Institutional Assessment and Change

Engaging in institutional assessment and change within law enforcement and public safety is crucial for fostering accountability, improving transparency, and addressing systemic issues. One key aspect of this process is conducting comprehensive reviews of existing policies, procedures, and practices. This includes examining use-of-force protocols, racial profiling policies, and community engagement strategies to identify areas for improvement. Additionally, it is important to involve external stakeholders, such as community members, civil rights organizations, and academic experts, in the assessment process to ensure diverse perspectives are considered. This collaborative approach helps to build trust and legitimacy in the resulting changes. Once the assessment is completed, it is essential to implement meaningful reforms. This may involve revising policies, enhancing training programs, and establishing oversight mechanisms to ensure compliance and accountability. Moreover, regular monitoring and evaluation should be conducted to measure the effectiveness of implemented changes and make adjustments as needed. By actively engaging in institutional assessment and change, law enforcement and public safety agencies can work towards building a more equitable, transparent, and community-oriented approach to serving and protecting the public.

My first paper choice for this section is titled Spotlight Experts on Critical Issues.  For this submission, it was done in the form of an interagency memo. The memo addresses the need to remove an outdated and potentially aggressive policy that allowed the use of carotid restraints in or during the effect of an arrest. As the hold, or use of pressure on the carotid artery, has gained national attention in the past few years, it became evident that this policy had become outdated and should have been reviewed years ago. With improved de-escalation techniques and continued education, officers should be able to effect arrests with a minimal amount of physical contact. 

The second submission for this section is titled MOU Proposal Part 4 - Performance Measurement. This was done as an example of a fictitious collaboration between several agencies to develop a task force to deter gang membership and illegal activities associated with gangs. The purpose of this particular MOU was to be transparent with not only the command staff and stakeholders, but with the general public as well. This data collection and enforcement effort would identify crime patterns, allocate resources efficiently and develop proactive strategies thus allowing for accurate measurement of the impact of interventions and promoting further collaborations. While data driven decision making revolutionizes law enforcement by improving effectiveness and public safety, ethical safeguards must be in place. 

The last submission, The Next Critical Issue, looks at a critical part of law enforcement agencies, that is an officer’s right to free speech. Law enforcement institutions play a crucial role in maintaining law and order in society. With the advancement of social media and events related to police officers, there arose an urgent need for departments to look inward and critically assess this issue. It is essential to evaluate these practices and to create policies to ensure the department remains fair, just and most importantly……unbiased.

To conclude, engaging in institutional assessment and change is vital for promoting accountability, transparency, and addressing systemicissues within law enforcement and public safety. By conducting comprehensive reviews of policies and procedures and including external stakeholders in this process, meanwhile implementing meaningful reforms, all agencies can work toward building a more equitable and community-oriented approach to protecting and serving the public. The papers I submitted here highlight the importance of removing outdated and potentially harmful policies, establishing a collaborative task force to address specific socieital issues, as well as safeguarding an officer's right to free speech while still ensuring unbiased practices. Through these efforts and more, law enforcement agencies can evolve and adapt to meet the new challenges of the 21st century, fostering trust and confidence in their ability to maintain public safety all around.