Information Act requires the full or partial disclosure of information and
documents controlled by the government upon request. The federal government and all 50
states have laws mandating that information kept by public agencies and officials be made
available on request to members of the public. A freedom of information request may ask for
information about policies, data, or the structure of your department. Read more about FOIA at
https://www.foia.gov
Requests for information from your local law enforcement agency must be made in writing but can
be sent by email, fax, or letter. Use the form on the next page as a template to create a request.
Making Change 109

Sample FOIA Request
TITLE
i.e., “John Doe Arrest Report,” “Use of Force Policy,” or “2017 Organizational Chart”
AGENCIES
Agency’s name
Location
Address
i.e., Police Department, Austin, Texas, or Office of the Governor, Arkansas
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the [insert the name and number of your state’s law], I hereby request the following records:
“[Briefly describe the documents you are looking for. The more specific you can be, the better. For instance:
Any and all Austin, Texas, police department policies and training materials currently in effect governing the
use of force and sexual misconduct by police officers employed by the department.” or
“Any and all organizational charts or descriptions of the organizational structure of the Austin, Texas, police
department, including reporting relationships and the name and rank of commanders for each unit or
department.” or
“Any and all data or information collected by the department concerning the number of stops, frisks, and
arrests of pedestrians in the city of Omaha, Nebraska, over the past five years (2013-2018).”]
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made
for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges before
fulfilling my request. However, I would also like to request a waiver of all fees in that the disclosure of the
requested information is in the public interest and will contribute significantly to the public’s understanding of
[describe the issue you are concerned about here]. I would prefer that the request be filled electronically, by
email attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
The [insert the name of your state FOIA law here] requires a response within [insert the number of days the
agency has to respond to your request, as outlined in your state FOIA law] business days. If access to the
requested records will take longer, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or
the ability to inspect the requested records.
If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to
release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your
response to this request within [insert the number of days the agency has to respond to your request, as
outlined in your state FOIA law].
Sincerely,
{your name and signature}
Step 5: Build a Campaign
Often, reforms are achieved through strategies and tactics that involve a broad-based and diverse
group of people working on a campaign together in coalitions or informal partnerships. You may
choose to come together with other community members and organizations to launch a grassroots
campaign in your community to make changes to your police department.
A campaign involves setting clear goals for change and agreeing on a set of strategies and tactics
that will operate cohesively to achieve your common goals. A campaign also brings together a
group of individuals and organizations around a singular set of goals, strategies, and tactics. Once
the goal is achieved, the campaign ends because the group has no other purpose. A campaign
can be housed at an organization where it will become a component of the larger body of work
or mission, or it can operate through an independent organization created for the sole purpose of
implementing the campaign.
Choosing the Correct Target and Pressure Points.

It is important to understand your target and pressure points. A target could be an agency,
institution, or decision-maker who has the power to give you what you want. A pressure point may
be a relationship you leverage or someone/something you use strategically throughout a campaign.
There could be multiple pressure points, whereas there is normally only one target. Your pressure
point may shift throughout the campaign, but be clear about who or what you are targeting, and
limit it to one individual or institution, if possible.
If multiple law enforcement agencies operate in your area, identify the specific agency you are
targeting for reform. Some larger cities may have state police, city police, county sheriffs, private
patrols, or campus police all working within the same area. In addition, federal law enforcement
agencies (e.g., Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation) may operate in your area. Many
constitutionally protected rights are the same when interacting with these agencies, but they all
operate under their own policies and are governed differently.
Making Change 111

When you have determined which agency, institution, or decision-maker you are targeting,
educate yourself on the structure of that agency. If it is your local police department, determine:
• Who sets the policies for the police department — an elected or appointed position?
• Who controls the budget?
• Which other stakeholders have influence on public safety, and what is their role?
Sometimes, you can find answers to these questions on city, county, or police department
websites. It might also help to draw a map of who controls or governs these important areas.
Power Mapping.
To determine pressure points and tactics, try a power-mapping exercise. Place stakeholders on a
chart according to how much control they have over a decision or your goal. Categorize them as
individuals, organized groups, or unorganized groups. Power mapping yields a clearer picture of
the players involved in your campaign and the strategies to influence and move them.
Place various stakeholders

Power
on the chart according to
how much power they have
to influence decisions and
how closely aligned they are
with your group. You can also
categorize them as individuals,
organized groups, or
unorganized groups of people.
This can give you a clearer
Not a lot picture of the players involved
of Power in your campaign and help you
choose winning strategies to
Our Side Their Side move them.
Consider the following questions:
• What moves the target? What motivates them?

• Can you move groups or individuals closer to your side and make them allies?
• What relationships already exist among the stakeholders? Do any new relationships need to
be developed or cultivated?
• Can you use relationships with particular groups or individuals to influence your target or pressure points?
• Do unorganized groups exist that you can mobilize?
• Where do the media fall on your power map?
• What additional information do you need? Who can help you access that information?
• With which people or groups do you need to meet to learn more about their position or how
they can help your campaign?
Choosing Your Strategy and Tactics.68
Next, discuss your strategy — your detailed plan about how to achieve your goals. Your strategy is,
in other words, your plan for winning.
When deciding on a strategy, consider your group’s strengths and weaknesses, your allies and
opponents, your targets and your tactics. Your strategy should incorporate ways to move your
targets and refine your media messaging as well.
WHAT: What are you trying to achieve?
WHO: What staffing needs will the campaign have? Consider capacity of each individual
and organization involved in the campaign. Establish clear roles and responsibilities. Establish
effective channels of communication and data sharing among coalition members.

WHEN: Establish a timeline.
HOW: Conduct a needs assessment to determine what resources you need to successfully
complete the campaign.
Identify the tactics you will use to execute your strategy. The tactics you choose depend on your
group’s preferences, your capacity and resources, the political climate in your area, and how you
motivate your target points to action.
The first tactic in a campaign is usually to simply ask for what you want. You can make your
request in a meeting with an elected official or the police chief.
If a direct approach is ineffective, an escalating tactics chart can help you determine your next
tactic.69 An escalating tactics chart is a visual representation of how the campaign can turn up the
pressure on each target point over time, depending on the target’s reaction to that pressure. The
chart ensures that the tactics build on one another in a cohesive way. To make a chart, write down
all the possible tactics on paper, and then arrange them according to the order in which you should
execute them.
Making Change 113

Escalating Tactics Chart
Request another meeting with
Superintendent to go over policy proposal
and implementation plan
Develop an ally in the faith community

to host a prayer vigil in front of police
headquarters
Hold protest or rally with
Release our research as a report, along street theater in front of
with recommendations, and hold a press police headquarters and
conference in front of the police headquarters deliver petition with 1,000
or City Hall to announce our findings signatures in support of
policy proposal
Present in City Council about our

concerns and recommendations,
Release a video calling on supporters to
conduct interviews with media
show up to budget hearings in City Council
afterward
and ask to freeze the budget until the issue
is addressed
If we don’t get a
meeting, place an op-ed
about our concerns and Work with an elected official to hold a
desire to meet with the hearing to bring the Superintendent in to
Police Superintendent, ask questions about the issues raised in
bring proposed policy the report
reforms to the meeting
Start a community-based research project

to collect stories and data about the issue
Meet with elected officials to discuss the

issues and gauge their position, begin
work to develop a champion in City Council
who will take up the issue
Request a meeting with the Police

Superintendent to ask for what we want
For more information on escalating tactics, see: http://www.bolderadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/escalating_tactics_chart.pdf.

Also see: https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.350.org/images/EscalationGuide.pdf]
114
Tactics should respond to current conditions. Ordinarily, it may not make sense to organize a large,
unannounced protest in front of the police department and then request a meeting the next day to
discuss policy reforms. But that may be the right choice if a police-involved killing or other high-
profile incident has occurred in the community.
There are a number of ways to engage with the stakeholders to gain visibility for your campaign, including:
Community Forums.
Community forums spread awareness about your campaign and hold decision-makers
accountable for implementing reforms. These fora are effective at disseminating information to
many people at once, particularly those within a specific community. As with any action or event, it
is important to identify your goal before hosting a community forum. Note that if elected or public
officials are invited to your forum, the media may cover the event, but it may also be more difficult
to get firm answers from decision-makers.
Direct Engagement.
Once you have built your campaign with consensus around the policy changes you most want to
see, directly engage the department chief and police leaders. Ask for a meeting with the police
chief to discuss the policy topics you are most concerned about — and get a seat at the table.
Open the dialogue by discussing the issues and then “make asks.” To make your argument for
why change is needed, present the information you have gathered, including stories of people
who have been impacted. Be sure to ask for data that is not publicly available. Aim to educate
the chief and police leaders you meet with. Be attentive during the meeting and be open to their
perspectives. They may have insights on different topics that could inform future engagement.
Making Change 115

Rallies, Protests, and other Legal observers work to make sure
Creative Actions. everyone’s rights are protected while they
Rallies, protests, and creative actions, engage in free speech and other actions.
such as street theater and cultural These observers can serve as important
performances, can effectively share documenters when people’s rights are
information about your campaign. being violated and help advocate on
Actions with a lot of visuals help defense teams if someone is arrested.
attract attention from your target, More information about legal observers is
pressure points and the media. Some available at:
actions, such as marches, may require https://www.nlg.org/legalobservers
significant attendance to be effective;
others can be effective with a small In a protest context, police liaisons are
group of people. Whatever you are people organizers choose to serve as the
planning, be sure that your message main points of contact and communication
and goal are clear to your audience between protesters and the police. They
and supporters. As you plan, prioritize can convey information from the police to
everyone’s safety, and consider the protesters, help facilitate constructive
appointing legal observers, police dialogue, and de-escalate situations if needed.
liaisons, and a safety team. Also,
obtain any permits required for rallies In a police context, police liaison may be
and protests on public property. a position within the police department
designed to facilitate relationships between
Tactics can be creative, such as: the broader community or specific segments
• Street theater outside city council of the community, such as the LGBTQ
chambers to call attention to
pending legislation. community, and the police.
• Photo campaigns in which

people take pictures with signs The role of your safety team members
describing how they would spend depends on the type of action or event you
the police department budget to
advance public safety. Post the are hosting. It could include ensuring that
images on social media and tag everyone is well hydrated, serving as a
decision-makers.
marshal for a march, or making sure that a
de-escalation plan is in place.
Creative tactics engage people in the
campaign, make it fun, and attract
For more information on direct action, see: https://
media attention. organizingforpower.org/action-2/
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Litigation.
Litigation is a go-to tactic when trying to change police department policy or practice. Lawsuits
may allege that a particular incident violated the constitution or law or point to a larger systemic
issue through a class action lawsuit with multiple plaintiffs.70 Lawsuits can be part of larger
grassroots or organizing strategy — or complements to them.
If a lawsuit is being filed by one individual alleging harm against one individual, the goal is
usually to get damages or monetary compensation for the person who suffered harm, but
remedies may also include training or policy changes.
Collaborating across sectors and fields is sometimes challenging, so lawyers, clients, and
organizers should meet regularly to develop trusting relationships, learn about the issues important
to those involved, and share information about strategies. It is also important to establish to whom
each party is accountable; for example, lawyers may be accountable only to their clients, who
may have a different goal different than you do. Social justice lawyers familiar with community
organizing strategies might see the benefit of close collaboration and may be accountable to their
client, as well as to the larger community.
Advancing one cohesive strategy in the courts with local legislators, police chiefs, and mayors, and
using similar talking points and messages with all audiences, will help achieve meaningful and
sustainable reform.
Department of Justice Interventions.

The DOJ Civil Rights Division is responsible for upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all
people and enforcing federal statutes that prohibit discrimination.71 Within the Civil Rights Division
are two sections that focus on policing issues: The Special Litigation Section and the Criminal Section.
The Special Litigation Section investigates law enforcement agencies to determine whether
patterns or practices of constitutional violations exist. The Criminal Section brings federal criminal
charges against individual officers for violating constitutional rights during incidents of police violence.72
Making Change 117

The difference between these two types of investigation is important. Because a criminal
investigation typically focuses on an incident and the individuals involved, the result of a successful
prosecution is prison time for the responsible officers. In a pattern or practice investigation, the DOJ
will publish the findings of its investigation and usually enter into a court-ordered settlement, or
“consent decree,” with the local police department. Rather than going to trial, the parties will agree
to a set of remedies, such as policy reforms, community advisory boards, new training, and making
other changes to the police department.
The Civil Rights Division offers opportunity for community involvement. Community members
can inform the investigation, propose language for consent decrees, and meet regularly with
representatives from the DOJ to update them on the progress of reforms. In addition, even if the
Civil Rights Division does not launch a full investigation and pursue a consent decree, the COPS
Office may enter a collaborative process with local agencies to support reform efforts, issue
recommendations, and offer technical assistance. Community members can file complaints or alert
issues in the community to the DOJ online at https://www.justice.gov/.
Choosing Your Communications

Strategies, Messaging, & Tactics
A strong communications strategy is key to a strong campaign because it helps drive the public
conversation and shift public opinion toward your analysis of the problem and your proposed
solution. Your communications strategy has the power to influence other community members,
voters, decision-makers, and even the identified target. It can help amplify the campaign, build
support for its goals, recruit people for events, and attract new allies to the cause.
You will repeat your message and message frame throughout the course of the campaign.
Therefore, you should always deliver a consistent message when discussing your issue, whether
during one-on-one conversations in communities, in interviews with the media, or in print materials.
A strong message and frame for your campaign is critical to your campaign’s success. To
develop a winning message, appeal to values shared by the community members as well as
decision-makers and stakeholders. A strong message often builds on the shared values of
community
118 and public safety.
Shared values include:
• Safety
• Community
• Accountability
• Transparency
• Fairness
• Respect
• Families and youth
• Civil and human rights
• Ending violence (including violence by police officers)
• Commonsense solutions (or being “smart” when responding to social problems)
• Leadership in adopting best practices or models (particularly those that rely on data or research).
You can adapt your message to your audience, but the core of your message should remain
the same. Therefore, it is important to develop a message that has broad public appeal. A
strong message and frame also help your campaign “control the narrative” by encouraging
media outlets to repeat your talking points and spread your message. Examples of good overall
messaging frames include “Safe Streets, Strong Communities” and “We Deserve Better.”
Develop your talking points — a few short reasons or factors in bullet form that support
your message and cause — from your message. These talking points can include examples
to better explain your message.
Sound bites are short, memorable ways of communicating your talking points in the
media.
Positioning the members of your group as experts on the issue at hand lends credibility to
your campaign or cause. The clearer it is that your group has researched the problem and
is providing solutions, the more that media outlets and the general public will seek out your
group for expertise and guidance. Therefore, your group should include people who have
direct experience with the police department. Their experiences should not only inform the
campaign’s strategies and goals but also provide expertise on the issue. You can bolster this
expertise with data that support your cause, research, and best practice models.
119
Use your communications strategy to generate coverage in various media outlets. This will
bolster your outreach and inform your tactics. For example:
Do you need more community support from young people at events?

Develop a social media strategy, shoot videos, or create shareable memes to attract the
attention of younger community members.
Do you want to attract the attention of voters in a specific neighborhood or

community?
Place letters to the editor of the local newspaper, develop flyers to post in places community
members frequent, or even fundraise for a small billboard.
Do you want to communicate directly to a decision-maker or your campaign target?

Create a sign-on letter or policy brief or generate talking points for use at an in-person meeting.
These communication strategies are quite different, but with a strong, unifying message,
they can work together toward one cohesive and winning communications strategy.
Common Communications Tactics

Two common communications tools are letters to the editor and op-eds, which appear in the
opinion section — the most widely read section of the newspaper after the front page.
Letters to the editor are typically written in direct response to a current issue or event or in
response to a previous article the newspaper printed. These letters are 150 words or less and
summarize one or two key points. They are extremely time sensitive: generally, a newspaper will
not publish a letter to the editor more than a few days after the original event or article.
Sample Letter to the Editor
Yesterday, [this paper published an article stating that…]. As a community member working to reform the
police department, I [agree/disagree, insert position].
Evidence shows that [insert data, research, or stories demonstrating the impact of the issue on communities
and public safety].
[Describe best practices and where they have been successfully implemented.]. Adopting policies that
address [issue] would [positive impact of proposed solution.].
It is time [city or locality] began adopting commonsense solutions to the issue of [issue or problem], which
will result in a more transparent and accountable police department and a safer place for all [city’s or
locality’s] residents.
[Insert Call to Action.]
Sincerely,
[Name, contact information]
An op-ed (which stands for opposite the editorial) is typically much longer — 500 to 750 words —
and takes a position. It is a good idea to peg an op-ed to a recent issue, incident, article, or story,
but op-eds are not as time sensitive as letters to the editor. The usual authors of op-eds are
experts or otherwise credible community members who have direct experience and expertise
with the issue at hand. Both a letter to the editor and an op-ed can include a call to target, pressure
points, other decision-makers, or the community at large.
Depending on your city and news source, you can submit letters to the editor and op-eds online
or by mail. Instructions for submission typically appear at the beginning of the editorial section, on
the first or last page of the newspaper, or online. Be sure to follow these instructions carefully to
improve your chances of publication.
An OP-ED should include the following components:

• A compelling first sentence to draw the reader in.
• Established credibility and expertise on the issue.
• Discussion of the problem.
• Discussion of dangers and risks associated with the problem.
• Discussion of the solution.
• Compelling “kicker” last sentence or paragraph.
Making Change 121

A sign-on letter is an example of a communications strategy that goes directly to your target. You
typically use a sign-on letter to show widespread and diverse support for a solution to an issue.
Therefore, it is important to reach out to different types of organizations and communities to ask
them to sign on to your letter. You can mail sign-on letters to your campaign target or deliver them in
person as part of a meeting creative action, or press conference.
You can also write a form letter and have each supporter send it individually to the campaign’s target.
Alternately, you can write a call script that individuals can use when they target and you can create an
online or hard-copy petition and circulate it for signatures.
Sample Sign-On Letter
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals made up of more than [number] diverse grassroots
organizers, policy advocates, lawyers, lobbyists, policing reform experts, and family members who have
direct experience with the [police department], call on the [campaign’s targeted pressure point] to [campaign
goal.].
National studies and local data community members have gathered show that [insert relevant data about
the problem.]. In fact, in [city or locality], [insert local story about the problem].
We know that [insert problem] does not make our communities safer. In fact, it can have an adverse effect on
public safety. Therefore, to create true public safety in our communities, we must create policy solutions that
are informed by directly affected community members and strengthen relationships between the community
and the [police department].
A policy that [insert policy solution and any positive impacts] will not only improve the lives of our community
members who encounter police officers but have a positive impact on our [city/town/county] overall.
The [police department] has an opportunity to create a transparent and accountable organization that values
public safety, mutual respect, and the human rights of all our residents. It can position itself as a national
model, built on best practices and commonsense approaches.
We urge you to [insert campaign goal].
Sincerely,
[The undersigned]
122
Press Conferences and Press Releases.
Press conferences are another important means of distributing your campaign’s message and
highlighting important updates or milestones in the campaign’s progress. You can use press
conferences to garner mainstream media attention or independently create and distribute media.
Press releases attract media attention: They should answer “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,”
“why,” and “how” and be written in the third person. News outlets — particularly ethnic media
outlets — may use the press release as a primary source of information and even reprint it without
following up with your group for additional quotes or information. Make sure to write the press
release in a style that easily lends itself to transformation into an article and include everything you
want your readers to know. Consider including one or two quotes from community members or
representatives from local organizations, as well. Be concise, clear, and timely.
Online Activism and Social Media.

Much of your campaign’s success will come from effective communication strategies, including
use of the internet and social media. From email blasts to online petitions to trending hashtags, the
internet can be an effective tool for mass mobilization, helping you get your message out broadly
and quickly.73
Amplifying your message across social platforms is an important part of getting your campaign
message out to your target audience. Creating social media posts from your talking points and
condensing them into the appropriate character count — and including a call to action — help your
audience and those interested in your campaign get involved. Including a hashtag to house your
creative information and take the campaign viral spreads your message farther.
Color of Change
Color of Change is a digital petition and training platform that allows people to organize and
mobilize individuals around a variety of racial justice topics.
For more information visit: https://www.organizefor.org/
Making Change 123

The average person’s attention span is decreasing rapidly; at the same time, our news feeds and
inboxes are becoming increasingly cluttered with media competing for our attention. Therefore, it
is more important than ever to be able to communicate your message in a compelling and succinct
way. Hashtags help by giving you a way to describe the core of your issue in just a few characters
while also framing your issue and reaching a wider audience. Images and videos are a visual
representation of your message, so it is important to keep all social elements cohesive and clear.
Social media is critical for getting the word out about your issue and building broad support for
your campaign. Make sure your outreach does not stop there. Through various online platforms,
you can create petitions, conduct phone and text banking to turn people out to events, email
targets directly with prefilled or custom letters, send emails to supporters in specific ZIP codes to
encourage them to contact their representatives, and more.
Social media algorithms that determine your online experience are always evolving, and new
online organizing tools are created every day. Check the internet for up-to-date guides on how to
use these strategies effectively.
Know Your Rights Trainings

Know Your Rights training is an important part of police reform. These training sessions can get
more people involved in your campaign and are an important community education tool. They
can also be helpful in explaining new reforms to community members who should understand
how police officers are expected to treat them during police stops and encounters. One key
to successful Know Your Rights training, however, is understanding the difference between
“rights” and “reality” because often what police officers are supposed to do varies from what
may occur during an encounter.
Step 6: Engaging your Target
and Pressure Points, and
Meeting with Other Stakeholders
Organizing a meeting with the police chief, a community liaison, or a representative from the police
department is a critical strategy when the campaign goal is policy reform in the police department.
Because the police chief is the decision-maker for police department policy, that person tends to
be your campaign’s target pressure point.
Many campaigns begin with a direct request for what your community wants. This initial request
can set the tone for the campaign, give you important information that informs your strategy and
tactics, gauge how long it may take for you to win your campaign, and identify obstacles you may
encounter along the way. Other times, you may meet with the police chief or others in the police
department when drafting policies, designing training on policies, or providing updates from the
community about policy implementation.
Meeting with decision-makers such as elected officials and representatives is important for getting
legislation, ordinances, or resolutions passed at any level of government. Even if legislators do not
have direct power to make the change you want, they can have relationships with those who do.
They are also generally willing to meet with the people they represent, directly or indirectly.
Set goals.
Regardless of the reason for your meeting or whom you are meeting, set a clear goal for the meeting.
Before scheduling your meeting, be sure that you are prepared. You will likely have limited time
with the representative, so setting a clear goal (why you want to meet) before you step into the
room is essential. Your goal may be:
• To get a commitment from an elected official to introduce legislation or vote a certain way.
• To educate an official on an important issue to prime them for future action or to support your
efforts to move a different pressure point.
• To gather information about where the official stands on an issue or any reforms the official is
contemplating.
Knowing your goal beforehand helps ensure that you and your group know whether the meeting
was successful — which is especially important if members of your group have never met with
an elected official before. Be prepared for the official to be in a rush, ask difficult questions as they
attempt to understand the issue from all sides, or already have a firm position on the issue.
A clear goal also helps set the tone for your meeting. If you asked for the meeting, then the
official will likely expect you to take the lead and set the agenda, especially if you do not have a
prior relationship with the official. The meeting’s attendees and your talking points help set the
meeting’s tone as well.
Decide who should attend.

When you know why you want a meeting, decide who should attend. An official may be more
likely to share information — especially sensitive information — and answer your questions in a
smaller meeting. In contrast, if you prefer a larger meeting without much back and forth or want to
draw attention to the support your cause has garnered, opt for a community forum.
If you decide to bring a larger group to the meeting, be sure that everyone is clear on and unified
in the message and goals of the meeting. You should also notify the official’s office beforehand,
so that staff can book a conference room to accommodate everyone. If your meeting is in a
government building, check beforehand whether identification is required, and advise the people
who will be attending accordingly.
When meeting with police department leaders, keep in mind that they frequently bring additional
people to meetings with the community. It is unlikely that you will be alone in the room with the
police chief or other leaders within the department unless it is a small or rural jurisdiction.
Similarly, elected officials and police leaders will sometimes have you meet with someone else
in their office or use a stand-in at a meeting. If this happens, do not be discouraged. True, it is
best to get a face-to-face meeting, but policymakers have busy schedules; they rely on their
staff to be their “eyes and ears” and often defer to their proposals and recommendations. Never
underestimate the power of the person you are meeting with, even if they are an intern. Treat the
surrogate with as much respect as you would the person they are representing.
Many people in positions of power, whether elected or appointed, meet with their constituents
or other concerned advocates regularly, but it can be more difficult to get a meeting in a large
jurisdiction or during a busy legislative session. If you do not receive a response to your meeting
request, it may be time to escalate or use a different tactic, such as a letter-writing or call-in
campaign, or a creative action like a sing-a-thon outside the official’s office.
Develop clear talking points.
Whether you have a few or many attendees in your meeting, clear talking points are critical to
your success. If you are still trying to determine who will attend your meeting, your talking points
can help drive this strategic decision. Consider whether some points will be better received if
they come from a particular member of your group based on that person’s direct experience with
the issue or level of expertise. If you are meeting with an elected official, consider whether the
meeting’s attendees live or vote in their district.
Your group may choose one spokesperson or divide the meeting into portions, each with a clear
speaking role for a participant to discuss one talking point. Not everyone in your group needs
to speak, but everyone should be prepared to speak if asked or to fill in if someone forgets an
important talking point. If language interpretation is needed, be sure that your group has a
designated interpreter.
Practicing your talking points and even conducting role-plays of the meeting beforehand can
help prepare your group, particularly if group members have never met with a person in power
before or are nervous. It is also important to consider what your bottom line is if you are requesting
something from the person with whom you are meeting. Ask yourself:
• What concessions will your group make and under what circumstances?
• What will you not decide on or agree to until you have a chance to talk about it again as a group?
Make sure everyone attending the meeting is clear on and committed to upholding these bottom lines.
When developing your talking points, be sure to consider what moves or motivates the person you
are targeting:
• Are they concerned with fiscal responsibility and how reforms may affect the budgets?
• Are they motivated by the possibility of becoming a national leader in police reform?
• Are they vying for a seat in an upcoming election?
Speak directly about community concerns.

Regardless of the pressure point’s motivations and interests, be sure to speak to concerns of the
public officials you are meeting with, showing how your solutions will have a positive impact on the
issues the official cares about most. Bring data and personal stories to grab their attention.
Similarly, focus on solutions and what the official can do to affect change. Positioning your group
as an expert may mean that that official is more likely to turn to your group for its perspective
during critical moments, such as drafting legislation, developing counterarguments to an
opponent’s position, or seeking feedback on policy language.
Bring your talking points with you to the meeting; in this way, no matter what the official says, your
group will not be derailed and will hit your most important points.
Checklist for Questions to Ask Decision-Makers at Meetings

Direct questions, such as:
• [For elected representatives] “Can we count on your support for Resolution XX?” or “What
will it take to get your support on XX?”
• [For police departments] “Is your department willing to adopt a policy on XX through a
community-led process?”
Follow-up or recap questions, such as:
• “When can we expect to hear back from you about XX?”
• “Just to confirm, our next steps will be to XX . . .”
Give them information to take away.

Finally, get something in the pressure point’s hands that they can look at later. This may be a one-
pager that reiterates your talking points or draft legislation you want the official to consider. Include
your group’s contact information on the document so that the official’s staff members can contact
you with any follow-up questions or updates.
Sample One-Pager or Fact Sheet
Background [Provide important information about the history or background of the issue. Include compelling
statements on why this issue is urgent in the community, including any relevant data.]
Solutions [Focus the majority of your document on the solutions to solve the problem. All talking points should
align with the solution.]
Talking Point 1:
Talking Point 2:
Talking Point 3:
Addressing the opposition: If opposition exists to the solution you are proposing, address it here — for instance,
“Although Tasers are often promoted as an alternative to lethal force, they can be lethal, especially under certain
circumstances, and they are often used in situations where lethal force would not be warranted. This is why
strong limitations/a ban on their use except when the only other option would be lethal force are/is critical.”
Closing statement
Special considerations when meeting with the police department.
Meeting with police leaders can be difficult for people who have had negative experiences
with police officers. If planned appropriately and with care for the people who have had direct
experience with policing, the meeting can be an empowering or even a potentially healing
experience for community members. If not done properly, the meeting can result in further
emotional and psychological harm. Also consider whether anyone in your group has open warrants,
is an undocumented immigrant, or may otherwise face risks by meeting with police leaders.
Special considerations when meeting with elected officials.

When choosing whom to meet with, be sure you understand the official’s role in the government
and their ability to impact change on the issue at hand. You may be requesting a meeting with your
campaign’s targeted pressure point or those who can influence your target.
Learn as much as you can about the official and their position on the issue prior to the meeting.
What motivates the official and what is their relationship to other decision-makers? Questions your
research should answer include:
• To which organizations does the official belong to?
• On which committees does the official sit?
• What kinds of legislation has the official introduced or championed?
• What policy changes has the official spoken in favor of?
Officials typically provide much of this information on their official or campaign websites and social
media accounts. Alternatively, your group can talk to other organizations with which the official has
a relationship. Power mapping will help ensure that you meet with the appropriate official and give
you a visual understanding of where they stand politically relative to your cause.
Remember, if your group is a registered nonprofit organization, you can still meet with public and
elected officials.
Making Change 129

Notes for registered nonprofit organizations: Is it lobbying?
If I... ask a legislator to pass specific pending legislation?

This is direct lobbying. If your group is a registered charitable organization, the amount of
time and money you spend on lobbying is restricted. Check Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
regulations and grant agreements before moving forward.
If I... ask others to contact a legislator to ask them to support specific

pending legislation?
This is called grassroots lobbying, or indirect lobbying. Your charitable status still restricts such
lobbying, but the regulations are not as strict. Check IRS regulations and grant agreements
before moving forward.
If I... Ask a legislator to take general action on an issue without referring to

specific legislation or educating the legislator on an issue more broadly?
This is not lobbying: It is considered educating lawmakers.
Disclaimer:
Check your state and federal regulations for restrictions on lobbying and be sure to check any grant
agreements you may have that restrict this activity.
No matter whom you meet with, it is important to send an email or letter to thank them afterward
and clarify any next steps that you discussed. This contact can also serve as a way to document in
writing any commitments made.
Sample Thank-You Letter
Dear ________,
Thank you for meeting with _[name of group]____ on __[date]___.
At the meeting, we discussed ___[summary of meeting]___. We look forward to ___[any next steps from
meeting]____.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us should you have any additional questions. We can be reached at __
[contact information]__.
In appreciation,
__[name of group]__
Step 7: Evaluate the Impact
of your Campaign
Once a change has been made, monitor how it is being implemented. For instance, are all officers
being trained on a new policy? Is the department evaluating its understanding and compliance
with the new policy? Are community members seeing improvements? Are new or different
problems arising?
For policing reforms to be sustainable over the long term, the community at large must understand
what changes have been made and hold police officers and departments accountable to them.
Ways to do this include continuing to document encounters with the police department so
that the campaign can report on the progress of reforms, encouraging people to file complaints
against the police department when it is safe and necessary to do so, continuing to engage with
decision-makers and stakeholders by attending city council meetings and other public forums, and
participating in a civilian oversight board.
Change is a long-term undertaking. It is important to celebrate victories and improvements along

the way and to recognize that it is a continuing process in which new problems will be identified
and the cycle will be repeated until we can overhaul policing systems for true systemic change that
guarantees fair, safe, and effective policing.
Making Change 131

VII. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Model Legislation & Policies

Colorado State Legislation on Consent Searches
https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2016/title-16/code-of-criminal-procedure/article-3/part-3/
section-16-3-310/
General Order on Deaf or Hearing-Impaired Persons (Frederick Police Department)

https://www.cityoffrederick.com/DocumentCenter/View/6500/550---Deaf-or-Hearing-Impaired-
Persons?bidId=
Interacting with People with Limited English Proficiency (Center City Police Department)
https://ojp.gov/about/ocr/pdfs/lep_sample.pdf
Model Policy on Recording Police Activity (International Association of Chiefs of Police)

https://www.theiacp.org/resources/policy-center-resource/recording-police-activity
132
Model State Legislation for Body-Worn Cameras (Harvard Black Law Students Association)
http://charleshamiltonhouston.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Independent-Lens-Cvr-Guts.pdf
Model Use of Force Policy (Campaign Zero)

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55ad38b1e4b0185f0285195f/t/5ad8f29d562fa73d36816
cd5/1524167325792/Campaign+Zero+Model+Use+of+Force+Policy.pdf
Note: This model policy does not include provisions on use of force against pregnant people – please amend to include
provisions consistent with the elements of change described in this section to ensure protection for pregnant people in
your community.
New Jersey Legislation Mandating Approval of Acquisition of Military Equipment

https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2014/Bills/PL15/23_.PDF
New York Police Statistics and Transparency (STAT) Act:

https://changethenypd.org/PoliceSTATAct
Open Data and Policing (Police Data Initiative)

https://www.policedatainitiative.org/resources/open-data-and-policing/
Proposed California Legislation Limiting Use of Force

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB931
Racial Profiling (Seattle Police Department)

http://www.seattle.gov/police-manual/title-5---employee-conduct/5140---bias-free-policing
Use of Force Policy (Chicago Police Department)

https://home.chicagopolice.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/G03-02_Use-of-Force_TBD.pdf
Washington State Ballot Initiative Limiting Use of Lethal Force and Mandating De-Escalation Training
https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/deescalatewashington/pages/15/attachments/
original/1499284651/I-940_Final_-_De-escalate_Washington.pdf?1499284651
Additional Resources 133

Reports & Toolkits
Reports & Toolkits
2017 Police Violence Report by Mapping Police Violence

https://policeviolencereport.org/
Born Suspect: Stop-and-Frisk Abuses & the Continued Fight to End Racial Profiling in America
by NAACP
https://www.naacp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Born_Suspect_Report_final_web.pdf
Centering Black Women, Girls, Gender nonconforming people and fem(me)s in Campaigns for
Expanded Sanctuary and Freedom Cities
https://forwomen.org/resources/sanctuary-city-report/
Civil Rights Investigations of Local Police: Lessons Learned

https://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Critical_Issues_Series/civil%20rights%20
investigations%20of%20local%20police%20-%20lessons%20learned%202013.pdf
Deadly Force: Police Use of Lethal Force In The United States by Amnesty International
https://www.amnestyusa.org/files/aiusa_deadlyforcereportjune2015.pdf
Expanding Sanctuary: What Makes a City a Sanctuary Now?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1xgl8UTis-QQm9hSnNnNV9FNUE/view
Expansive and Focused Surveillance: New Findings on Chicago’s Gang Database

http://erasethedatabase.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Expansive-and-Focused-Surveillance-
June-2018_final.pdf
Freedom to Thrive Reimagining Safety & Security In Our Communities by Law for Black Lives
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5500a55ae4b05a69b3350e23/t/595cf69b1b631b031e05
42a5/1499264677929/Freedom+to+Thrive+Web.pdf
Free Our Future: An Immigration Policy Platform For Beyond The Trump Era by Mijente
https://mijente.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Mijente-Immigration-Policy-Platform_0628.pdf
134
Get Yr Rights: A Toolkit for LGBTQTS Youth And LGBTQTS Youth Serving Organizations
http://www.veronicabayettiflores.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/GYR-Toolkit-
FINAL-02-05-2015.pdf
The Impact of the Trump Administration’s Federal Criminal Justice Initiatives on LGBTQ People &
Communities and Opportunities for Local Resistance (Lambda Legal)
https://www.lambdalegal.org/criminal-justice-initiatives
Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Women Of Color
http://www.invisiblenomorebook.com
Invisible No More Study and Discussion Guide

http://invisiblenomorebook.com/study-guide/
Law Enforcement Violence Against Women of Color and Trans People of Color: A Critical Intersection
of Gender Violence and State Violence – An Organizer’s Toolkit
https://incite-national.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TOOLKIT-FINAL.pdf
Map of Collaboration Between Local Law Enforcement and ICE (Immigration Legal Resource Center)
https://www.ilrc.org/local-enforcement-map
The Most Dangerous Thing Out Here Is the Police: Trans Voices on Police Abuse and Profiling in
Atlanta by the Solutions Not Punishment Coalition (SNaP Co)
http://rjactioncenter.org/sites/default/files/files/DangerPolice-16pg-4web.pdf
No Cop Academy: The Report

https://nocopacademy.com/report/
No Justice, No Deal: Accountability Through Police Contract Negotiations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0BRHCt-Utk&feature=youtu.be
Policing Scorecard | Campaign Zero

https://policescorecard.org/
Policing Race, Policing Gender, Policing Sex: A Review of Law Enforcement Policies
http://andreajritchie.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Policing-Race-Gender-and-Sex-A-Review-
of-Law-Enforcement-Policies.pdf

PREA and Police Lockups: A Blueprint for Implementation (Just Detention International)
https://www.prearesourcecenter.org/sites/default/files/library/lapdblueprint.pdf
The Prosecutor’s Role in Addressing Officer-Involved Fatalities and Critical Incidents: A Toolkit for
Prosecutors and Communities, by Prosecutors and Communities
http://johnjay.jjay.cuny.edu/documents/Officer-Involved-Fatalities-Toolkit.PDF
Randomized Controlled Trial of The Metropolitan Police Department Body-Worn Camera Program
https://bwc.thelab.dc.gov/
Re-Engineering Training on Police Use of Force

https://www.policeforum.org/assets/reengineeringtraining1.pdf
The Rise of Sanctuary: Getting Local Officers Out of the Business of Deportations in the Trump Era
https://www.ilrc.org/sites/default/files/resources/rise_of_sanctuary-lg-20180201.pdf
#SayHerName: Resisting Police Brutality Against Black Women (AAPF)

http://www.aapf.org/sayhernamereport/
Searching for Sanctuary: An Analysis of America’s Counties & Their Voluntary Assistance with
Deportations (Immigrant Legal Resource Center)
https://www.ilrc.org/sites/default/files/resources/sanctuary_report_final_1-min.pdf
To Protect and Serve: New Trends in State-Level Policing Reform, 2015-2016 by Vera Institute
https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/protect-and-serve-
policing-trends-2015-2016/legacy_downloads/041417-PolicingTrendsReport-web.pdf
#TrayvonTaughtMe: Toolkit for Black and Non-Black POC Organizers and Activists on the Fifth
Anniversary of Trayvon’s Death
https://blacklivesmatter.com/resource/trayvon-taught-me-toolkit-for-black-and-non-black-poc-
organizers/
136
War Comes Home: The Excessive Militarization of American Policing
https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/assets/jus14-warcomeshome-report-web-rel1.pdf
We Can’t Breathe: The Deaf & Disabled Margin of Police Brutality Toolkit
https://www.ncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/11-18-16-We-Cant-Breathe-Toolkit1.pdf
We Deserve Better: A Report on Policing In New Orleans By And For Queer And Trans Youth Of
Color by BreakOUT!
http://www.equityproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/WE-DESERVE-BETTER-REPORT.pdf
When Mental-Health Experts, Not Police, Are the First Responders

https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-mental-health-experts-not-police-are-
the-first-responders-1543071600?fbclid=IwAR1H5rawtIOcDlA8H3bNIqDg
wwRrhtsSN1WWRYxodEGsFOkoDBYnIfFN8
Youth Engagement Guidebook: Bringing Youth and Police Together to Better Their Community by
The Policing Project
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a33e881b631bc60d4f8b31/t/5c11679bb8a04513e463
2def/1544644515393/Youth_Engagement_Guidebook.pdf

Resource Websites
Resource Websites and Organizations & Organizations
ACLU
https://www.aclu.org/issues/criminal-law-reform/reforming-police-practices
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/deaf-rights-what-do-when-dealing-police
Black Lives Matter Syllabus

http://www.blacklivesmattersyllabus.com/
Campaign Zero
https://www.joincampaignzero.org/
Center for Constitutional Rights

https://ccrjustice.org/home/what-we-do/issues/discriminatory-policing
Center for Immigration Studies

https://cis.org/Map-Sanctuary-Cities-Counties-and-States
Center for Policing Equity

http://policingequity.org/
Communities United for Police Reform

www.changethenypd.org
Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility (CLEAR)

http://www.cunyclear.org/
Erase the Database

http://erasethedatabase.com/
Fair and Impartial Policing

https://fipolicing.com/
138
Film the Police & Know Your Rights: A Pocket ‘Zine
http://www.indigenousaction.org/wp-content/uploads/Film-the-Police-zine-know-your-rights-
SMALL.pdf
Gun Violence and Police Militarization Policy Brief & Fact Sheet by Million Hoodies
https://www.millionhoodies.net/gun-violence/
Helping Educate to Advance the Rights of Deaf Communities (HEARD)

http://behearddc.org/
The Institute for Criminal Justice Training Reform

https://www.trainingreform.org/
Immigrant Law Resource Center

https://www.ilrc.org
In Our Names: Resisting Police Violence Against Black Women (Trans & Non-Trans), Gender Non-
Conforming Folks, and Fem(me)s
https://www.inournamesnetwork.com/
Know Your Rights for Women, Girls, and Gender Nonconforming People
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/04cb5a_a2476bd3799642deb5ab70e524c74ca6.pdf
Mapping Police Violence

https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/
The Marshall Project

https://www.themarshallproject.org/records/110-police-reform
NAACP LDF
https://www.naacpldf.org/case-issue/policing-reform-campaign/
National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement

https://www.nacole.org/

National Center for Transgender Equality
https://transequality.org/issues/police-jails-prisons
National Council on Independent Living

https://www.ncil.org/we-cant-breathe-the-deaf-disabled-margin-of-police-brutality-project/
Police Assessment Resource Center

http://www.parc.info/
Police Executive Research Forum

https://www.policeforum.org/
Police Body-Worn Camera Legislation Tracker

https://apps-staging.urban.org/features/body-camera-update/
Police Data Initiative

https://www.policedatainitiative.org/
The Policing Project by NYU

https://www.policingproject.org/
The Stanford Open Policing Project

https://openpolicing.stanford.edu/
Strategies for Youth

https://strategiesforyouth.org/
Vera Institute of Justice

https://www.vera.org/publications/arrest-trends-every-three-seconds-landing
140
Federal & Government Resources
Federal and Governmental Resources
Community Policing in Action by COPS, Department of Justice

https://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-C001
Guidance for Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Regarding the Use Of Race, Ethnicity, Gender,
National Origin, Religion, Sexual Orientation, Or Gender Identity by Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/ag/pages/attachments/2014/12/08/use-of-race-policy.pdf
Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic
Violence by Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/opa/file/799366/download
Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program Recommendations and Lessons Learned by Police

Executive Research Forum and Community Oriented Policing, Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/472014912134715246869.pdf
Final Report of The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing

https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf
Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program by Department of Justice and FBI

https://www.ucrdatatool.gov/

Glossary
Glossary
Arrest
The act of seizing a person to take into custody. An arrest must be based on probable cause.
Asset Forfeiture
A civil proceeding to permanently seize property that has been used for criminal activity.
Bias-Based Policing
Any action a police officer takes that is influenced by bias (explicit or implicit), prejudice, or
discrimination.
Body Cavity Search

A search that involves inspection of a body cavity (i.e., rectum, vagina).
Broken Windows Policing

An approach to law enforcement that assumes that enforcement of minor offenses will prevent
future crime.
Campaign
A planned activity, or set of activities, carried out over a period of time with the purpose of
achieving social or political change.
Chokehold
A physical, hands-on maneuver that cuts off the supply of oxygen to the brain.
Civilian Oversight Board

A formal collection of community members that aim to hold police officers and police departments
accountable for their actions and policies. Oversight bodies should represent all sectors of a
community, including those disproportionately targeted by policing.
142
Class Action Lawsuit
A lawsuit that seeks to establish a pattern or practice of an ongoing problem within a police
department by showing multiple examples of the issue at hand. Typically, the goal of a class action
lawsuit is to prompt change in policy or training at a department.
Coalition
A group of serveral individuals or organizations who share an interest in a particular issue and
come together to work on that issue.
Community Policing
A holistic approach to law enforcement in which police departments actively build meaningful
relationships with community members to improve public safety and advance community goals.
Consensus (or Modified Consensus)

A decision-making process wherein everyone in the group agrees to allow a decision to be
made before the group moves forward. In contrast to majority rules decision-making processes,
consensuses ensure that all voices and opinions in the room are heard. In modified consensuses,
a group strives for consensus whenever possible but may resort to majority rules if consensus
cannot be achieved.
Consent Decree
A court-ordered agreement that outlines changes that police departments must make to comply
with the U.S. Constitution. Often, independent monitors oversee consent decrees.
Color of Law
Conduct both on and off duty that is facilitated by the authority vested in police officers, including
through official vehicles, equipment, or information.
Crisis Response
An approach to policing that diverts individuals experiencing mental health crisis or substance use
disorders from standard criminal justice processing at the front end and directing them instead to
appropriate treatment settings.
Glossary 143
Critical Incident
An individual incident of excessive or lethal force or police misconduct. Individuals and organizations
promoting police reform often use critical incidents to put pressure on officials to make necessary
changes to policing policies and practices as well as to increase accountability and oversight.
Decriminalization
The process of removing or reducing a criminal classification, usually by establishing a preference
for issuing a warning or summons rather than making an arrest.
Deliberative Process Privilege

Privilege that protects information about internal decision-making processes in an agency to
enable decision-makers to express themselves candidly and explore different solutions before
settling on a final policy or decision.
Diversion
A program that implements rehabilitative strategies and services instead of traditional criminal
punishment.
Explicit Bias
Conscious prejudices, attitudes, or stereotypes held against a person or group of people.
External Procedural Justice

Practices and relationships that demonstrate fairness and respect outside a police department
(i.e., between the police department and the community).
Force
The application of physical strength for coercive purposes. Police use of force can range from the
use of hands, legs, batons, or other equipment, including vehicles, handcuffs, restraints, pepper
spray, tear gas, water cannons, canines, Tasers, and firearms.
144
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request
A formal request for full or partial disclosure on request of information and documents the
government controls. The federal government and all 50 states and the District of Columbia have
laws mandating that information that public agencies and officials keep be made available on
request to members of the public. Individuals or groups can issue a FOIA request for information
about policies, data, or the structure of a police department. Read more about FOIA at https://
www.foia.gov.
Frisk
A pat-down or search of a person’s outer clothing. A frisk must be based on a reasonable,
articulable suspicion that the person being frisked of the frisk is armed and presents a danger to a
police officer during a lawful investigatory stop. Unless the police officer feels something that could
be a weapon through the outer clothing, they cannot go inside a person’s pockets or under the
person’s hat or other clothing during a frisk (See “Stop-and-Frisk”).
Gender
The socially constructed set of characteristics typically associated with a “gender binary” in
Western-dominant culture or two dominantly accepted gender expressions of masculinity and
femininity. Many cultures, including cultures indigenous to the United States, recognize more than
two genders. Gender is not defined by biological sex characteristics.
Gender Expression
An external manifestation of gender, expressed through a person’s name, personal pronouns,
clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics. Western-dominant culture identifies these
cues as masculine or feminine, although they vary by culture.
Gender Identity
A person’s internal, deeply held sense of their gender. Unlike gender expression, gender identity is
not visible to others. Gender identity is not immutable; it may shift over time.
Glossary 145
Gender Nonconforming
A term used to describe people whose gender expression is different from conventional
expectations of masculinity and femininity.
Hogtying
Restraining a person in a prone position by tying their wrists and ankles together behind them.
Implicit Bias
Subconscious biases that have been imparted to each of us by our received culture and the
experiences, images, and media we consume, which influence and affect our daily actions and
interactions.
Internal Procedural Justice

Practices and policies that demonstrate fairness and respect within a police department.
Latinx
A gender-neutral and inclusive term used to refer to people of Central or South American descent.
Law Enforcement Bill of Rights

State laws that limit and set conditions on investigations of police misconduct and discipline,
including limitations on public release of information.
Law Enforcement Privilege

Privilege that allows law enforcement agencies to withhold information about current
investigations or information that, if released, would interfere with legitimate law enforcement
interests.
LGBTQ
Acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning.
Loitering
Standing, hanging out, or lingering in a public place. Many jurisdictions have statutes or ordinances
against loitering that give police the power to arrest someone who refuses to vacate the space.
146
Mandatory Arrest Laws
The legal duty of police to make an arrest when responding to intimate partner violence calls if they
find probable cause to believe an offense has been committed.
Plaintiff
The person who initiates a lawsuit or makes a legal complaint.
Police Union
Like other workforce unions, police unions represent individual police officers and negotiate union
contracts with police departments, including provisions on discipline and accountability. Police
unions often take an active role in advocating for legislation and policies favorable to police officers.
Political Education
A collective study process to bring greater clarity to historical factors that have affected
marginalized or oppressed people and led to current societal or political conditions. Such education
incorporates and builds on people’s lived experiences to draw larger connections to the world
around them. It often includes the study of popular movements for social change and may lend
greater clarity, for example, to questions about the role of racism and other oppressions in present-
day policing.
Positional Asphyxia
Death that results from being placed in a position that interferes with the ability to breathe.
Predictive Policing
Use of data and computer systems to automatically forecast where and when crime will occur.
Pretext Stops
A stop that a police officer makes, with or without probable cause or reasonable suspicion, that
allows the officer to then investigate a separate, unrelated, or suspected criminal offense.
Private Right of Action

An individual’s right to sue a police officer or department.
Glossary 147
Proactive Policing
Policing strategies intended to prevent or reduce crime. (See “Predictive Policing.”)
Probable Cause
A belief, based on specific facts, that would lead a reasonable police officer to conclude that it is
likely that a person has broken a law.
Procedural Justice
A term used to describe treating individuals fairly and respectfully during police interactions. (See
“External Procedural Justice” and “Internal Procedural Justice.”)
Profiling
The act of generalizing a person or group of people based on personal attributes. In the policing
context, profiling refers to the act of presuming that a person or group of people are involved in
criminal activity. Profiling can be based on intentional discrimination or widely held biases and
beliefs that certain types of people are more likely to break the law or do harm than others.
Reasonable Articulable Suspicion (or Reasonable Suspicion)

A legal standard for an officer to perform a search; it must be based on facts known to the officer
at the time of the search and must be more than a “hunch” or a profile.
Search Warrant
A legal document authorizing the search of a home or business.
Sexual Orientation
A scientifically accurate term for an individual’s enduring physical, romantic, or emotional attraction
to other people.
Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)

Highly militarized teams created to handle hostage, active shooter situations, terrorism and, in
certain situations, to execute drug warrants.
148
Stop-and-Frisk
When police temporarily detain somebody and pat down their outer clothing when there are
specific, articulable facts leading a reasonable police officer to believe that a person is armed and
dangerous. Stop-and-frisk is also sometimes referred to as a “Terry stop,” derived from the U.S.
Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio, which decided that stop-and-frisk must comply with the Fourth
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and cannot be unreasonable. (See “Frisk.”)
Strategy
A broad plan for achieving a goal.
Strip Search
A search that involves partial or full removal of a person’s clothing.
Tactic
A planned action, task, or procedure used to fulfill a strategy.
Taser
A weapon that delivers electric currents to disrupt voluntary control of muscles, causing temporary
paralysis.
Transgender
An umbrella term for people whose gender identity or gender expression differs from what is
typically associated with the sex assigned at birth.
Glossary 149
11
Gabrielson, Ryan et al. (2014). Deadly Force, in Black and
I. Introduction White. ProPublica. Retrieved from https://www.propublica.org/

article/deadly-force-in-black-and-white.
12
See “Police Shooting Database.” The Washington Post.
1
See “Police-community Relations Conversation Guide.” Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/
Living Room Conversations. Retrieved from https://www. national/police-shootings/;Also see Everding, Gerry. (2018).
livingroomconversations.org/topics/police_community_ Police kill unarmed blacks more often, especially when they
relations/. are women, study finds. The Source. Retrieved from https://
source.wustl.edu/2018/02/police-kill-unarmed-blacks-often-
especially-women-study-finds/.

Ibid.
II. Policing By
13
14
Bureau of Justice Statistics. (2015). Report: From 2002-11
Blacks Were 2.5 Times More Likely than Whites to Experience
Nonfatal Force by Police. Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/
the Numbers content/pub/press/punf0211pr.cfm.
15
Spina, Matthew. (2015). When a Protector Becomes
a Predator. Abusing the Law. Retrieved from https://
2
See “Findings.” The Stanford Open Policing Project. s3.amazonaws.com/bncore/projects/abusing-the-law/index.
Retrieved from https://openpolicing.stanford.edu/findings/. html
3
Ibid. 16
Ibid.
4
Ibid. 17
Stinson, Philip et al. (2016). Police Integrity Lost: A Study
of Law Enforcement Officers Arrested. U.S. Department of
5
Langton, Lynn and Durose, Matthew. (2016). Police Justice. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/
Behavior during Traffic and Street Stops, 2011. US grants/249850.pdf.
Department of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/
content/pub/pdf/pbtss11.pdf. 18
Bienert, Anja et al. (2015). Use of Force. Amnesty
International. Retrieved from https://www.amnestyusa.org/files/
6
See “The War on Marijuana in Black and White.” ACLU. amnesty_international_guidelines_on_use_of_force-2.pdf.
Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/issues/smart-justice/
sentencing-reform/war-marijuana-black-and-white. 19
Kelly, Kimbriell et al. (2017). Fired/Rehired. Washington
Post. Retrieved from https://www.amnestyusa.org/files/
7
See “Reforming Police and Ending Anti-Transgender amnesty_international_guidelines_on_use_of_force-2.pdf.
Violence; Blueprint for Equality: A Transgender Federal
Agenda.” National Center for Transgender Equality. Retrieved 20
Casselman, Ben. (2014). It’s Incredibly Rare For A Grand
from https://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/ Jury To Do What Ferguson’s Just Did. FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved
resources/NCTE%20Federal%20Blueprint%20Chapter%20 from https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/ferguson-michael-
6%20Police%20and%20Ending%20Violence.pdf. brown-indictment-darren-wilson/.
8
Sullivan, John et al. (2018). Fatal police shootings 21
See “Investigation of the Chicago Police Department.”
of unarmed people have significantly declined, experts United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and
say. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https:// United States Attorney’s Office Northern District of Illinois.
www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/fatal-police- January 13, 2017. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/opa/
shootings-of-unarmed-people-have-significantly-declined- file/925846/download.
experts-say/2018/05/03/d5eab374-4349-11e8-8569-
26fda6b404c7_story.html?utm_term=.3e3c112a5d37. 22
See “Investigation of the Baltimore City Police
Department.” US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
9
Ajilore, Olugbenga. (2017). Native Americans deserve August 10, 2016. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/crt/
more attention in the police violence conversation. Urban file/883296/download.
Institute. Retrieved from https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/
native-americans-deserve-more-attention-police-violence- 23
Marin, Max and Briggs, Ryan. (2018). Complaints
conversation. show Philly police escape discipline for violent misconduct.
Philadelphia Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.
10
See “Police Shooting Database.” The Washington Post. philadelphiaweekly.com/news/complaints-show-philly-police-
Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/ escape-discipline-for-violent-misconduct/article_c283b3da-
national/police-shootings/. 1bc6-11e8-bfbd-47e1758196fe.html.
150
III. I am Concerned 35
See “Hate Crimes.” Sikh American Legal Defense &
Education Fund. Retrieved from http://saldef.org/archive/legal-
defense-advocacy/hate-crimes/#.XGSYylxKgdV.
About... See “Hate Magnified: Communities in Crisis.”

36
The Leadership Conference Education Fund. January

2019. Retrieved from https://hatemagnified.org/CAH-
hatemagnified2019.pdf.
24
See “Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department.”
United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. 37
See “The Oath of Honor.” International Association of
March 4, 2015. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/sites/ Chiefs of Police. Retrieved from https://hatemagnified.org/
default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ CAH-hatemagnified2019.pdf.
ferguson_police_department_report.pdf.
38
See “Threat and Humiliation: Racial Profiling, Domestic
25
Rahr, Sue and Rice, Stephen. (2015). From Warriors Security, and Human Rights in the United States.” U.S.
to Guardians: Recommitting American Police Culture to Domestic Human Rights Program. October 2004. Retrieved
Democratic Ideals. NCJRS. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs. from https://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/rp_report.pdf.
gov/pdffiles1/nij/248654.pdf.
39
See “The War on Marijuana in Black and White.” ACLU.
26
See “Education Under Arrest: The Case Against Police in June 2013. Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/issues/smart-
Schools.” Justice Policy Institute. November 2011. Retrieved justice/sentencing-reform/war-marijuana-black-and-white.
from http://www.justicepolicy.org/uploads/justicepolicy/
documents/educationunderarrest_fullreport.pdf. 40
Ibid.
27
Ghandnoosh, Nazgol. (2015). Black Lives Matter: 41
Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806, 116 S. Ct. 1769,
Eliminating Racial Inequity in the Criminal Justice System.” 135 L. Ed. 2d 89 (1996).
The Sentencing Project. Retrieved from https://www.
sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Black- 42
Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S. Ct. 1868, 20 L. Ed. 2d
Lives-Matter.pdf. 889 (1968).
28
See “Living While Black on Campus.” ACLU. Retrieved 43
Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S. Ct. 1602, 16 L.
from https://www.aclu.org/issues/racial-justice/race-and- Ed. 2d 694 (1966).
inequality-education/living-while-black-campus.
44
Neusteter, Rebecca and O’Toole. (2019). Every Three
29
Balko, Radley. (2018). There’s overwhelming evidence Seconds.” Vera. Retrieved from https://www.vera.org/
that the criminal-justice system is racist. Here’s the proof. publications/arrest-trends-every-three-seconds-landing/
The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www. arrest-trends-every-three-seconds/overview.
washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2018/09/18/theres-
overwhelming-evidence-that-the-criminal-justice-system-is- 45
Morin, Rich et al. (2017). Behind the Badge. Pew
racist-heres-the-proof/?utm_term=.40146230f958. Research Center. Retrieved from https://assets.pewresearch.
org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/01/06171402/Police-
30
See “Responses from the Field Sexual Assault, Report_FINAL_web.pdf.
Domestic Violence, and Policing.” ACLU. October 2015.
Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_ 46
See “Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department.”
document/2015.10.20_report_-_responses_from_the_field. United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
pdf. March 4, 2015. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/sites/
default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/
31
See “Housing not Handcuffs.” National Law Center on ferguson_police_department_report.pdf.
Homelessness and Poverty. 2016. Retrieved from https://
www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/2015.10.20_ 47
Spina, Matthew. “When a Protector Becomes a Predator.”
report_-_responses_from_the_field.pdf. Abusing the Law. November 22, 2015. Retrieved from https://
s3.amazonaws.com/bncore/projects/abusing-the-law/index.
32
Goitein, Liza and Patel, Faiza. (2012). Religious Profiling: html.
An Unwelcome Guest.” Brennan Center for Justice. Retrieved
from https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/religious- 48
Langton, Lynn and Durose, Matthew. (2016). Police
profiling-unwelcome-guest. Behavior during Traffic and Street Stops, 2011. US
Department of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.bjs.gov/
33
See “The Final Report of the President’s Task Force on content/pub/pdf/pbtss11.pdf.
21st Century Policing.” US Department of Justice. May 2015.
Retrieved from https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_ 49
See “Stop and Frisk 2012.” New York Civil Liberties
finalreport.pdf. Union. May 2013. Retrieved from https://www.nyclu.org/sites/
default/files/publications/2012_Report_NYCLU_0.pdf.
34
See “Born Suspect: Stop-and-Frisk Abuses & the
Continued Fight to End Racial Profiling in America.” NAACP. 50
See “Report of the New Jersey Senate Judiciary
September 2014. Retrieved from https://www.naacp.org/wp- Committee’s Investigation of Racial Profiling and the New
content/uploads/2018/07/Born_Suspect_Report_final_web.pdf. Jersey State Police.” New Jersey State Senate. June 11, 2001.
Retrieved from https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/RacialProfiling/ 61
Craven, Julia. (2017). 32 Blue Lives Matter Bills
sjufinal.pdf. Have Been Introduced Across 14 States This Year. The
Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.
51
Ibid. com/entry/blue-black-lives-matter-police-bills-states_
52
See “Police Have Killed More than 1,000 People with us_58b61488e4b0780bac2e31b8.
Tasers since 2000.” PBS. September 23, 2017. Retrieved
from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/police-killed- 62
See “Criminal Section.” The United States Department
1000-people-tasers-since-2000. of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/crt/criminal-
section.
53
See “Predictive Policing Today: A Shared Statement
of Civil Rights Concerns.” The Leadership Conference 63
See “What are the benefits of police oversight?” National
on Civil and Human Rights. August 31, 2016. Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.
Retrieved from http://civilrightsdocs.info/pdf/FINAL_ Retrieved from https://www.nacole.org/benefits.
JointStatementPredictivePolicing.pdf.
54
See “What’s Wrong with Public Video Surveillance.”
ACLU. Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/other/whats-
wrong-public-video-surveillance. VI. Making Change
55
Ritchie, A. J. (2017). Invisible No More: Police Violence
Against Black Women and Women of Color. Beacon Press.
64
See “Safer New York Act.” Communities United for Police
56
See “Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Reform. Retrieved from https://www.changethenypd.org/.
Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic
Violence.” Department of Justice. Retrieved from https:// 65
See “Providence Community-Police Relations Act.” City of
www.justice.gov/opa/file/799366/download. Also see Providence. Retrieved from https://www.afsc.org/sites/default/
“Addressing Sexual Offenses and Sexual Misconduct files/documents/CSA%20-%20Final%20Passage.pdf.
by Law Enforcement.” International Association
of Chiefs of Police. June 2011. Retrieved from 66
See “The Essential Guide to Writing S.M.A.R.T. Goals.”
https://www/theiacp.org/sites/default/files/all/a/ Smartsheet. Retrieved from https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/
AddressingSexualOffensesandMisconductbyLawEnfo essential-guide-writing-smart-goals.
cementExecutiveGuide.pdf.
67
See “Freedom of Information Act.” United States
57
See National PREA Resource Center. https://www. Department of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.foia.gov/.
prearesourcecenter.org/.
68
See “Midwest Academy Strategy Chart.” Midwest
58
See “Prison Rape Elimination Act Lockup Standards.” Academy. Retrieved from http://www.tcsg.org/sfelp/toolkit/
United States Department of Justice. May 17, 2011. MidwestAcademy_01.pdf.
Retrieved from https://www.prearesourcecenter.org/sites/
default/files/content/preafinalstandardstype-lockups_0.pdf. 69
See “Escalating Tactics.” Bolder Advocacy. July 21, 2010.
Retrieved from https://www.bolderadvocacy.org/wp-content/
uploads/2013/04/escalating_tactics_chart.pdf.
IV. Structure of 70
See “Know Your Rights: Demonstrations and Protests.”
ACLU. Retrieved from https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/
field_pdf_file/kyr_protests.pdf.
Police Departments 71
See “Civil Rights Division.” The United States Department
of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/crt.
72
See “Criminal Section.” The United States Department
Pressure Points, & of Justice. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/crt/criminal-
section.
73
See “Organize For.” Color for Change. Retrieved from
Opportunities for Action https://www.organizefor.org/
59
See “The Final Report of the President’s Task Force on
21st Century Policing.” US Department of Justice. May 2015.
Retrieved from https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_
finalreport.pdf.
60
See “Resources.” Police Data Initiative. Retrieved from
https://www.policedatainitiative.org/resources/.

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New Era of Public Safety: An Advocacy Toolkit for Fair, Safe, and Effective Community Policing

II Policing by the Numbers 13

III I Am Concerned About...

IV Structure of Police Departments, Pressure Points,

VII Additional Resources

Lynda Garcia, policing campaign director at The

Jordyn Bussey, Katherine Lemus, and Jheanelle

Special thanks to Andrea Ritchie and Wesley

We would also like to thank Allison Stevens,

Lindsey Montague, The Education Fund creative

We extend our gratitude to advocates and

Lastly, we thank Chanelle Hardy, Maab Ibrahim,

We all have a role to play in ensuring

By shaping public opinion

Through advocacy and

Key policing statistics

Access more information:

Facts are important in

Policing by the Numbers 13

Policing by the Numbers 15

Our society’s approach to

I am Concerned About... My Community’s Approach to Policing 17

++ Engages all community members in meaningful

++ Emphasizes prevention and problem-solving

++ Promotes fair and equal treatment of all

Broken Windows Policing

−− Does not involve community members in

−− Emphasizes quotas for stops and arrests over

−− Targets youth of color, people experiencing

Lack of community input:

I am Concerned About... My Community’s Approach to Policing 19

Making Change goals and methods of community policing.

understanding of societal causes and ++ Involving community members in the

• Neighborhood meetings and councils

• Complaint and compliment forms

Establish formal structures for retaining, and promoting applicants from

• Decision-making around policies, Develop performance measures

How to Advocate for Change

Advocate for community policing.

Exercise your electoral power.

Get involved in the hiring process.

Community policing increases public safety.

Community policing reflects 21st-century policing principles and practices.

+ Overcoming the Opposition:

I am Concerned About... My Community’s Approach to Policing 23

Profiling is presuming that

I am Concerned About... Profiling and Bias-Based Policing 25

Racial and ethnic bias:

Criminalization of everyday activities:28

Gender and sexual orientation bias:

Criminalization of people experiencing homelessness:

Collaboration with immigration authorities:

I am Concerned About... Profiling and Bias-Based Policing 27

Making Change Department leaders should explicitly prohibit

Change the law.

Organize around a specific incident.

Encourage bias-free recruitment practices.

Press for proper investigation and discipline.

Organize around the release of data.

Police officers have a duty to uphold