Policing is a noble profession and a challenging one. While the rewards can be great, they are often overshadowed not just by the unavoidable stressors—responsibility for community well-being and exposure to complex trauma—but by a public perception that has, understandably, been in free fall since the death of George Floyd. The events of 2020 brought community-police trust, or lack thereof, to the forefront of public consciousness. Now, four years later, police departments are facing an unprecedented dearth of applicants, a staffing challenge exacerbated by good officers who are frustrated with the status quo and leaving the field. With a lack of incoming talent and an increase in burnout among those who have a true public service mindset, where does policing go from here?
Forward-Thinking Officers with Pressure-Tested Solutions
There are two paths available: manage the expectations of what the future of policing looks like, accepting that the profession may not attract the best and brightest, but agencies can put warm bodies in the uniform, or raise the standards for what constitutes not only a good officer, but also a good department. Make policing a career path that is not just noble, but viable, appealing, and deeply rewarding. The first step on this second path is building a strong support network.
That’s where New Blue comes in. Founded by former officer Andy Saunders, who now leads a portion of Teach for America’s national team, and Detective Brittany Nestor, the organization is an incubator for forward-thinking officers and their ideas—a network of police experts who know that the internal system of policing is in need of a massive reset. Bold officers with bright ideas are the future of policing, but without the right structure in place, they will not be heard, they will not live up to their full potential, and they will not stay. New Blue works with officers to develop their ideas into capstone projects, provides them with a dedicated research team, invites them to an all-expenses paid immersive convening, and offers up to a $5,000 microgrant to help their departments implement their solution in their own communities. Most importantly, the program helps these officers to think about how they can genuinely connect with their communities, assess their unique needs, and ensure the solutions they propose directly and credibly address community trust.
Mission-aligned in convening currently serving police to improve community safety and equity, the Police Leadership Academy at University of Chicago Crime Lab is a six-month hands-on and interactive course focused on the development of mid-level and higher policing leaders, specifically those overseeing the management of police districts. The Police Leadership Academy culminates with a community capstone project, and like New Blue, prioritizes the ongoing development of police professionals. Both organizations believe that systemic changes are created by reaching a critical mass of individual officers with the right mindset.
Diverse perspectives and experiences make any organization stronger.
These organizations address dual realities: that communities have lost trust in the police and that policing is a difficult job. In order to establish trust, the police and their communities need to work together to develop a shared vision of public safety and take shared responsibility for implementing that vision. That starts with the police agencies and leaders listening to their communities, investing time into learning what their communities need and want from police and engaging on a deeper level to develop solutions that address the most pressing challenges the people in their own neighborhoods are facing. Support networks like New Blue or the Police Leadership Academy give officers the foundational skills for this deeper engagement and problem-solving, setting them on a path to make a difference and, ideally, a path toward a long and impactful career.
Advancing Women in Policing
Many of these foundational skills—empathy, trust building, de-escalation, active listening—are strengths that women in policing have been proven to exhibit. The inaugural New Blue fellowship class was selected in partnership with the 30×30 Initiative, a coalition of professionals paving the way for women in policing to excel and thrive. The decision to initially focus on female-forward solutions was simple: above all, New Blue believes in the need for building trust between officers and their communities. Female officers are perceived as more trustworthy. Female officers use less force and less excessive use of force. Female officers are named in fewer complaints and lawsuits. Female officers aid in better results for crime victims. And female officers make fewer discretionary arrests, particularly of non-white community members.1 All of these facts add up to a simple conclusion: police departments are stronger and more successful when they hire and promote women.
The 30×30 Initiative aims to champion women in policing today, developing leaders of tomorrow. Representation matters. Departments should represent their communities, but that representation must not be superficial or performative. With the emphasis on diversity should come a prioritization of meaningful inclusion. Women officers need to be not only in the room but at the table—with a microphone. Women officers are enormous assets to their departments and communities, but only 12 percent of sworn officers and 3 percent of police leadership are women.2 New Blue and 30×30 empower officers to think big; to take ownership of creating solutions to the most pressing issues in policing; and ultimately, to become the leaders they want to see in the field.
Reconstruct, Recruit, Rebuild
The work to reform police culture begins with the recruitment process. Modern policing, by and large, has not grown with the times. The marketing employed to seek out applicants is often out of touch with the reality of who the profession needs. Imagine if, instead of showing officers rappelling down a building, engaged in a chase, or suited up in SWAT gear kicking down a door, prospective candidates saw an officer engaged in restorative justice mediation with a community member, offering resources to someone struggling with substance use, or talking a crime survivor through the reporting process with compassion. Who would those images attract? What skill sets would they bring to the job? These questions are necessary because the world is changing, and the justice system needs to change with it.
Change is internal as much as it is external. When departments resist updating their employment policies, they lose talent. The next generation of workers values flexibility, wellness, and a life outside of the job. By prioritizing the following principles, departments can recruit and retain top talent:
Provide surrounding support: Research has shown that the socialization of new recruits is critical to their success within a department, and that field training officers (FTOs) and broader support networks can play an important role in this process.3 Surrounding new recruits with forward-thinking officers during the onboarding process can help new recruits learn from experienced officers who have a track record of promoting positive change within the department. Progressive officers are often early adopters of new techniques, technologies, and approaches to policing, which gives new recruits the opportunity to learn about the latest best practices, resources, and strategies for serving the community. Support groups should include officers who can model positive behaviors such as empathy, transparency, and community engagement. This provides an opportunity for new recruits to feel more connected to their work and more invested in the department’s mission. By surrounding new recruits with progressive officers, departments can help promote a culture of progress and positive change within the department.
Foster belonging: Research suggests that encouraging incoming recruits to work collaboratively on projects and assignments can help them build relationships with their colleagues and feel like they are part of a team.4 Additionally, creating affinity groups (e.g., LGBTQIA+ groups, Latino employee groups) within police departments can promote a sense of belonging and community among officers who share common backgrounds or experiences.5
Support and incentivize creative thinking: Departments must create a culture that values open communication and feedback from all officers, regardless of rank or seniority. Encourage officers to speak up about their ideas, concerns, and suggestions for improvement. Include all ranks in department meetings and encourage active participation—make it clear that leadership wants to hear new ideas.6 Moreover, leaders should recognize officers who demonstrate innovative thinking and progressive ideas, and reward officers who go above and beyond to develop new solutions or improve the department’s operations.7 Provide opportunities for officers to experiment with new strategies, technologies, and policies. Encourage officers to think creatively and develop new approaches to policing challenges.
Create lateral career paths: The next generation desires workplaces with multiple career paths that offer opportunities for advancement and growth.8 This can include both traditional and nontraditional paths, such as specialized units, investigative roles, community outreach, and leadership positions.9 Encourage officers to develop a diverse set of skills and knowledge by providing opportunities for cross-training.
Center on officer empathy and wellness: Departments must break down the stigma around officers seeking mental health and wellness support. Departments should work to make wellness resources not only available and readily accessible but encouraged and incentivized. The next generation of workers values this vulnerability and might talk openly about mental health and wellness with officers at all levels of the department. Create a culture that recognizes the importance of taking care of one’s own mental and physical health, and encourage officers to seek help when they need it. Police chiefs and other leaders in the department should model healthy behaviors and prioritize their own mental and physical health.
When a department doesn’t have equitable and reasonable policies around maternity needs or childcare, it impacts who applies, who stays, and who advances up the ladder. When a department doesn’t have women’s locker rooms, this sends a message of exclusion. Reducing the talent pool by such a large percentage is short-sighted and creates lasting consequences. Policing is experiencing that now, with this recruitment and retention crisis, expecting candidates to bend to the organization. Perhaps some will, but they won’t be the forward-thinking officers the profession needs. They won’t be ambassadors of community trust. They won’t be innovators or compassionate leaders. They won’t be the listeners at a time when listeners are more needed than ever. The police should not be the loudest voice in the room, “enforcers” commanding the community. The police should be listeners, collaborators, and true public servants tasked with keeping their communities safe and well.
There are good police out there with amazing ideas for their departments and communities, but it’s not always easy to be the person pushing for change.
Women are leading the way on this front. Extraordinary women are changing the future of policing. To keep growing, departments must foster an environment that supports and promotes qualified women. That begins with seeing women represented in policing. It begins with a commitment to sign the 30×30 pledge to reach 30 percent women officers in their departments by 2030. It begins with empowering women officers to join New Blue and other programs where they will develop their leadership skills and build strong support networks. New Blue’s 2024 fellowship will include a specialized Recruitment Task Force, a cross-departmental task force for police recruiters. The aim is to assist agencies in implementing the recommendations outlined in a recent Bureau of Justice Assistance and Community Oriented Policing Services report.10 The Recruitment Task Force will challenge police recruiters to align their department’s practices, culture, and operations with the values and perspectives of the newest generation of workers and existing top talent—a critical step in modernizing the profession.
What’s Working
Building a broad network of police leaders—of all ranks—and helping them solidify connections with each other is the foundation of New Blue. There are good police out there with amazing ideas for their departments and communities, but it’s not always easy to be the person pushing for change. These officers who are creating and implementing these revolutionary solutions are the ones informing New Blue’s work every day.
In 2022, a group of officers at Evanston, Illinois, Police Department collaborated on a New Blue capstone project that aims to keep people out of the criminal legal system by providing resources. The officers collaborated with local community groups to create a protocol for asking jailed individuals what their needs are and efficiently connecting community members to services that alleviate those needs and prevent recidivism. The project—Community’s All In Recidivism (CAIR) Card—has been highlighted by their chief of police, and the officers recently presented on CAIR Card before the city council. It’s a program that absolutely helps to build trust with the community and aims to treat people with empathy and dignity. It truly exemplifies the kind of officers New Blue wants to work with, develop, and help keep on the job.11
Fellows have been taking that mindset and running with it. In 2023, Officer Jamila Gales of the Boston, Massachusetts, Police Department (BPD) embarked on a capstone project focusing on recruitment of women and girls into policing. Officer Gales recognized that there is a lack of police-based programs that seek to provide long-term trust building and career pathways to policing, particularly for women and girls. Lack of interest in criminal justice careers translates to low recruitment efforts and low levels of encouragement for women and minorities. Officer Gales’ capstone project builds connections for youth and creates career pathways to policing by rigorously evaluating data to document the positive, preventive impact the GROW (Girls Reflecting Our World) mentorship program, which Officer Gales founded, has had and continues to have for inner-city girls in Boston, as a means to support the idea of long-term police-based programming. Using the GROW program as a pilot for long-term programming goals for BPD, Officer Gales’ program will serve as a pipeline for the commitment to the 30×30 Initiative, which BPD recently signed onto. The program will engage female officers of all ranks and specialties within policing as mentors in the GROW Women in Policing pillar, ultimately creating a network of peer support for women police recruits, officers, and future leaders in the field.12
Women Make Policing Stronger
Diverse perspectives and experiences make any organization stronger. Police departments are no exception—by investing in women, departments will strengthen their ability to problem-solve, increase their ability to build community trust, and create more equitable working conditions within the department. Building stronger, more effective, more inclusive organizations benefits departments, officers, and communities.
Notes:
130×30 Initiative website.
230×30 Initiative website.
3William Terrill and Eugene A. Paoline III, “Police Culture: Adapting to the Strains of the Job,”(Carolina Academic Press, 2014).
4Roar Espevik et al., “Teamwork on Patrol: Investigating Teamwork Processes and Underlaying Coordinating Mechanisms in a Police Training Program,” Frontiers in Psychology 12 (2021): 702347.
5 W. Dwayne Orrick, Recruitment, Retention, and Turnover of Law Enforcement Personnel, Smaller Police Departments Technical Assistance Program Best Practices Guide (Alexandria, VA: IACP, 2016).
6Kevin Morison, Hiring For the 21st Century Law Enforcement Officer: Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies for Success (Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2017).
7National Police Foundation, Advancing 21st Century Policing: A Guide for Law Enforcement Leaders (National Police Foundation, 2017).
8 Magano J, Silva C, Figueiredo C, Vitória A, Nogueira T, Pimenta Dinis MA. “Generation Z: Fitting Project Management Soft Skills Competencies—A Mixed-Method Approach,” Education Sciences 10, no. 7 (July 2020): 187–
9IACP, Community Participation and Leadership, Practices in Modern Policing (Alexandria, VA: IACP, 2018).
10Bureau of Justice Assistance and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), Recruitment and Retention for the Modern Law Enforcement Agency (Washington, DC: COPS Office, 2023).
11 New Blue, “Solutions.”
12 New Blue, “Solutions.”
Please cite as
Kristin Daley and Kenneth E. Corey, “Innovating for a More Equitable Profession,” Police Chief Online, March 27, 2024.
