Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Contact:

Chantal Lovell
Media Relations Manager
989-698-1914

LANSING — As police departments seek to reduce crime, restore trust in law enforcement and improve the strained relationship between officers and civilians, many have begun shifting to more community-oriented operations.

A study produced by the Police Foundation considers how foot patrols may help agencies engage with the communities they serve in a positive, productive way. The paper studies five police departments (in Cambridge, Mass., New Haven, Conn., Kalamazoo, Mich., Evanston, Ill., and Portland, Ore.) that have adopted foot patrol and offers detailed descriptions of how this strategy has been implemented. Although foot patrol is manpower intensive, the study finds that this approach allows police departments to build relationships in the community that enhance the department’s problem-solving abilities. And police officers and community members benefit psychologically from these improved relationships as well.

The Police Foundation’s Director of Strategic Studies Frank Straub, Ph.D., will discuss the study's findings and one of its featured police departments, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. Kalamazoo’s Chief Jeff Hadley, who also works with the Police Foundation, will join him.

Lunch is free and is included with reservations.

For more information, contact the Mackinac Center at 989-698-1905 or events@mackinac.org.

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