Stress in policing is unavoidable, but not all sources of stress are the same. While many police applicants expect dangers on the job, such as responding to violent incidents or traumatic events, what is less obvious is the stress that originates from within the agency itself. This organizational stress in policing comes from department structure,…

For every police officer, there is a defining period that shapes not only their performance on the job but also their mindset, ethics, and approach to community engagement: field training. This stage, often the bridge between the academy and full-duty service, is where officers begin to understand what it truly means to serve. Field training…

  In an era of unprecedented challenges facing law enforcement agencies across the nation, strategic police staffing has emerged as a cornerstone of public safety management. Between budget constraints, evolving community expectations, and an ongoing crisis in recruitment, police departments are facing a perfect storm of operational pressures that mean they can no longer rely…

Clarification: This is a collaborative work, with one author, Rodney Parks, a veteran police official, and the other, P.S. Perkins, a communications expert. When the article below uses “I,” “me,” or “we,” it reflects the experiences and views of the law enforcement official. Otherwise, both authors have developed this approach together. Years of successful and…

Policing in the 21st century continues to struggle with a complex challenge nationwide: Fewer people want to be in law enforcement, and a number of individuals are leaving the profession. Everyone wants to solve this critical problem. Although there are many different strategies organizational leaders are implementing to help with their recruitment and retention approaches,…

I recently came across the following speech about policing. I’d heard it many times before, but I never recognized how profound it truly is. I’m paraphrasing it slightly here. The world grows smaller every day, and the threat of harm by any group, anywhere, can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all,…

  Innovation is a powerful tool in law enforcement. Identifying what works and how best to use it can be a force multiplier, which is especially valuable as agencies face resource challenges. When considering innovations in policing, technological advances rightfully come to mind. But that’s only part of the picture. To gain a full perspective,…

To solve crimes and unearth new leads for cold cases, law enforcement agencies across the country learned to properly and efficiently use deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. DNA technology, vital to ensuring accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system, can be used to solve crimes in two ways. In cases where the suspect is identified,…

Police in the U.S. are faced with the ongoing challenge of forging positive relationships with the communities they serve. Communities are not one homogenous group, however, and some relationships are more significantly strained in communities that have a long history of conflict with the police. Communication mediates these relationships and can play a significant role…

The U.S. is facing a cold-case homicide crisis. According to recent UCR data, experts estimate our nation has 250,000 unsolved murders, a staggering number that increases by about 6,000 each year. These unsolved murders represent a direct threat to public safety in communities across the country. Law enforcement agencies do not have an endless number…