Law Enforcement Executive Perspectives on the Implementation of Statewide Police Reform

• In Event: Police Organizations

Abstract

As recently documented by Mazzone & Rushin (2020), State Attorneys General can be important agents of police reform and instrumental in the transformation of policing. The building of knowledge of the impacts – or unintended consequences – of these statewide reforms is critical for policymakers and police executives. Beginning in 2021, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General has enacted one of the most ambitious statewide police reform efforts in the United States, including new policy, training, and data collection requirements for all sworn law enforcement. This discussion will explore New Jersey law enforcement executives’ perceptions about the impacts of the statewide reform efforts, discuss difficulties in implementation, and identify actions agencies have taken to sustain or expand upon these requirements. This discussion will also highlight law enforcement executives' views on their greatest challenges to daily operations. The results from a statewide survey and a series of semi-structured interviews will be used to guide this discussion.

Author

• Gabrielle Isaza, National Policing Institute