WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Director Ronald L. Davis of the Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) announced a report, The State of Policing in the United States, Volume 1, during a 21st Century Regional Policing Briefing hosted by the White House Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs in Canton, Massachusetts. The publication provides an overview of American law enforcement and a snapshot of the important topics in the field of policing during the 2015 calendar year.

In its Final Report, the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing recommended to the President that the Department of Justice prepare an annual report on the state of American policing that would provide an updated overview of events and changes in law enforcement policies and practices, as well as their impact on police officers and the public. This inaugural report reviews law enforcement activities and developments from January 2015 to December 2015, and offers research and other resources for more in-depth analysis.

“The year outlined in this report was one of incredible challenges and advancement for police and the communities they serve,” said COPS Office Director Ronald Davis. “It is my hope that the information provided in this report will help law enforcement agencies across the country advance 21st century policing.”

The report identifies the key issues that took place during this timeframe, community policing approaches and other strategies that police used to engage their communities and enhance public safety, and the impact of events and policies on law enforcement officers and their work. It is the first in a long-running series that will identify contemporary issues in the field and provide discussion and examples of community policing programs that have shown positive results.

The State of Policing in the United States, Volume 1 is available here: http://ric-zai-inc.com/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-W0815

The COPS Office, headed by Director Ronald Davis, is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 129,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov.