This week, the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing released its final report five months after it was created.
Last December, President Obama signed an executive order establishing the task force following incidents in Ferguson, Mo. and other cities that exposed turmoil between local police and the communities they serve.
The 11-member panel was charged with identifying best practices and offering recommendations on how policing practices can promote effective crime reduction while building public trust.
The task force met seven times in January and February of this year and included listening sessions, held in Washington, D.C., Phoenix and Cincinnati.
The final recommendations -- each with action items -- are organized around six main pillars:
- Building Trust and Legitimacy
- Policy and Oversight
- Technology and Social Media
- Community Policing and Crime Reduction
- Officer Training and Education
- Officer Safety and Wellness
The task force also offered two overarching recommendations. The first is that the President should support the creation of a National Crime and Justice Task Force to examine all areas of criminal justice and propose reforms. The second is that the President support programs that take a comprehensive and inclusive look at community-based initiatives addressing core issues such as poverty, education, and health and safety.
"The dedication of our fellow task force members and their commitment to the process of arriving at consensus around these recommendations is also worth acknowledging. The task force members brought diverse perspectives to the table and were able to come together to engage in meaningful dialogue on emotionally charged issues in a respectful and effective manner. We believe the type of constructive dialogue we have engaged in should serve as an example of the type of dialogue that must occur in communities throughout the nation," Task Force Co-Chairs Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey and Assistant U.S. Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson wrote in the document's forward.
"While much work remains to be done to address many longstanding issues and challenges -- not only within the field of law enforcement but also within the broader criminal justice system -- this experience has demonstrated to us that Americans are, by nature, problem solvers. It is our hope that the recommendations included here will meaningfully contribute to our nation's efforts to increase trust between law enforcement and the communities they protect and serve."
