News & Announcements

24July
2018

Police Foundation Concludes 5-year Study on “Near Repeat” Burglary Prevention Strategies

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 24, 2018 — The Police Foundation recently concluded a research study examining the phenomenon of near-repeat burglary patterns — which suggests that once a burglary occurs on a street, the homes on that street and on nearby streets are at a much higher risk of being burglarized over a relatively short time period (usually the next one to two weeks) — and to use the knowledge surrounding near repeat burglaries to develop and test a crime prevention strategy for police departments and communities to see if the patterns could be interrupted.

With funding from the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, the Police Foundation conducted the study in two police departments — Redlands, CA, and Baltimore County, MD, in cooperation with the two principal investigators: Dr. Elizabeth Groff from Temple University and Dr. Travis Taniguchi of RTI International.

The research team sought to determine if knowledge about near repeat patterns of burglary can actually be used for crime prevention purposes. Within this framework, the Foundation attempted to determine if raising awareness about crime issues and crime prevention techniques amongst residents in the vicinity of the primary  burglary locations could further reduce burglary in the area.

The project was designed to test whether quickly notifying community residents that they are at an increased risk for a burglary and sending patrol, auxiliary officers, and/or volunteers to provide residents with burglary prevention tips could interrupt the phenomena of near repeat burglaries.

The Police Foundation recently published the results of the study, including a “5 Things You Need to Know” document, research summary, strategy brief, and a technical report. These resources and other authored reports can be found by visiting the Police Foundation website or by clicking here.

20July
2018

Police Foundation Launches Law Enforcement Alexa Skills Quiz!


July 20, 2018, WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Police Foundation — a national, non-profit, independent, non-partisan, research organization dedicated to improving policing through innovation and science — is pleased to announce it recently launched its very own Amazon Alexa Skills Quiz, a cloud-based, voice-activated quiz.

“How Well Do You Know 5-O?” is a short 10-question multiple-choice quiz to test your knowledge about police officers in America (sometimes referred to in slang as “5-O” or “Five-Oh”) and the work they do. All questions are based on facts and data from national research and statistics that cover topics including average police salaries, hiring requirements, assaults and line of duty deaths, use of force, and body worn cameras.

The Police Foundation developed the quiz in an effort to improve education on law enforcement by providing factual information in a fun and interactive format that can be easily accessed.

“There is, particularly amongst the general public, uncertainty about various topics in law enforcement,” said Jim Bueermann, Police Foundation President. “That inspired us to create a police-related quiz using the Amazon Alexa platform.”

The Police Foundation is encouraging community members, friends, and family to gather around their Amazon Echo or other Alexa-enabled devices and ask Alexa how much they know about the 5-O. The Foundation also announced a social media contest in which five winners will be randomly selected to receive an exclusive custom-made Police Foundation 5-O T-Shirt. Details about the contest can be found here.

“Our goal is to share information based on research and facts, not opinions, with the public to enhance education around law enforcement in America, but in a more fun and interactive way.”

Individuals who want to take the quiz need to sign in to their Amazon account and enable the quiz through the Amazon Alexa app or website. Detailed instructions can be found here.

For media inquiries, please contact Erica Richardson at erichardson@policefoundation.org.

20July
2018

Police Foundation Director of Strategic Studies, Chief (Ret.) Frank Straub, Ph.D., Delivers Keynote Address at Campus Safety Conference East 2018

Chief (Ret.) Frank Straub, Ph.D., of the Police Foundation, delivers the keynote address at the Campus Safety Conference East. (Photo by: Police Foundation)

Hundreds of school administrators and public safety officials, including law enforcement and security professionals, convene for a 2-day conference to discuss solutions to campus safety. 

July 19, 2018, WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a speech titled, “Ripples of Hope: Building Multi-Discipline Collaboration to Prevent School Violence,” Dr. Frank Straub of the Police Foundation spoke to a room full of public safety professionals and others responsible for the safety of campuses across the United States. Chief (Ret.) Straub, a 30-year veteran of local and federal law enforcement and survivor of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, has “seen things people aren’t supposed to see” and can relate to the pain of those who have been affected by mass violence.

Straub’s moving keynote address commenced the Campus Safety Conference East,  a 2-day intensive conference and trainings for administrators and public safety officials, technology directors, risk managers, security professionals, and law enforcement executives from all over the country looking for solutions to campus safety, security, emergency management and technology challenges.

At the conference, attendees hear from leading safety and security experts, learn strategies and tactics to reduce risk and improve incident response, learn about best practices and procedures for emergency response, receive actionable items that can be implemented immediately on campus, discover how to be better prepared for emergency situations, and make campuses safer by protecting students and faculty by preventing a crisis before it occurs.

Dr. Straub drew attention to the importance of school officials, law enforcement, policy makers, government leaders, public safety, security, and community members working together to help improve school safety.

“Protecting our nation’s schools and managing and responding to acts of violence is a shared responsibility,” said Straub. “We have to work together and collaborate to find solutions. Our children deserve to learn in safe environments.”

Straub advocated for intervening and providing more mental health services and resources to children who may be at risk of carrying out acts of violence.

Straub also highlighted several initiatives he is leading at the Police Foundation — a national non-profit, independent, non-partisan research organization dedicated to improving policing through innovation and science — and how these initiatives relate to enhancing safety at schools. These initiatives include the Averted School Violence Database, Center for Mass Violence Response Studies, After Action Assessments/Critical Incident Reviews, and a state-by-state legislative review of school facility security policies.

“By working together to improve security measures, I am optimistic we can restore a sense of safety in our schools.”

Frank G. Straub, Ph.D., is Director of Strategic Studies at the Police Foundation, a non-profit organization that studies ways to improve policing in the United States. Dr. Straub, leads the newly established Center for Mass Violence Response Studies, and has directed in-depth studies of the San Bernardino terrorist attack, the Kalamazoo mass shooting, and the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting. He is currently leading a review of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

He is a 30-year veteran of federal and local law enforcement, having served as the police chief in Spokane, Washington; the Public Safety Director in Indianapolis; the Public Safety Commissioner in White Plains, New York; and the New York City Police Department’s Deputy Commissioner of Training and Assistant Commissioner for Counterterrorism. He also served as a member of the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force during his tenure with the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security and the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Dr. Straub is a non-resident fellow at West Point’s Center for Combatting Terrorism providing expert advice regarding the domestic law enforcement response to terrorism and acts of mass public violence.

9July
2018

Police Foundation to Launch Center for Mass Violence Response Studies

In wake of increase in mass violence attacks, Police Foundation creates Center to enhance public safety, government, and community responses

July 9, 2018, WASHINGTON — To further its mission to advance public safety through innovation and science, the Police Foundation — a national, non-partisan, non-profit research organization — is establishing the Center for Mass Violence Response Studies. The mission of the Center is to prepare public safety, government, school, and business and community leaders to think critically about mass violence events, so as to develop and implement comprehensive prevention, response and recovery strategies.

@PoliceFound establishes Center for Mass Violence Response Studies to help prepare leaders to think critically about mass violence events and implement comprehensive prevention, response & recovery strategies. Learn more: policefoundation.org #PFCMVRS

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During the last decade, persons motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and individual factors have engaged in acts of mass violence targeting innocent civilians in communities across the United States. Mass violence attacks, incidents in which multiple persons are killed or injured, have increased in frequency and lethality. While incidents of mass violence, including terrorist events and school shootings, remain relatively infrequent, their effects are devastating for the survivors, families of victims, communities, first responders and the country. For public safety officials, these incidents represent crises that challenge emergency response protocols and demand actionable research to inform policies and practices.

The Center for Mass Violence Response Studies will leverage the Police Foundation’s expertise and its unique position as an independent organization to advise federal, state, and local public safety officials regarding the response to mass violence events. The Center will conduct objective policy-relevant research, critical incident reviews, and provide training and technical assistance to inform strategic thinking, expand knowledge, and advance public safety policies and practices.

“Public safety officials, policy and decision makers, and community leaders learn from research, data, and comprehensive case studies to identify what’s working and what areas can be improved to enhance public safety’s response to mass violence events,” said Chief (Ret.) Jim Bueermann, President of the Police Foundation. “As threats constantly evolve, it is critical that we continuously evaluate protocols to ensure our communities remain as safe as possible.”

The Police Foundation is uniquely positioned to expand on its knowledge and experience in researching, analyzing and educating public safety leaders and the communities they serve regarding the response to mass violence attacks.

The Foundation has conducted critical incident reviews of the San Bernardino terrorist attack, Kalamazoo shootings, and the Pulse Night Club attack. It is currently conducting a comprehensive review of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. In 2015, with funding from the National Institute of Justice and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, the Police Foundation developed and administers the Averted School Violence database. The Police Foundation is also conducting a state by state review of school facility and building safety and security standards and is leading a Countering Violent Extremism project in the Boston area.

Dr. Frank Straub, the Police Foundation’s Director of Strategic Studies, oversees the Foundation’s public safety, terrorism, school safety and youth violence initiatives and will lead the Center for Mass Violence Response Studies.

Established in 1970, the Police Foundation is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving policing through innovation and science. For 48 years, the Foundation has conducted research on all aspects of policing and is leading the way in promoting and sharing evidence-based practices and innovation among law enforcement. The Foundation is currently working with hundreds of police agencies nationwide, as well as internationally, providing research and translation, training, technical assistance, and modern technology implementation. The Foundation is a leader in officer safety and wellness, community policing, open-data, investigations, and law-enforcement technology. The Foundation’s main goal is to improve the way police do their work and the delivery of police services, in order to benefit officers and the communities they serve, as well as reduce crime.

If you would like more information on the Center, please contact Dr. Frank Straub, Director of Strategic Studies, Police Foundation, by email at fstraub@policefoundation.org or by phone at 202-833-1460. You may also visit the Center for Mass Violence Studies website at https://npfcmvrs.org/.

22June
2018

Police Foundation Board of Directors Chairman Named Assistant County Executive Officer Over Public Safety in Santa Barbara, California

             

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.

22June
2018

Police Foundation President, Jim Bueermann, Receives 2018 Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy Distinguished Achievement Award

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.

20June
2018

National Survey Finds Public Wants More Say on Law Enforcement Practices

Researchers to follow new findings with site visits to gather more data on effective public engagement

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

30May
2018

Law Enforcement Agencies Across the U.S. Standing Up to Hate Crimes

Fifty-four agencies have accepted a national law enforcement challenge to release open data on hate and bias-motivated crime, making the data more accessible to communities 

May 30, 2018 (WASHINGTON, D.C.) — As of May 2018, more than 50 police agencies have chosen to participate in an unprecedented national law enforcement movement to release open data on hate and bias crime. The Police Foundation’s initiative marks an important step by police departments to promote transparency and collaboration with the communities they serve and increase awareness about hate crime. Although hate crime information submitted by some law enforcement agencies is published by the federal government annually, by participating in this initiative, agencies are committed to making the data more accessible to their communities and in a more timely manner.

Hate crimes are often underreported and consequently not well documented. By releasing this information to the public in the form of open data, agencies can help narrow the reporting gap, call more attention to the problem in an effort to better prevent these incidents, and set a foundation for two-way engagement and problem-solving between law enforcement and the community. More accurate reporting will ultimately lead to a better understanding of hate crime in the United States, which in turn will enable informed decision-making around preventing and addressing this type of offense.

“Hate and bias crimes affect many citizens,” said Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, Montgomery County Police. “By making the data from these incidents public through open data reporting, all residents can be aware of these incidents and work together with law enforcement to help the community overcome and prevent hate crimes.”

A list of the 54 participating law enforcement agencies.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was a key partner to the Police Foundation in this initiative through active outreach to agencies across the country.

“The importance of this initiative lies not in earlier access to data, but in the statement open data makes about law enforcement’s commitment to fighting hate crimes,” said David Friedman, VP of Law Enforcement and Community Security, ADL.

Agencies unfamiliar with the practice of releasing open data on hate crimes can access the Police Foundation’s guide: Releasing Open Data on Hate Crimes: A Best Practices Guide for Law Enforcement, which includes case studies of other departments who released open hate crime data in their jurisdictions.

“We applaud these law enforcement agencies for their commitment to public safety as they draw attention to the unacceptable problem of hate crimes,” said Jim Bueermann, President, Police Foundation. “Better hate crime data will position agencies and communities to take a stronger stance against these types of crimes.”

Established in 1970, the Police Foundation is a national, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving policing through innovation and science. For 48 years, the Foundation has conducted research on all aspects of policing and is leading the way in promoting and sharing evidence-based practices and innovation among law enforcement. The Foundation is currently working with hundreds of police agencies nationwide, as well as internationally, providing research and translation, training, technical assistance, and modern technology implementation. The Foundation is a leader in officer safety and wellness, community policing, open-data, investigations, and law-enforcement technology. The Foundation’s main goal is to improve the way police do their work and the delivery of police services, in order to benefit officers and the communities they serve, as well as reduce crime.  

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If you would like more information on open data and policing, please contact Garrett Johnson, Research Assistant, Police Foundation, by email at gjohnson@policefoundation.org or by phone at 202-833-1460. You may also visit the Police Foundation main website at www.policefoundation.org.

6March
2018

Law Enforcement – Mental Health Learning Sites Expansion

The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Police Foundation, selected four law enforcement agencies to join the Law Enforcement – Mental Health Learning Site initiative. The Madison County (TN) Sheriff’s Office, Arlington (MA) Police

Department, Jackson County (OH) Sheriff’s Office, and Tucson (AZ) Police Department were chosen through a competitive process to participate in the BJA-supported initiative. These four agencies join the current six sites to deliver peer-to-peer learning through a diverse cross-section of model strategies and examples of successful collaborations between law enforcement and mental health agencies. The 10 learning sites offer their experiences and expertise to promote strategies that can save the life of an officer, community member, or family member.

Read about the Expansion of the National Law Enforcement – Mental Health Learning Site Program and visit the Law Enforcement Mental Health Learning Sites website to access the Police – Mental Health Collaboration Toolkit and to learn how to request technical assistance with a similar collaboration project in your area.

23January
2018

Police Foundation Grieves Passing of Executive Fellow Tom Engells

The Police Foundation grieves the sudden passing of PF Executive Fellow and UTMB Police Chief Tom Engells this past Sunday. Please see below for a message about Chief Engells from UTMB’s President, Dr. David Callender:

“Chief Engells has led our Police Department since 2010, and has been part of the UT System family for more than 34 years. Under his dynamic leadership, UTMB became the first UT System police department to achieve national accreditation for excellence from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). He was named the inaugural UT System Police Chief of the Year in 2011 and again in 2014, and also earned “Law Enforcement Administrator of the Year” by the Texas Association of College and University Police Administrators. More recently, Chief Engells achieved international recognition for his expertise in biosecurity.

He was also a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps. His accomplishments and contributions to UTMB, UT System and the policing profession were many. Most of all, Tom was our brilliant and witty colleague whose humble, soft-spoken nature had a powerful impact on all who knew him. We will surely miss him.

Please keep Tom’s wife, Peggy, and his daughter, Laura, in your thoughts during this most difficult time.”
 
Tom was always fun, insightful, and a pleasure to work with. He will be greatly missed at the Police Foundation.

COMING SOON!
New Police Foundation Reports and Training Opportunities!