Research. Education. Change.
As an Institute, we root our work in discovery through research, evaluation, and assessment. We aim to discover the most promising pathway to policing reform in America through the lens of our 5 Pillars of Police Reform© using a research-informed approach.
Our five Pillars are a continuum of reform, each one being equally important as the other, and all interrelated and interdependent. It is important to note that all our fieldwork at IAPR begins with the community. To advance community wellness, we must begin to see community as inclusive of peace officers, faith leaders, local government, citizens, and community leaders alike.
TIMELINE OF WORK
Our work began in 2020 with a focus on the Law & Policy pillar. We knew that, to achieve national standardization in policing, we had to begin with policies that would enhance the probability of this intended future. With the tremendous help of our partners at Weil and Hogan Lovells, we published our recommendations for shifts in policy regarding Police Use of Deadly Force and Qualified Immunity in two white papers that were released in 2021 and 2022.
In 2022, we were afforded a grant with the Equity Initiative at the American Institutes for Research that allowed us to focus our efforts on the field work necessary in expanding our ability to validate our Community Engagement and Education and Standards, Education & Training Pillars.
HOW WE AIM TO TRANSFORM AMERICAN POLICING
Change requires internal advocacy and external pressure. Traditional reform efforts typically either ask police to meet outside demands or exclude community voices. Informed by our 5 Pillars and research, we engage police, communities, and a broad a base of support to deliver the reform America needs and deserves. Bringing together disparate voices, our expert training and community forums work to transform police departments and increase shared ownership of public safety between police and those they serve.
INTERNAL ADVOCATE
Police Standards, Education, & Training
We provide police departments with comprehensive, research-led training to reform their culture and practices and support their needs and responsibilities.
EXTERNAL PRESSURE
Community Engagement & Education
Our Councils provide the environment for civic leaders and police to discover and implement solutions that reflect their needs and values, fostering a shared vision of public safety that respects the dignity of all.
Through monitoring and evaluation of our programs and systems mapping, root cause analysis, and restorative facilitation, we can address the root cause of public safety concerns in America, not just the symptoms. The data we gather in these two pillar areas is used to discover patterns in public safety concerns within communities across America and inform recommendations in Law & Policy, Accountability, and Leadership Development. We believe a research-informed approach that considers all 5 Pillars of Police Reform will create a future where standardized, trustworthy, and human dignified policing services in all American states and territories is possible.