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We are all well aware of the need for criminal justice reform. At the heart of that reform should be police reforms, for policing is the most visible part of the criminal justice system. The good news is that progressive agencies constantly make reforms and improvements, for we know policing cannot remain stagnant.
The challenge, of course, is the way policing is set up in the United States. There are more than 18,000 police departments that all operate under different state, county, and local laws, and many more when you add in public safety departments. This article will discuss the ways some of these departments have responded to the call for change and provide a blueprint for progressive policing in the 21st Century.
States around the country have been grappling with how to improve policing, balancing community criticism about excessive force and the concerns of law enforcement agencies under increasing political pressure to tamp down crime rates. Across the country, states have been considering a range of measures to grant more rights to victims of police brutality, roll back special protections for police accused of wrongdoing and allow greater transparency of police disciplinary boards.
- Ricardo Lopez provided this overview of the situation in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, October 13, 2016.
So where do we begin to address these critical issues? First, start at the top: CEOs (presidents, vice presidents, mayors, and city managers) that oversee police or public safety agencies need to have hard discussions with their chiefs. CEOs must ask, "Is our police department accredited?" and develop an understanding of the accreditation process along with the benefits of being an accredited agency. If the agency is not accredited, make certain that obtaining accreditation is part of the agency's strategic plan. University administrators understand the value of accreditation in their numerous programs. Having a police or public safety agency that is accredited shows the agency's and university's continuing commitment to keeping students safe. There is no doubt that going through the accreditation process makes an agency a better organization that adheres to best practices in law enforcement.
Many states offer excellent accreditation programs. If your state does not, then the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) Accreditation program is the way to...