Published by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), this report discusses the grant awarded for a study of police/community relations. This study used college students to help drive the discussion on diversity and inclusion and how best to transform recruitment strategies for law enforcement agencies in the 21st century. Data for this study were collected through two methods: focus groups and convenings between college students and law enforcement managers and supervisors.
The focus groups were conducted in four regions of the United States – Midwest, East, South, and West Coast – during the summer and fall of 2016. The focus groups were conducted at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) to ensure that most of the students included in the focus groups were African American. In addition to the discussion, focus groups were given a demographic survey which included a few questions about their experience with police officers. The focus groups provided insight into how college students perceive police officers and how they believe relations between police departments and the black community can be improved.
You can read and/or download the full report at https://tinyurl.com/3pwm5eur