Improving the Public’s Perception of Law Enforcement,Provide strategies police leaders can implement to improve the public’s perception of law enforcement. Consider including real-life examples of effective policing programs, police misconduct, and/or use-of-force incidents to include how it was handled by police leadership and how it impacted the agency

Improving the Public’s Perception of Law Enforcement

As police leaders, it is essential to proactively work toward improving the public’s perception of law enforcement. There are several strategies police leaders can implement to move in this direction, ranging from increasing transparency and accountability to improving police-community relations. First, police leaders should increase transparency and accountability by developing policies and procedures to ensure proper reporting and investigation of police misconduct. This includes implementing strategies for collecting and reporting data on use-of-force incidents and complaints from citizens. For example, the Chicago Police Department established the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) in 2017, which has resulted in increased transparency and accountability for use-of-force incidents and complaints (Smith, 2019). Second, police leaders should emphasize community policing strategies that focus on building relationships between the police and the community. This can include developing initiatives such as the Toledo Police Department’s ‘Coffee with a Cop’ program, which provides an environment where citizens can interact with police officers in a relaxed setting and discuss any issues they may have (Toledo Police Department, 2020). Cont…