NOT DEAD YET: The Future of Police Reform

Not Dead Yet: The Future of Police Reform

Samuel Walker, Ph.D., professor emeritus,
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Not Dead Yet discusses the future of police reform in America. Because the Trump Administration cancelled the Justice Department Pattern or Practice Program in early 2017, many people believe that police reform is at a standstill.

Based on his research, Walker argues that there are many important reforms occurring. State legislatures and city councils have enacted a number of police-related laws and ordinances since 2014. The best police chiefs, working through the Police Executive Research Forum have issued a series of reports recommending new controls over police officer uses of force, de-escalation, and officer tactical decision-making. In short, much reform is underway.

Professor Walker’s research was recently published in an article in the Illinois Law Review. It also appears in the third edition of The New World of Police Accountability, co-authored with Carol Archbold, Ph.D. (a graduate of the UNO School of Criminology and Criminal Justice doctoral program), and which will officially be released on the day of this presentation.

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