In the mission to support the law enforcement leaders of today and develop the leaders of tomorrow, the IACP is constantly involved in advocacy, programs, research, and initiatives related to cutting-edge issues. This column keeps you up to date on IACP’s work to support our members and the field of law enforcement.

The Lead: New Version Launched

In 2015, the IACP began sending The Lead, a daily email news brief, to all members. In response to member feedback, The Lead underwent a transformation, and the new version was launched in May 2016. The updated version includes an earlier delivery time, brief synopses of the articles, an archive of past issues, and information straight from the IACP.

For questions or more information about The Lead, please email thelead@theiacp.org.

IACP Past Presidents’ Oral Histories

In 2015, the IACP began recording the experiences of the IACP past presidents in order to preserve the history of the organization. Each past president described their time in office including what made them want to run for IACP president and the most challenging part of their presidency.

A full list of past presidents and their photos can also be found on the Past Presidents webpage.
Please visit www.theiacp.org/IACP-Past-Presidents to access the recordings.

New Center for Police Research and Policy

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), University of Cincinnati (UC), and Laura and John Arnold Foundation announce the creation of the IACP/UC Center for Police Research and Policy. The center will engage in rigorous research that has practical implications for the field and is intended to serve as a model for the way law enforcement agencies and researchers work together to help protect communities, safeguard citizens’ rights, and ensure the fair treatment of all individuals.

Led by Robin S. Engel, PhD, UC’s Vice President for Safety and Reform, the center will have staff at both UC and the IACP headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The center will build an experienced, credentialed team to rigorously evaluate policing practices in order to identify those that are effective and fair and will facilitate the exchange of data and research between the policing community and academia.

During the first three years of operation, the IACP/UC Center for Police Research and Policy will do the following:

• Create and disseminate a policy for conducting police research and police/researcher collaborations
• Launch at least three research projects, such as randomized controlled trials, targeting urgent policing issues
• Translate research reports written for an academic audience into sets of actionable items that practitioners can easily implement

For more information, please visit www.theiacp.org/research.

Institute for Community-Police Relations

The IACP is committed to providing support to law enforcement agencies and associations that goes beyond facilitating discussions and presenting on the content and importance of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing report. To that end, the IACP is establishing the Institute for Community-Police Relations (ICPR) to provide research, programs, advocacy, and resources to support law enforcement agencies and associations in addressing the report’s recommendations and action Items.

The ICPR will support the enhancement of law enforcement culture and policies that match scientific research to task force recommendations and offer step-by-step implementation suggestions based on that science through a combination of the task force report; evidence-based practices, policies, and programs; and a series of relevant documents.

For more information, please contact Jim Baker at baker@theiacp.org.