In the wake of Tyre Nichols’s tragic death in 2023 at the hands of officers assigned to a Memphis (Tennessee) Police Department specialized enforcement unit, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) commissioned the National Policing Institute to partner with Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and convene law enforcement leaders from around the country to discuss their use of specialized units.

Specialized units are operated widely across law enforcement agencies in the United States. These groups of trained officers are established to solve community problems that traditional patrol units lack the resources and expertise to do. Throughout the decades, these specialized units, specifically the ones that focus on crime control in certain areas, have at times run afoul of law enforcement’s mission and of the Constitution. When these instances occur, the legitimacy and safety of the agency and officers are at risk, and overall community trust is threatened.

For this project, NPI and DOJ have developed a guide to assist law enforcement leaders, mayors, and communities in assessing the appropriateness of specialized units and ensuring the effective management and necessary accountability of such units. The guide offers key considerations when determining if a unit is necessary, and if it is, it offers actionable guidance during establishment. It is intended to benefit all state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) agencies, irrespective of their history with specialized units or those units’ size.

To put this guide together, the COPS Office and NPI held a series of convenings, roundtable discussions, and interviews with stakeholders in law enforcement and the community. Those involved included agencies of many types and sizes, supervisors of specialized enforcement units, and community members.

The COPS Office and NPI strongly believe that using the considerations found in the guide will strengthen an agency’s ability to police in an effective and just manner.