November 16, 2021
The National Policing Institute (NPI) is proud to partner with the Joyce Foundation and 21CP to assess the reach, impact, challenges, and successes of the principles of the 21st Century Policing Task Force Report (21CPTFR). This project examines the law enforcement field in the five years following the 21CPTFR’s finalization and publication, including both the reach of the report in the field of law enforcement and changes that may be attributed to the report. Project goals were to 1) explore the extent to which the principles and strategies that underlie the 21CPTFR have influenced changes in policing or have otherwise been absorbed into the field; 2) examine catalysts and inhibitors to implementation of these principles and strategies; and 3) provide examples of agencies that have or have not implemented these principles and the ways in which they have done so, or, if they have not, the barriers.
To achieve the goals of the project, the National Policing Institute conducted a literature and policy review, media review, and environmental scan related to the 21CPTFR, its principles, strategies, and recommendations. To the extent possible, NPI used quantifiable measures to demonstrate the diffusion of concepts. The NPI also conducted structured individual and group interviews with key stakeholders to better understand the variety of diverse perspectives on the 21CPTFR implementation successes and challenges. Additionally, NPI administered a survey that analyzed high-level absorption and use of 21CPTFR principles and concepts. To drill down even further to provide specifics around 21CPTFR-based work conducted in cities and counties around the country, the NPI Team, with input from the Joyce Foundation, conducted four case studies to provide more detailed information on the advancements these agencies, and others around the nation, have made with the assistance of the 21CPTFR principles.