News & Announcements

August 11, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) released a new report entitled: “Ten Essential Actions to Improve School Safety: School Safety Working Group Report to the Attorney General”

The COPS Office School Safety Working Group, which is composed of representatives from eight national law enforcement organizations, has identified 10 essential actions that can be taken by schools, school districts, and law enforcement agencies to improve school safety.

Frank Straub, Ph.D., Director of the National Police Foundation’s Center for Mass Violence Response Studies, had the privilege of serving on the School Safety Working Group.

A copy of the report can be found at: http://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-W0891

JULY 31, 2020—The U.S. Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, co-chaired by Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), recently hosted a virtual panel discussion centered on the philosophy of community policing, exploring effective community policing policies and programs, the impact that community policing has had on the public, and the role of community policing moving forward.  

The virtual event was attended by a range of law enforcement officers, community leaders, and civil rights organizations from across the country.

The panel was moderated by Karen Amendola, Ph.D., Psychologist and Chief Behavioral Scientist at the National Police Foundation. Panelists included: Chief Greg Mullen (formerly of Charleston, SC, Police Department) of Clemson University (SC), Chief Danny Whiteley of Poplar Bluff (MO), Reverend Dr. Donald Morton of the Complexities of Color Coalition in Wilmington (DE), and Bishop Mark Tolbert, Vice President of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners.

To view a recording of the panel, please visit: https://bit.ly/33k6rGF

July 22, 2020—The National Police Foundation is proud to announce and celebrate its 50th anniversary. Please read the statement below which reflects on the past, present, and future work of the Foundation.

Support the work of the National Police Foundation

June 19, 2020—The National Police Foundation (NPF) is pleased to announce the release of two reports presenting the results of focus groups, interviews, and open feedback from Baltimore Police Department (BPD) staff and Baltimore community members on community policing and engagement in the City.

To support the efforts of the City of Baltimore and BPD, in implementation of its consent decree through funding from the Ford Foundation, NPF facilitated focus groups and disseminated an online feedback form to gather perspectives from BPD personnel on the department’s challenges and areas of change needed for enhanced community policing and engagement between November 2018 and January 2019. NPF also partnered with Loyola University Maryland and No Boundaries Coalition to facilitate focus groups and interview sessions and administer an open feedback form to gather community member perceptions of BPD. They also elicited input on their expectations for police service between June 2019 and October 2019.

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June 16, 2020—As we struggle to process our thoughts and emotions after viewing yet another video involving a deadly police encounter, we try to understand why this happened again. Without regard to perspectives, our skin color, or whether we are wearing a uniform or not, we must agree that none of us want to see another tragic and painful loss of life and acknowledge that our communities and our country can’t afford another.

We must come together and work together for change. While there are many changes that can and should be made, such a list requires more than a statement such as this can afford, however important the statement is. Instead, we urge all involved to consider what we view as essential for effective and sustainable change:

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The National Police Foundation is pleased to welcome two new directors to its leadership team.

Director of Development and Marketing

Tamara Martin, Director of Development and Marketing

Tamara Martin joined the National Police Foundation (NPF) in May 2020. Tamara previously worked at the University of Maryland, where she directed the Membership and Marketing department and led a complete department revamp and eCRM conversion. She achieved this while simultaneously executing award-winning revenue generating campaigns. She has over 15 years of non-profit management expertise, both nationally and internationally, having worked in and/or overseen development, events, business development, member services and communications functions in a variety of large and small organizations.

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June 12, 2020—The National Police Foundation (NPF) is pleased to announce a new Science and Innovation online livestream broadcast series.

The series is designed to reflect NPF’s mission as an organization—advancing policing through innovation and science. The goal is to actively bring research into the conversation and apply it to everyday management and reform conversations. These conversations will feature perspectives from practitioners and academics and will dive deeper into scientific or technical findings or innovations that may help police leaders in guiding and managing the agency, including the development of new policies and procedures, help elected officials and community members gain a deeper insight into police organizations and policing overall, and to expand our knowledge collectively.

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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.

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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.

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.

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