Campaign Aims to Build Trust Between Police Agencies and the Communities They Serve

Pillar 1: Building Trust & Legitimacy

The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing

Photo Credit: Plymouth Police Department

In a world where information can spread so quickly, it is critical — now more than ever — that law enforcement agencies have the trust of their communities. For agencies to be truly effective, officers and agencies must have their community’s active support. Unfortunately, due to a small number of high-profile incidents, there remains a distrust of the policing profession in some cities.

Recently, I attended an International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) listening session that took place at the Bloomington Civic Plaza and was led by IACP President John Letteney. The listening session introduced IACP’s new Trust Building Campaign, and the discussions focused on three key questions:  

• What is the biggest challenge facing your agency?
• What is the biggest challenge facing the law enforcement profession?
• What can IACP do to assist in addressing these challenges?

The forum provided police leaders from across Minnesota an opportunity to share their experience and their views on the changing complexities and dynamics confronting the police profession. The discussions that took place will allow the IACP leadership to better represent the profession’s needs and help direct the association’s efforts as they develop critical assistance programs and advocate on behalf of law enforcement with White House and federal agency officials, as well as key leaders in Congress.  

The IACP Trust Building Campaign seeks to enhance trust between police agencies and the communities they serve by ensuring positive community-police partnerships that promote safe, effective interactions; create strategies to prevent and reduce crime; and improve the well-being and quality of life for all.  

The initiative involves implementing 25 key policies and practices within the following six focus areas that are essential to enhancing trust and collaboration between communities and police:

• Bias-free policing
• Use of force
• Leadership and culture
• Recruitment, hiring, and retention
• Victim services
• Community relations

How Can Your Police Department Join the Campaign?

Minnesota police agencies are invited to join other agencies across the United States and globally in pledging to enhance trust and collaboration between police and the communities they serve. 

To join the Trust Building Campaign, police agencies must pledge to prioritize actions to encourage positive community-police partnerships within the six focus areas and implement 25 key policies and promising practices. Agencies and organizations demonstrating a serious commitment to implementing the key action items in all six areas will become publicly recognized members of the Trust Building Campaign. 

Read the complete checklist of the 25 best practices to adopt as part of this campaign. IACP also has many resources to assist agencies in developing and implementing these policies and practices on the Trust Building Campaign webpage under the “Key Focus Areas and IACP Resources Available to Assist Agencies” section. 

There is nothing more important to the success of policing than the trust of the public. Through the Trust Building Campaign, the IACP is committed to addressing this principle on a national and international level. For additional information, including how to take the pledge, a press and social media toolkit, and to watch a video from Chief Letteney, please visit the Trust Building Campaign webpage.

Questions on this campaign can be sent to trustbuildingcampaign@theiacp.org. If you have any specific comments or questions related to the IACP listening session, you may also contact me at tstille@lmc.org or (651) 215-4051. 

In the meantime, stay safe!    

Tracy