"It's Not Just a Ferguson Problem, It's an American Problem" -- Improving Community Policing

Yesterday, the President announced that he will take a number of steps to strengthen community policing and fortify the trust that must exist between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. As part of this, he proposed a new three-year, $263 million Community Policing Initiative investment package that will increase use of body worn cameras (BWCs) by law enforcement, expand training for law enforcement agencies (LEAs), add more resources for police department reform, and multiply the number of cities where the Department of Justice (DOJ) facilitates community and local LEA engagement.

The new initiative expands programs within the President’s FY 2015 Budget, and builds on them by adding more resources to help integrate the federal government with state and local LEAs to build and sustain trust between communities and those who serve and protect these communities.

The funding would support the following activities:

• Body Worn Camera Partnership Program -- The Administration proposes a new Body Worn Camera Partnership Program that would provide a 50 percent match to states and localities that purchase body worn cameras and requisite storage. An investment of $15 million in the first year could support up to 10,000 body worn cameras and storage. Overall, the $75 million investment over three years could help purchase 50,000 body worn cameras and storage.
• Smart Policing Initiative -- The Administration would provide $55 million over three years to support the Smart Policing Initiative that could serve five communities in the first year, and at least 20 communities over three years. Smart Policing is based on the researcher-practitioner relationship and funded as a set-aside program within DOJ’s Byrne-JAG grant program. This funding would support the creation of a Body Worn Camera (BWCs) Problem Solving Demonstration Program to build knowledge on the use of BWCs as a key component of comprehensive, community-based problem-solving strategies.
• Building Community Trust and Justice Program -- This program would provide $55 million in grants and technical assistance over three years to state, local, and tribal courts and juvenile justice agencies to support innovative efforts to improve perceptions of fairness in the criminal and juvenile justice systems and build community trust in these institutions. Over three years, this program could reach at least 20 sites.
• Collaborative Reform Initiative (CRI) -- The Administration proposes to expand this initiative, currently underway in St. Louis County, with $55 million over three years to serve up to 55 communities. CRI is a voluntary form of technical assistance where organizational deficiencies are identified and changes that would benefit the law enforcement agency and community are recommended by experts.
• Task Force/Police Commission -- The Administration proposes $2 million to support the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to lead a task force that will build on the extensive research currently being conducted by COPS and will examine, among other issues, how to promote effective crime reduction while building public trust. The task force will be directed to prepare a report and recommendations within 90 days of its creation.
• Additional Oversight/Training -- The Administration would provide $21 million over three years for additional oversight and training as a result of both the above mentioned programs and the recommendations from the White House Report on Federal Support for Local Law Enforcement Acquisition. 

We are asking Congress to accommodate this request in Fiscal Year 2015 and look forward to working with them on future budget requests to support this effort.

Shaun Donovan is the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.