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10. Final Report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing - May 2015_0

In a sentence

The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing lays out six pillars and 59 recommendations for how American law enforcement can reduce crime while building public trust and legitimacy.

In the wake of events that exposed deep rifts between local police and the communities they serve, President Obama convened a task force of law enforcement leaders, scholars, civil rights advocates, and community organizers to identify best practices for policing in a democracy. Drawing on seven public listening sessions, testimony from more than 100 witnesses, and decades of research, this report argues that the foundation of effective policing is trust and legitimacy—conferred by the public only on those who act in procedurally just ways. Organized around six pillars (Building Trust and Legitimacy; Policy and Oversight; Technology and Social Media; Community Policing and Crime Reduction; Training and Education; and Officer Wellness and Safety), it offers concrete, actionable recommendations for agencies, communities, and government at every level. Its central move is to reframe the officer's identity from a warrior who conquers to a guardian who protects from within, and to insist that crime reduction and civil rights are complementary, not competing, goals.

The four lenses

  • Science
  • Statistics
  • Systems
  • Strategy

The model

A causal framework in which design levers (procedural justice practices, guardian culture, transparency, community policing, training, oversight, technology governance, officer wellness) shape psychological and behavioral states (perceived legitimacy, community trust, officer wellbeing, cooperation) that in turn drive outcomes (voluntary legal compliance, effective crime reduction, officer and public safety).

Procedural Justice Practicesdesign lever

Agency and officer practices, both internal and external, that treat people with dignity and respect, give them voice, are neutral and transparent in decision making, and convey trustworthy motives.

Guardian Mindset and Culturedesign lever

An organizational culture in which officers see themselves as guardians who protect the community from within, rather than warriors who conquer, emphasizing values, discretion, and de-escalation over a military chain-of-command ethos.

Transparency and Accountabilitydesign lever

Practices that make policies, data, and decision making publicly available and that establish independent investigations, oversight, and reporting so that police conduct is understood and can be verified by the public.

Community Policing and Engagementdesign lever

A philosophy and set of strategies in which police build positive relationships and partnerships with residents, engage in problem solving, and co-produce public safety rather than doing policing to or for the community.

Training and Educationdesign lever

Ongoing career-long training and higher education covering procedural justice, de-escalation, crisis intervention, implicit bias, cultural responsiveness, and leadership that build officers' social and tactical competence.

Governed Use of Technologydesign lever

Adoption and use of technologies such as body-worn cameras and social media within a defined policy framework with clear purposes, privacy protections, community input, and national standards.

Officer Wellness and Safetycontextual condition

The physical, mental, and emotional health and safety of officers, supported through fitness, mental health services, safe shift lengths, protective equipment, and a supportive agency culture.

Perceived Police Legitimacypsychological state

The public's belief that police have the rightful authority to be obeyed and that officers are honest, unbiased, benevolent, and lawful, which the public confers only on those it believes act in procedurally just ways.

Community Trust in Policepsychological state

The degree to which community members, including populations of color and vulnerable groups, trust that police act in their best interests and will protect and serve them fairly.

Cooperation and Voluntary Compliancebehavioral pattern

The public's willingness to obey the law voluntarily, cooperate with police during investigations, and engage constructively with legal authorities because it shares a common set of interests and values with the police.

Officer Compliance and Conductbehavioral pattern

The extent to which officers accept and voluntarily comply with departmental policies and bring respect into their interactions with the public, driven by feeling respected within the organization.

Effective Crime Reductionoutcome metric

Sustainable reduction in violent and property crime and disorder achieved fairly, through prevention, problem solving, and community partnership rather than tactics that undermine trust.

Public and Officer Safetyoutcome metric

The safety and wellbeing of both community members and officers, reflected in reduced deaths and injuries from use of force, accidents, and violence.

How they connect

  • procedural justice practices → predicts perceived legitimacy
  • procedural justice practices → predicts officer compliance conduct
  • guardian culture → influences officer compliance conduct
  • guardian culture → influences perceived legitimacy
  • transparency accountability → predicts community trust
  • community policing → predicts community trust
  • community policing → predicts crime reduction
  • training education → predicts procedural justice practices
  • technology governance → moderates community trust
  • officer wellness safety → influences officer compliance conduct
  • perceived legitimacy → predicts cooperation compliance
  • community trust → predicts cooperation compliance
  • cooperation compliance → predicts crime reduction
  • officer compliance conduct → predicts public officer safety
  • officer wellness safety → predicts public officer safety

The story

The reader A police leader, officer, community member, or policymaker who wants a police-community relationship built on trust while keeping communities safe.

External problem

Deep distrust between police and communities, uneven crime reduction, and inconsistent policing practices across 18,000 separate agencies.

Internal problem

Feeling that policing is seen as an occupying force, that officers are unfairly maligned, or that one's community is treated as lawless and unfairly targeted.

Philosophical problem

In a democracy built on equality under the law, no part of the American family should feel it is being treated unfairly by those sworn to protect them.

The plan

  1. Build trust and legitimacy by adopting procedural justice and a guardian mindset.
  2. Establish clear policies and meaningful oversight, including on use of force and transparency.
  3. Adopt technology thoughtfully within a defined policy framework that protects rights.
  4. Infuse community policing throughout the agency and co-produce safety with residents.
  5. Modernize training and education and invest in officer wellness and safety.

Success

  • Communities trust police, cooperate with them, and voluntarily obey the law.
  • Crime is reduced fairly while civil and human rights are protected.
  • Officers are healthier, safer, better trained, and see themselves as guardians of a democracy.

At stake

  • Persistent distrust, alienation, and resentment—especially among people of color and vulnerable populations.
  • Less effective crime fighting, escalating conflict, and lasting damage to police-community relations.
  • Officers harmed physically, mentally, and emotionally, endangering themselves and the public.

Questions this book answers

How can policing practices promote effective crime reduction while building public trust?
What makes police authority perceived as legitimate by the communities they serve?
How should police culture, policy, technology, training, and officer wellness be reformed for the 21st century?
What role should the community play in co-producing public safety?

Glossary

Procedural Justice Practices
Internal and external agency and officer practices grounded in the four principles of procedural justice: dignity and respect, voice, neutral and transparent decision making, and trustworthy motives.
Guardian Mindset and Culture
An organizational ethos in which officers view themselves as protectors from within the community rather than warriors imposing control from outside.
Transparency and Accountability
The degree to which an agency makes its policies, data, and decisions publicly available and subjects itself to independent investigation and oversight.
Community Policing and Engagement
A philosophy and set of strategies emphasizing partnership, problem solving, and co-production of public safety with community residents.
Training and Education
Career-long training and higher education building officers' social, tactical, and leadership competencies aligned with democratic and civil rights values.
Governed Use of Technology
Adoption and use of policing technology within a defined policy framework that protects rights, incorporates community input, and aligns with national standards.
Officer Wellness and Safety
The physical, mental, and emotional health and safety of officers as a precondition for effective and safe policing.
Perceived Police Legitimacy
The public's belief that police hold rightful authority to be obeyed and act in honest, unbiased, benevolent, and lawful ways.

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