The National Police Foundation has received inquiries on the 1033 Program and how it is used by law enforcement. In responding to these requests, the Foundation accessed the 1033 Program data and analyzed transfers from June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020. While some agencies and states continue to receive military equipment such as mine resistant vehicles, rifles and associated parts, the vast majority of equipment transferred during this period consists of clothing, personal protective equipment such as gloves and facemasks, and basic infrastructure needs such as wiring, tools, generators, etc. States and local communities save hundreds of thousands of dollars through the program. The Foundation encourages those considering policy changes to examine the data and respond in ways that don’t diminish the appropriate uses and value that states and local communities receive.
News & Announcements
Statement from National Police Foundation on Use-of-Force Incident in Minneapolis
May 27, 2020 (via The Washington Post)—The video we’ve all now seen is distressing and hard for anyone to watch. It’s also hard for any of us to even begin to understand how something like that could occur and to occur in such a seemingly oblivious way. We cannot accept it or excuse it. The Chief’s decision is certainly understandable, particularly in the sense that he would have access to all of the information that many of us do not have.
As we work with law enforcement officers and leaders across the U.S. and beyond, we have the privilege of witnessing the dedication and commitment to service, integrity, fairness and respect that countless officers have and demonstrate each and every day, even in the face of adversity and, at times, confrontation. This video and the behaviors observed do not represent them well. Instead, these actions (and inaction) jeopardize the gains that have been made through the sacrifices and courage of many.
While the full investigation may reveal additional details and facts that are unknown to most of us today, we should all come together in agreement that the glimpse we have into this encounter is not consistent with the oath that officers take or the courage and integrity that the vast majority display each and every day.
Assessing the impact of COVID-19 and community responses on traffic crashes and fatalities
May 19, 2020—In response to the pandemic, safety measures such as staying at home and social distancing have become parts of everyday life. As an organization that strives to bring data and science into public safety discussions, we are curious about the indirect effects that safety measures have on public safety as we navigate the new normal.
The National Police Foundation is examining traffic crashes and fatalities from an initial sample of five states: Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Missouri. While the number of traffic and fatal crashes decreased across the states, fatality rates increased across each state during April and in parts of March compared to 2019 data. These data may suggest a probable increase in behaviors that should cause concern among policymakers, including what appears to be an increase in excessive speed and reckless driving among motorists.
National Police Foundation to Serve As Research Partner to Assess Implementation of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing Recommendations
May 12, 2020—The National Police Foundation (NPF) will serve as the research partner for a new project that will assess implementation of the Task Force recommendations since they were published five years ago this month. The consulting firm 21CP Solutions will lead the overall project. 21CP Solutions brings a diverse, seasoned group of professionals who have transformed agencies from inside and outside, strengthening the health of organizations and community relationships. 21CP Solutions helps departments and organizations provide for public safety and promote community well-being through real-world, strategic approaches.
National Police Foundation, partners provide PPE to law enforcement agencies in need nationwide
May 11, 2020—The National Police Foundation (NPF), through its Corporate Care Resource Center and through its #GotYouCovered Million Masks Campaign partnership with Axon Enterprise, is committed to providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to agencies across the country that are experiencing shortages during the global COVID-19 pandemic. While some cities have local police foundations that are working hard to assist their first responders, NPF and its partners are striving to ensure that all agencies receive the PPE they need so that officers and their families can feel safe.
Through these combined initiatives, face masks, hand sanitizer, and disposable gloves have been distributed to requesting agencies.
National Police Foundation conducts virtual site visits, hosts webinars to continue CALEA Accreditation process for agencies in Mexico
May 10, 2020—COVID-19 has not prevented the National Police Foundation’s International Team from continuing to provide quality technical assistance as public safety agencies throughout Mexico continue to work toward accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
With funding support from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the National Police Foundation is currently providing technical assistance to 75 public safety agencies, including municipal law enforcement agencies, communications centers, and training academies, throughout Mexico in order to help agencies achieve CALEA Accreditation.
National Police Foundation launches corporate sharing center to supply personal protective equipment to public safety personnel
April 16, 2020—The National Police Foundation (NPF) is pleased to announce it has launched a Law Enforcement and Public Safety Corporate Caring Resource Center. Through this Center, companies can donate personal protective equipment (PPE) and other needed supplies that will be distributed to public safety personnel.
Visa, Inc. is the first major corporation to make a contribution to the Corporate PPE Sharing Center—donating 10,000 pairs of disposable gloves.
Distribution of PPE is being coordinated in partnership with Axon Enterprise, Inc., who recently launched a global campaign with the NPF to provide masks and other PPE to first responders. To date, 8,195 agencies have asked for help through Axon’s COVID-19 Support Center, representing 1,148,819 public safety officers. Axon has received requests from all 50 states and 9 countries. The Corporate PPE Sharing Center will complement this initiative to meet the demands of more agencies.
Axon announces campaign to provide 1 million masks to first responders, partners with National Police Foundation to launch #GotYouCovered crowdfunding initiative
Axon announces campaign to provide 1 million masks to first responders
Partners with National Police Foundation to launch #GotYouCovered crowdfunding initiative
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 9, 2020/PRNewswire/ — Axon (Nasdaq: AAXN), the global leader in public safety technologies, today announced that it has committed over $1 million for personal protective equipment (PPE) for first responders, including a partnership with the National Police Foundation and will match up to $500,000 in community donations. 100 percent of funds will go directly towards helping reduce first responder exposure to COVID-19 by purchasing medical masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. Donations may be made to the #GotYouCovered campaign through May 31, 2020: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/got-you-covered.
Axon Announces Campaign to Provide 1 Million Masks to First Responders
“We are extremely proud to be partnering with Axon on this incredibly important initiative to supply PPE to first responders,” says the National Police Foundation President, James Burch. “We are working through an unprecedented time in modern history, but times like these are a good reminder of the positive impact we can have when we work together. We are thankful for Axon’s support and are motivated to help our first responders and communities as much as possible over the coming weeks.”
National Police Foundation launches real-time situational awareness tool for law enforcement to track COVID-19 officer exposures and PPE impacts
MARCH 25, 2020—In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its impact on law enforcement and other first responders, the National Police Foundation (NPF), in collaboration with the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS (NAPSG) Foundation and Esri, has developed a real-time COVID-19 situational awareness tool for law enforcement agencies. The tool, featuring a real-time dashboard, provides critical insights for executives, commanders, administrators and other decision-makers to better assess and monitor the impact of COVID-19 on our nation’s first responders, including officer exposures, diagnoses, workforce impacts, and personal protective equipment (PPE) needs and projections.
The interactive tool allows agencies to provide confidential, real-time updates that are instantly incorporated into the national dashboard and map. The dashboard identifies the number of officers exposed, officially tested with a positive diagnosis, placed in off-duty status due to exposure, and that are self-isolating due to symptoms or off-duty exposure. The dashboard also estimates the availability of necessary PPE, the most critical PPE that agencies are lacking, and current and projected shortages of PPE. The data is then aggregated and mapped at the state-level in order to show impacts across the country. Individual agencies will not be identified. Law enforcement agencies can then compare impacts in their state with those of other states.
Screenshot of the National Police Foundation’s COVID-19 Law Enforcement Impact Real-Time Surveillance Dashboard. (Photo by: National Police Foundation)
Passing of longest-serving, former Police Foundation President Hubert Williams
MARCH 12, 2020—The National Police Foundation extends heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Hubert Williams, who passed away earlier this week on Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Williams served as the president of the National Police Foundation (formerly Police Foundation) from 1985-2012—becoming the longest serving president in the organization’s 50-year history.
Williams—a Harvard Law Fellow, Graduate of Rutgers Law School, a founding member and former first President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE), and the youngest and first African American to serve as Police Director in Newark, NJ—was a trailblazer and influential leader in the policing profession.
Williams was appointed Police Foundation president in 1985, following the retirement of NYPD Commissioner Patrick V. Murphy. Prior to his appointment as president of the Police Foundation, Williams served as police director in Newark, New Jersey, from 1974 to 1985, and under his leadership the Newark Police Department served as the laboratory for two groundbreaking Police Foundation studies pivotal to the evolution of community policing—The Newark Foot Patrol Experiment and the NIJ-funded reducing fear of crime experiment.