June 2019

Use of Force Articulation: LAPD Recommendations

Throughout the many years of force reviews conducted by the Los Angeles, California, Police Department’s Deputy Chief Kris Pitcher has found an ongoing issue that is pronounced in thousands of non-l...

Research in Brief

Research in Brief—Not ‘Necessarily’ Here: An Analysis of Drug & Alcohol Offenses in One Midwest College Town

Each year, popular culture news outlets such as Maxim magazine often involve the biggest “party” universities in the United States. Many of these universities are located in smaller towns througho...

Policy

Force Is Not a Four-Letter Word: Closed-Loop Risk Mitigation Strategies for Use-of-Force Reporting

A claim of police brutality is an ugly, emotional, and politically loaded accusation. Police brutality is “the use of unnecessary and/or excessive force by police officers when handling civilians...

Chief's Counsel

Chief’s Counsel: The Impacts of HIPAA on Law Enforcement

The U.S. federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) went into effect in April 2003. Since then, questions have abounded about the extent to which HIPAA impacts law enforcement...

Research & Evidence-Based Policing

Enhanced Skills, Improved Safety, and Reduced Liability: A New Perspective on Force Review

On January 13, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice published the Investigation of the Chicago Police Department.1 The report focused heavily on the need for the Chicago, Illinois, Police Department...

Spotlight

Spotlight: Sustenance and Joy

As law enforcement agencies worldwide seek to increase trust within their communities and to build positive relationships between their officers and the community members they serve, new concepts are ...

Policy

The Pursuit of Reliable and Accurate Data: One City’s Experience with Use-of-Force Reporting

Police use of force continues to be a much debated, sometimes highly contested, issue for communities. Law enforcement officers face many complex and dynamic situations that may result in the use of ...

Focus on Officer Wellness

Focus on Officer Wellness: Safety Concerns and Guidelines for Hostage and Crisis Negotiators

Negotiators are asked to attend to “bad guys” in ways not usually a part of police work but that are essential to negotiations and to the preservation of life. Thus, their role can be high risk. T...