News

             

June 22, 2018 — The Police Foundation is pleased to share the following news regarding its Board of Directors Chairman Bernard Melekian.

Dr. Melekian, who is currently the Undersheriff for Santa Barbara County, will be transferring to the County Executive Office on September 10, 2018, as the Assistant County Executive Officer (ACEO) over public safety.

Melekian will be responsible for coordinating interdepartmental efforts among public safety and justice departments, such as improving efficiencies of the criminal justice system, evaluating a new public safety radio network, and developing options for the existing Main Jail.

“It has been my honor and privilege to work with the men and women of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office. I look forward to continuing to serve public safety working with the County Executive Office,” said Melekian.

Prior to being appointed as the Undersheriff for Santa Barbara County in 2015, Melekian served in law enforcement and the military. He has more than 40 years of law enforcement experience, including serving as the Police Chief for the city of Pasadena for 13 years. He also served with the Santa Monica Police Department for 23 years where he was awarded the Medal of Valor in 1978 and the Medal of Courage in 1980. He was selected as the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) by Attorney General Eric Holder, serving from 2009-2013.

Dr. Melekian is a nationally recognized expert in police practices. His doctoral work on Values-Based-Discipline in Law Enforcement Organizations received the Sol Price Award as the outstanding doctoral project of 2012 in the School of Policy, Planning and Development at the University of Southern California. He received a master’s of Public Administration and a bachelor’s in American History from California State University, Northridge. He also is a graduate of the Harvard Executive Session, a three-year program aimed at producing quality academic publications for the benefit of law enforcement throughout the world. Melekian also served in the United States Army and Coast Guard Reserves and served in two tours of active duty.

To view the full press release, please click here.

Pictured: David Weisburd, Director of CEBCP, Chief (Ret.) and Police Foundation President, Jim Bueermann, and Laurie Robinson, Clarence J. Robinson Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at GMU. Photo by: Ron Aira/Creative Services/George Mason University

June 22, 2018, WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Police Foundation is pleased to announce that its President, Chief (ret.) Jim Bueermann, was selected as the recipient of the 2018 Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy Distinguished Achievement Award. President Bueermann received the award on June 21, 2018, at the annual CEBCP Symposium at George Mason University.

The Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy established the “CEBCP Distinguished Achievement Award in Evidence-Based Crime Policy” in 2010. Consistent with the mission of the Center, this award recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions by individuals in academia, practice, or the policy arena who are committed to a leadership role in advancing the use of scientific research evidence in decisions about crime and justice policies. This role includes notable efforts in connecting criminology, law and society researchers with criminal justice institutions, or advancing scientific research more generally in crime and justice.

“Evidence-based practice is critical for continuous improvement within the criminal justice field,” said Jim Bueermann, President of the Police Foundation and former Chief of Police in Redlands, California. “Researchers and practitioners can collaborate to make more effective policy decisions that are supported by facts.”   

The Police Foundation is committed to advancing policing through innovation and science. For more than 45 years, the Foundation’s focus has been conducting scientific research experiments in order to make evidence-based recommendations to the law enforcement field, translating research findings to inform decisions on policies, procedures, training, technology, and officer safety for police departments across the United States.  

“By combining research evidence with the expertise of criminal justice leaders, we can ensure evidence-based decisions are being made that will not only improve the criminal justice system, but benefit the entire community of people it serves.”

Jim Bueermann (far right) and Edmund McGarrell (second from right) were the two recipients of the 2018 CEBCP Distinguished Achievement Award. Photo by: Ron Aira/Creative Services/George Mason University

If you would like more information on the George Mason CEBCP, please visit http://cebcp.org.

June 20, 2018, Washington, D.C. — Today, New York University Law School’s Policing Project, the Police Foundation, and the National Urban League released a new study, Beyond the Conversation: Ensuring Meaningful Police-Community Engagement, which highlights the public’s desire for more say in policing matters.

Click on the image to view a full copy of the report, including key findings and next steps.

“The study shows that although many police agencies are trying to engage the public, much more needs to be done to ensure the public has a meaningful say in how their communities are policed,” said NYU Law Professor and Policing Project Director Barry Friedman. “Members of the public want to have input, but are skeptical departments will listen. Departments say they lack resources to hear from the public, or are themselves doubtful the public understands enough about policing to be helpful.”

Still, there is reason for optimism. Many departments are trying to reach the public, and indicated they would do more if the resources were available.

“The police can build on the relationships they do have, and take steps to hear what the community wants before changing policy,” Friedman said.

The study found many law enforcement agencies still view community engagement as a way to tell the public about new policy changes, rather than listening to the community’s input at the policy development stage.

“Substantive engagement isn’t easy, but it is essential,” said Police Foundation President Jim Bueermann. “This finding suggests an opportunity for agencies to continue building legitimacy and trust by considering ways to factor the public’s voice into their decision-making.”

Building on these findings, the project partners will conduct site visits to jurisdictions across the country to learn more about promising examples of community engagement around key policing decisions, and to identify best practices tailored to agencies of different sizes and needs. The work will culminate with a major convening at NYU School of Law next spring.

“The survey results make clear that community members want a greater sense of shared ownership in the work of their police department and the safety of their neighborhoods,” said National Urban League President Marc H. Morial. “We look forward to working with our project partners to identify promising approaches to fostering this sort of engagement.”

This study was undertaken with the support of a grant from the Charles Koch Foundation, an organization supporting students, scholars, and partners exploring wide range of inquiry including criminal justice and policing reform, free speech and open inquiry, foreign policy, economic opportunity, and innovation.

For more information, you can learn more about the report here. Inquiries can be directed to:

Maria Ponomarenko
Deputy Director, Policing Project
maria.ponomarenko@nyu.edu
609-442-7906