Data & Transparency Framework for Policing agencies

Overview

Transparency is a cornerstone of democratic governance. For policing agencies, transparency means that what police are doing, and how they are doing it, is open and accessible to the communities they serve. This framework provides clear and streamlined guidance on what sorts of data should be made available from policing agencies and how providing it can address community concerns, foster mutual trust, and improve community-police relations.

Key Takeaways

1). This framework is intended to provide a robust form of transparency. It goes beyond current practice and may prove challenging to implement, depending on state and local records laws, union contracts, records management systems, analytical capabilities, and the like.

2). With the challenges of implementation in mind, the framework provides two tiers of guidance—an ideal that agencies should aim for, as well as immediate and doable steps to take now.

3). All information indicated in the framework should be published on the official agency or city website so that it is easily accessible to the public.