Advancing 21st century policing: Exploring the Phoenix Police Department's best practices for community engagement

In light of recent conflicts between law enforcement and community members, particularly in communities plagued with a high crime rate and a large minority population, President Obama ordered the 21st Century Policing Task Force to identify strategies for promoting crime control while simultaneously building trust between law enforcement and the community (President’s Task Force, 2015). Based on their findings, the Task Force outlined six main pillars that will foster a positive police and community relationship (i.e., advance 21st Century Policing). While each of the six pillars focuses on an area vital to the successful implementation of 21st Century Policing, evidence suggests that pillars 1-4, which promote community engagement, form a vital foundation from which the other pillars can grow. The development of community engagement rests upon the trust and legitimacy a police department establishes with its community. As such, effective police departments must pay particular attention to community perceptions (i.e., how the community views its police department), for community members must believe the officers serving the community are doing so with legitimacy and honesty. Following the recently publicized, nationwide police shootings involving African American community members, many police departments have experienced troubling community conflicts. However, the Phoenix Police Department (PPD), which serves a large diverse community (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010), has been able to maintain collaborative police community dialogues and facilitate peaceful community protests, even when its officers engage in questionable activities. To assist police departments throughout the country build similar relationships with their respective communities, this White Paper will highlight some of the PPD’s noteworthy community engagement strategies.