Public transparency in law enforcement reflects the degree to which an agency engages with members of their community about strategies and daily operations through publicly available information. This includes sharing information or engaging with the community about policy changes, responses to crime and other public safety priorities, use of new technology, and protocols for responding to and communicating with the public during and after critical incidents.

Cropped view of a woman's hand holding a microphone towards a person in police uniform, with a blurry group of seated children in the background.

Resources Related to Public Transparency

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  • Implementation Tools

  • Type of product

  • Audience

  • Reset

Other | 2022

Police Data Collection and Transparency

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Stops, Searches, and Arrests
  • Public Transparency

Article | 2021

Building Trust Inside and Out The Challenges of Legitimacy Facing Police Leaders

  • Crime and Violence Response
  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Public Transparency
  • Recruitment and Retention

Guidebook/Tool | 2021

Tools and Resources for Project-Based Community Advisory Boards

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Public Transparency

Other | 2020

Implementation and Evaluation

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Stops, Searches, and Arrests
  • Public Transparency

Article | 2020

Gathering Feedback through Community Surveys

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Public Transparency

Article | 2020

Transparency and Accountability at the Frontlines of Justice: Police Data Transparency

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Public Transparency

Policy, Training | 2020

Bias-Free Policing

  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Stops, Searches, and Arrests
  • Public Transparency

Guidebook/Tool | 2020

How to Conduct an After-Action Review

  • Crime and Violence Response
  • Community Trust and Partnerships
  • Response to Mass Demonstrations
  • Responding to Mass Critical Incidents
  • Public Transparency

The information provided within these modules has been gathered from various sources, including legal reviews, research, and practitioner and department-developed resources. These webpage modules are intended to be a guide for departments to use to improve their policing practices. Additional information and resources may be needed to implement the recommendations successfully. This resource is intended to be dynamic, and the Knowledge Lab will continue to update and add to these modules to provide additional and current guidance for departments.

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