To continue evolving as a society, all professions must constantly stay on the cutting edge of their respective industries. Law enforcement is no different, especially given our significant role on the front lines of ever-changing communities.

As time goes on, we all continue to learn more about the issues we face and new strategies to address them, rather than relying on what we’ve always done. When we are looking to change outcomes, we must assess our approaches and update them accordingly—just because something has worked in the past does not mean it will be the enduring solution. As with equipment, technology, and training, methodologies can become outdated or obsolete, and safe, effective policing relies on supplying our officers with the best the field has to offer.

The first step in any investigation is understanding the facts, which remains true when considering breakthroughs in policing practices. Continuously seeking new information allows us to have a more comprehensive knowledge of the issues at hand. In pursuit of this mission, the IACP team and I have been focused this year on meeting with our members and hearing directly from them through a series of six Critical Issues Forum listening sessions in which local law enforcement leaders from various regions were invited to share their thoughts on the state of policing. Each of these sessions centered around three questions:

• • • What is the biggest issue facing your agency?
    • What is the biggest issue facing the policing profession?
    • What can the IACP do to help?

At each location—California, Tennessee, Minnesota, Ontario (Canada), Massachusetts, and Arizona— there were unique answers, but it quickly became clear there are many common threads and shared challenges. Through this exercise, we were able to learn from our colleagues, empathize, and provide support. We discussed the universal recruitment and retention difficulties, as well as ideas for new job marketing strategies and how to better engage the next generation of future police personnel. We addressed the demoralization of police, and the negative media perception we must mitigate, but we also discussed community-based efforts to maintain and enhance the positive relationships we already have. Over and over, I heard that, on a local level, the opinions and support of community members and police do not reflect the widespread narrative of division. Importantly, we discussed the various methods used to communicate this reality, locally and beyond. Still, we must continue to think of new ways to champion these stories of success and combat potentially harmful falsehoods.

Many common issues may not be easily resolved, especially given the position of law enforcement agencies within the larger public safety system. Participants in these listening sessions shared their frustrations with a lack of support from local legislators and prosecutors. As the enforcers of the law, police must stay up to date on the most current legislative activity, some of which may be poorly planned or executed. Adequate funding may not be available to support what is asked of the police. In such cases, police may look to other jurisdictions for examples of successful policies, advocacy efforts, and unconventional funding opportunities.

Officer wellness and work-life balance are also increasingly pertinent and widely discussed issues, especially as we learn more about the potentially harmful effects of this career. Policing is a challenging job, and providing the necessary support to keep officers safe and healthy improves not only personal well-being, but also the overall functioning of communities. Based on available resources and personnel, agencies may be able to employ more creative solutions when it comes to scheduling and benefits. Traditional shifts may not be sustainable for some employees, but if accommodations can be made to help them manage their personal duties beyond the job, it may enable them to increase their longevity and fulfillment in a law enforcement career. Other initiatives in this realm include employing or contracting with mental health professionals or annual mental health check-ins. Police are always available to help others—we need to make sure we are there to help each other.

Many pressing topics we discussed are truly interconnected issues. Recruiting and retention efforts go hand-in-hand with overall perceptions of police, which are affected by common portrayals of the profession as well as officer wellness initiatives. Connecting with the community, particularly younger individuals who will become the next generation of police service personnel, can offer a different perspective than what they are exposed to in popular media. Demonstrating the positive aspects of policing to younger generations, including through school resource officer programs and junior academies, can help build productive relationships and inspire a passion for public service. When we look to hire, we want to attract individuals who are qualified for and enthusiastic about the work we do every day and let them know what they can expect out of a job in the policing profession. Therefore, emphasizing the multitude of services police provide for the community, while also developing and enhancing positive relationships in the community, may encourage a larger pool of people with more diverse skill sets to consider a career in law enforcement. To that end, the IACP Trust Building Campaign is a useful tool to help agencies employ a systematic approach in engaging and building trust.

While providing incentives and adequate benefits to candidates is a key component of workplace satisfaction, we must focus on broadening our reach or risk constant staffing shortages among agencies who cannot keep up with the resource demand associated with competing for a limited number of qualified officers. Offering incentives for certified officers to move from one agency to another may help solve one agency’s staffing issues, but it does so at the expense of other agencies, and their communities. Rather, our goal should be to increase the overall pool of qualified candidates to serve in the profession, so that a comprehensive solution to the wider problem in policing is addressed.

A key part of innovation is pooling our knowledge to ensure that everyone has access to the best available strategies, adjusting as needed to be integrated into each of our unique communities. We can all work together, as one profession, to lift each other up. Effectively using the resources we have includes relying on each other, helping our colleagues so we’re not tasked with constantly reinventing the wheel on top of all our other duties. After all, nobody understands policing—both the challenges and promising practices—like the police themselves.

When we know better, we can do better, and even small changes can make vast differences.

A full report with our findings and recommendations from this series of listening sessions will be published for widespread reference and use, in the hope that it will spark new ideas among those facing similar challenges. When we know better, we can do better, and even small changes can make vast differences. I can attest that the conversations I had with listening session participants have informed how I approach not only my role as IACP president, but also as chief of police in Thomasville, Georgia. The best thing we can do is collectively evaluate, adapt, implement, and analyze promising practices, remaining flexible and open to new findings. Imposing challenges may seem overwhelming when facing them alone, but we, as an entire law enforcement community, are all able to learn from others, collaborate on solutions, and lend a hand as we shape the future of the policing profession. d

Please cite as

John Letteney, “Open Dialogue Can Spark Innovative Solutions,” President’s Message, Police Chief 90, no. 9 (September 2023): 6–7.