President Barack Obama signed an executive order to initiate the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing in December 2014.
The members of the task force had the goal of receiving expertise, testimonials, and information from stakeholders and the public to identify the best practices in running law enforcement departments and make recommendations,
according to Community Oriented Policing Services.
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The force included law enforcement officers, social activists, and career academics.
The final report, released in May 2015, led to the announcement of the White House Police Data Initiative, which aims to release information to the public of shows of force by officers and shootings in which police were involved based on the recommendations provided by the task force.
The shootings in Ferguson and New York and their following riots triggered the investigation in an effort to build a bridge between communities and law enforcement.
While the report was not unanimous, it was agreed upon by consensus.
“Neither one of us is going to completely agree with the other, but at least now I think we have a better understanding of why we feel the way we do,” Tucson police Chief Roberto Villaseñor
told the Tucson News Now.
The task force’s results stated police departments should be more transparent about serious events by communicating with citizens and the media. It also suggested initiating activities unrelated to enforcing the law to build trust with society.
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The report also looked at issues regarding law enforcement involvement in immigration and the appearance of police officers when dealing with riots like those seen in Ferguson, New York, and Baltimore, Tucson News Now noted.
“Being part of this and learning as much as I did is probably the most educational component I've had in my professional career,” Villaseñor said.
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