PERF Trending

"Trending" is PERF's weekly update to its members covering the latest news from PERF and the policing world. Past editions of Trending are available below.

2025

  • June 21st: Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans discusses last weekend’s political assassination and the challenge of managing a multijurisdictional investigation
  • June 14th: LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna discuss major takeaways from this week’s demonstrations and rioting
  • June 7th: Witnessing incredible resilience and fortitude on my recent visit to Ukraine
  • May 31st: A few highlights from the PERF Annual Meeting in Nashville
  • May 24th: A Supreme Court decision on use of force; DOJ’s decision on consent decrees; and the death of former Baltimore police commissioner, PERF president, and COPS Office director Tom Frazier
  • May 17th: New PERF book on the first six months of a police chief’s tenure
  • May 10th: Implementing extreme risk protection orders
  • May 3rd: Chicago Superintendent Larry Snelling on his early life, his policing career, and making progress with an agency under a consent decree
  • April 26th: The important role of the federal government in supporting policing
  • April 19th: Former Washington Post publisher Don Graham on Watergate, the Unabomber, and his 18 months as a police officer
  • April 12th: Balancing community trust and enforcement: The complex issue of immigration
  • April 5th: Research on officer retention, new writing from Anthony Braga and Peter Moskos, and the future of traffic enforcement
  • March 29th: New PERF report on mental health treatment centers for police
  • March 22nd: Some fascinating uses of AI, Phoenix narrows its chief search, and the Met’s new data-driven strategy shows promise
  • March 15th: Immigration enforcement, a study on suicidal ideation, and a play partially based on ICAT
  • March 8th: Shifting traffic enforcement priorities and creating a culture of responsibility
  • March 1st: Courage under fire
  • February 22nd: A busy week on the road in Florida and New York
  • February 15th: Protecting the Super Bowl
  • February 8th: Supporting federal law enforcement
  • February 1st: NYPD’s Terri Tobin reflects on a lifetime of service and the heroic actions of first responders on 9/11
  • January 25th: Respecting and honoring the heroes of January 6th
  • January 18th: LA County Sheriff Robert Luna and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell discuss the challenges of policing amid record-breaking wildfires
  • January 11th: New PERF report on preparing for and responding to officer-involved critical incidents
  • January 4th: A look back on 2024, and a look ahead to 2025

2024

  • December 21st: A few (more) memories of working on Christmas
  • December 14th: A few recent stories in the news
  • December 7th: Street takeovers are a national problem
  • November 30th: Giving thanks for emergency dispatchers who make a difference
  • November 23rd: Giving thanks to the officers who go the extra mile
  • November 16th: Local and state election results reflect a shift in attitude toward crime and policing
  • November 9th: Police leaders from battleground states help protect the election process
  • November 2nd: Portland Chief Bob Day on drug laws, homelessness, the 2020 demonstrations and riots, and staying hopeful
  • October 26th: PERF’s Town Hall Meeting covers the challenges facing policing
  • October 19th: Come to the PERF Town Hall Meeting tomorrow in Boston!
  • October 12th: Tampa Chief Lee Bercaw and Asheville Chief Mike Lamb on Hurricanes Milton and Helene
  • October 5th: New report provides recommendations for cops and reporters during mass demonstrations
  • September 28th: Defensive tactics training: What works?
  • September 21st: PERF releases new report on avoiding restraint-related deaths
  • August 24th: Policing divided communities
  • August 17th: Preparing for the election: Resources for local police
  • August 10th: Tucson Chief Chad Kasmar on cultivating strong leaders and TPD’s “Struggle Well” program
  • August 3rd: SMIP incorporates Outward Bound to develop future police leaders
  • July 27th: A life devoted to getting the story right: Al Baker reflects on his career
  • July 20th: An assassination attempt on a presidential candidate, and increased public confidence in police
  • July 13th: Chief Mike Sullivan discusses DOJ civil rights investigations and lessons learned in Louisville, Baltimore, and Phoenix
  • July 6th: A few recent developments about gun regulation and policy
  • June 29th: Reducing restraint-related deaths, and remembering PERF’s longest-serving employee
  • June 22nd: Revisiting our “Chapter 2” publication five years later
  • June 15th: Preparing for drones as first responders and threats from rogue drones 
  • June 8th: The staffing crisis has agencies taking another look at civilianization
  • June 1st: A few highlights from the PERF Annual Meeting
  • May 25th: Restraint fatalities, a high-profile incident in Louisville, and PERF mourns the loss of one of its star instructors
  • May 18th: After decades of increases, a glimmer of hope on overdose deaths 
  • May 11th: 30 years of Compstat, falling homicide rates, use of AI in criminal investigations, and PERF events and opportunities
  • May 4th: Reflecting on college demonstrations past and present
  • April 27th: New PERF survey shows police agencies have turned a corner with staffing challenges
  • April 20th: With AI, the genie is out of the bottle, and policing needs to catch up
  • April 13th: PERF webinar series highlights agencies’ wellness programs
  • April 6th: A night of tragedy and professionalism during the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore
  • March 30th: Chicago Superintendent Larry Snelling and Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman discuss preparations for this summer’s political conventions
  • March 23rd: California banned the term “excited delirium.” Will it make a difference?
  • March 16th: Four years ago, the world as we know it changed
  • March 9th: How Ukrainian police used Rapid DNA to refute Russian claims at the UN
  • March 2nd: Changes to traffic and pedestrian stops, police pursuits, LAPD Chief Michel Moore, and more
  • February 24th: Kansas City, MO Chief Stacey Graves discusses the Super Bowl parade shooting
  • February 17th: Reaching the Next Generation in Policing
  • February 10th: Maui Chief John Pelletier speaks with PERF about the after-action review of his agency’s response to the horrific wildfires
  • February 3rd: Policing and Artificial Intelligence—Promise and Peril
  • January 27th: An Untapped Resource: Addressing hiring challenges through legal residents and Dreamers
  • January 20th: DOJ review of Uvalde shooting, drops in officer fatalities and homicides, Phoenix’s ongoing reforms, and more
  • January 13th: We can change the narrative about policing, saving lives and careers
  • January 6th: New PERF report examines how agencies are using body-worn cameras

2023

  • December 23rd: A few stories about working on Christmas
  • December 16th: Police problem solving to address violent crime and transit issues
  • December 9th: Arbitration, traffic enforcement, and shootings by federal officers
  • December 2nd: The challenge of implementation
  • November 25th: Thanks to all the cops who make a difference
  • November 18th: Memories of working on Thanksgiving
  • November 11th: Gun cases at the Supreme Court, upcoming ICAT trainings, and more
  • November 4th: A carjacking crisis and a dysfunctional juvenile justice system
  • October 28th: Debating pursuit policies at our Town Hall Meeting
  • October 21st: A somber conversation at our Town Hall Meeting about the attack on Israel
  • October 14th: Trying to make sense of a senseless and brutal attack in Israel
  • October 7th: Good cops and good reporters
  • September 30th: Defining Moments for Chiefs:  Managing Officer-Involved Critical Incidents
  • September 23rd: Police pursuit policies should be more restrictive to save lives
  • September 16th: Recent news about policing demonstrations, shooting at vehicles, and no-knock warrants
  • September 9th: Commissioner Danielle Outlaw discusses her experience in Philadelphia, Portland, and Oakland
  • September 2nd: How LAPD is using artificial intelligence to study policing
  • August 26th: Changing hiring standards can be an uphill battle
  • August 19th: Michael Harrison reflects on his career in New Orleans and Baltimore
  • August 12th: Overhauling the hiring process
  • August 5th: What’s it like being police chief in the hottest city in the country?
  • July 29th: Highlights from the PERF Annual Meeting
  • July 22nd: Remembering a remarkable police chief and honoring PERF’s award recipients
  • July 15th: Remembering a chief who showed how research can improve policing
  • July 8th: Should officers be allowed to view body-worn camera footage before giving a statement?
  • July 1st: Managing the mayor-police chief relationship
  • June 24th: Training the best and brightest future police leaders
  • June 17th: Community policing in action in Trinidad, and the importance of learning from international experiences
  • June 10th: A meeting about policing in Seattle’s immigrant and refugee communities
  • June 3rd: Come to our Annual Meeting in New York City and be part of the PERF Town Hall
  • May 27th: Honoring officers who died in the line of duty
  • May 20th: An important new step in the evolution of ICAT
  • May 13th: Chief Robert Contee discusses challenges he overcame to become chief of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department
  • May 6th: What to do about a drop in traffic enforcement?
  • April 29th: What have we learned about body-worn camera policy?
  • April 22nd: It’s time for police leaders to speak out against weapons of war in our communities
  • April 15th: Chula Vista, CA Chief Roxana Kennedy discusses her agency’s innovative drone program
  • April 8th: Notes from a return trip to Ukraine
  • April 1st: New PERF survey shows police agencies are losing officers faster than they can hire new ones
  • March 25th: Lessons from “Monday-morning quarterbacking” sessions across the country
  • March 18th: How do we get more women in police leadership positions?
  • March 11th: Police leaders using the bully pulpit
  • March 4th: What do we do when officers’ initial reports don’t align with video footage?
  • February 25th: MTA Police Chief John Mueller is creating a “body-worn camera video library” to showcase good policing
  • February 18th: Will prosecution of officers for unintended deaths lead to new pursuit policies?
  • February 11th: A powerful moment at our ICAT conference in San Diego: How tactics and communication can impact use of force
  • February 4th: Monday-morning quarterbacking the Memphis incident
  • January 28th: Tragedy and a leadership challenge in Memphis
  • January 21st: How do we raise the homicide clearance rate?
  • January 14th: A memorable two days with police in Ukraine
  • January 7th: Can Robert Tracy, who achieved large crime reductions in Wilmington, do the same in St. Louis? 

2022

  • December 31st: Issues to watch in 2023
  • December 24th: Peacekeeping on Christmas
  • December 17th: Where is the outrage about the fentanyl crisis?
  • December 10th: Lessons from 25 Years of Policing Progress in Northern Ireland
  • December 3rd: Controversy Over Police Robots in San Francisco, and More
  • November 26th: Giving Thanks and Video from Dallas Town Hall
  • November 19th: How the NYPD revolutionized the police response to hostage situations
  • November 12th: The workforce crisis in policing
  • November 5th: Voting Rights and First Amendment Rights on Election Day
  • October 29th: Defending Lives and Democracy
  • October 22nd: The PERF Town Hall Is Back!
  • October 15th: Interrupting the Cycle of Violence: A Role for the Community and the Police
  • October 8th: A crowd control tragedy, body cameras on federal agents, a serial killer in California, and more
  • October 1st: Florida chiefs and sheriffs on the response to Hurricane Ian
  • September 24th: Former Acting Met Commissioner Sir Steve House on policing events in London following Queen Elizabeth’s death
  • September 17th: New Law May Spur a Significant Cultural Change in Policing
  • September 10th: Much to look forward to this fall
  • July 9th: The value of steady leadership during anxious times
  • July 2nd: The Improbable – and Remarkable – Career of John Miller
  • June 25th: A novel approach to recruiting the next generation of police officers and regaining public trust
  • June 18th: Tackling Gun Violence … from the Halls of Congress to the Streets of our Cities
  • June 11th: Review of the Uvalde response, political assassinations, Congressional hearings, news from Ukraine, and more
  • June 4th: Back in the Saddle: It Feels Good to Meet in Person Again
  • May 28th: What Police Chiefs Can Do about Gun Violence … and Restoring Public Trust
  • May 21st: Responding to Another Horrific Tragedy: A Conversation with Buffalo Police Commissioner Joe Gramaglia
  • May 14th: “It is not how these officers died that made them heroes….”
  • May 7th: When it comes to permitless carry, listen to the police chiefs
  • April 30th: A new DOJ resource that could make a difference on the ground
  • April 23rd: How police agencies can assist Ukraine
  • April 16th: Howard Buffett: Why a philanthropist chose to support better policing
  • April 9th: Rendering aid after a police shooting: turning policy into action
  • April 2nd: The President’s budget, NIBRS, and ghost guns
  • March 26th: In the debate over college for cops, maybe it’s time to rethink what success and potential look like
  • March 19th: Addressing violence while building trust
  • March 12th: Profiles of courage in Ukraine, and PERF’s international policing program
  • March 5th: The tragedy in Ukraine, and a personal story
  • February 26th: A trial of Minneapolis officers, and new thinking about police handling demonstrations
  • February 19th: The Difficult Challenges Faced by Two Chiefs
  • February 12th: A fascinating talk with Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly
  • February 5th: National narrative changing, research, and bosses
  • January 29th: A challenge to DOJ – Give us research that is timely and critical to solving today's challenges
  • January 22nd: Breaking New Ground Between Academia and Policing
  • January 15th: Why are police chiefs and DAs feuding in some cities?
  • January 8th: Issues to Watch in 2022

2021

  • December 18th: Is the Tide Shifting on Attitudes about Crime?
  • December 11th: “Shark Tank” Program Encourages DC Officers to Share Their Ideas
  • December 4th: Taking Police Suicide Out of the Shadows
  • November 27th: A Thanksgiving weekend movie recommendation
  • November 20th: Coming PERF Attractions and Interesting News Items
  • November 13th: “Uncomfortable conversations”: Police Scotland’s lessons from the COP26 demonstrations
  • November 6th: Is It Time to Rethink Traffic Stops?
  • October 30th: Inside PERF This Week, and Catching Up from Around the Country
  • October 23rd: DEA’s Anne Milgram reaches out to PERF on opioid deaths, marijuana, and violent crime
  • October 16th: This Year, Chiefs Are Retiring at Twice the Normal Rate 
  • October 9th: Policing is about matters of life and death
  • October 2nd: Managing the Stress of the Past Year
  • September 25th: We had a lot of straight talk at our Town Hall Meeting 
  • September 18th: DOJ Is Leveling the Playing Field
  • September 11th: Living up to the memory of what the heroes of 9/11 taught us
  • September 4th: Where is the sense of urgency about COVID deaths of police officers?
  • August 28th: A Time to Save Lives: Labor and Management Need to Come Together on Vaccine Mandates
  • August 21st: A lot going on this week at PERF
  • August 14th: "The Right Stuff"
  • August 7th: What can we do to prevent police officer suicides?
  • July 31st: Policing and COVID – It’s time to change strategy
  • July 24th: 2020’s Pandemic Within a Pandemic: The Opioid Crisis
  • July 17th: My Favorite Time of the Year Is Now
  • July 10th: Confronting the unintended consequences of marijuana legalization
  • July 3rd: Homicide Victims Are Not ‘Speed Bumps’
  • June 26th: Addressing the Defining Issue in Policing Today
  • June 19th: A preview of Tuesday’s Virtual Town Hall Meeting
  • June 12th: What happens when the social worker asks the police to step in?
  • June 5th: How Can We Get Cops to Stop Shooting at Vehicles? 
  • May 29th: How a Detective Revolutionized Our Response to Hostage Situations
  • May 22nd: What Police Reform in America Really Needs to Look Like
  • May 15th: Honoring Heroic Officers
  • May 8th: The Challenge of Body-Worn Camera Video: Release Now or Wait Until Later? 
  • May 1st: Investigations of Police Departments Are Important, but Let’s Streamline the Process 
  • April 24th: Citizen Jurors and Citizen Review Boards
  • April 17th: What If the Police Shared Ownership for Managing Demonstrations with the Community?
  • April 10th: Out of Tragedy, Hope and Redemption
  • April 3rd: Getting Officers To “Step Up and Step In” 
  • March 27th: A Time for Guardians and a Time for Warriors
  • March 20th: Looking Back on a Year Like No Other – and What’s Next for PERF 
  • March 13th: Looking Back, and Looking Ahead, on Police Reform
  • March 6th: Professional employees told me some great stories
  • February 27th: The Unsung Heroes of Policing
  • February 20th: COVID Vaccines Are an Opportunity for Chiefs and Union Leaders to Work Together
  • February 13th: On the Difficult Issue of Race, Three Police Leaders Reflect on their Early Experiences, Navigating Their Careers, and Lessons for Others
  • February 6th: What’s going on with COVID vaccinations?
  • January 30th: Not Losing Sight of an Alarming Increase in Gun Violence and Emerging Nationwide Responses
  • January 23rd: Heeding the Call for Unity
  • January 16th: The Heroic Cops Who Stepped Up on January 6
  • January 9th: Trying to Make Sense of a Senseless Day 
  • January 2nd: A New Year, New Challenges for Policing

2020

  • December 26th: Online Meetings: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 
  • December 19th: The Lessons We’ve Learned About Policing and COVID 
  • December 12th: Reform-Minded Prosecutors and Police Chiefs: How Do We Find Common Ground?
  • December 5th: What our survey of PERF members told us about policing, crime, and the next Presidential Administration
  • November 28th: Police reform and good police work cannot be mutually exclusive 
  • November 21st: In spite of everything this year, we have much to be thankful for.
  • November 14th: What I Think We Can Expect from the Biden Presidency
  • November 7th: Alarming news of roving criminal gangs in Oakland
  • October 31st: ICAT Is Looking Like a Game-Changer
  • October 24th: Mass Demonstrations – The Never-Ending Struggle to Get It Right
  • October 17th: Let’s Talk About the Costs of Not Fighting Crime
  • October 10th: Unintended Consequences of Civilian Oversight of the Police
  • October 3rd: Paying Tribute to the Heroes of the Summer of 2020
  • September 26th: Who Wants to Apply for a Chief’s Job When Some Chiefs Are Treated So Badly?
  • September 19th: Police Executives Need to Monday-Morning Quarterback Themselves Too
  • September 12th: The Next Step in Monday-Morning Quarterbacking
  • September 5th: PERF members tell me they agree that policing needs “Monday-morning quarterbacking”
  • August 29th: How Do We Get Out of this Mess? Here’s A First Step
  • August 22nd: Lessons From the Recent Standoff in Cedar Park, TX
  • August 15th: A New Way of Looking at Mentoring
  • August 8th: We’re in a Hypercharged Political Environment 
  • August 1st: COVID Has Demonstrated that Police Are Problem-Solvers
  • July 25th: This Is a Defining Moment for Policing
  • July 18th: When It Comes to Addressing Problems such as Homelessness, This Is What Police Reform Should Look Like
  • July 11th: The Good Cop
  • July 4th: Thank You
  • June 27th: Here’s What We’re Planning for Tuesday’s Town Hall Meeting
  • June 20th: PERF’s First Virtual Town Hall Meeting, Now Available on Video
  • June 13th: How Do We Respond to “Defund the Police”?
  • June 6th: Moving Forward from One of the Most Difficult Weeks in Policing
  • May 30th: The Death of George Floyd, and Its Searing Effect on Policing
  • May 23rd: Remembering 3 Giants in the Field of Policing Research
  • May 16th: What We Know – and Don’t Know – About Crime During the Pandemic
  • May 9th: The “Social Distancing Police” vs. Community Policing
  • May 2nd: COVID-19 and Criminal Justice Reform, and a Tribute to Tony Narr
  • April 25th: Looking forward to the return of in-person meetings
  • April 18th: Lessons from the COVID crisis that may help soften the looming economic crisis
  • April 11th: 9/11 and the COVID Crisis, As Seen by an Officer Who Survived Both
  • April 4th: Jim Collins's "Stockdale Paradox" and supporting policing friends during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • March 28th: The COVID-19 crisis and leadership lessons from General Stanley McCrystal
  • March 21st: PERF's new COVID-19 resources and the Martinsburg, WV harm reduction program
  • March 14th: PERF members on responding to the COVID-19 threat and previous PERF reports on responding to a pandemic
  • March 7th: Washington State COVID-19 responses, upcoming first-line supervision webinar, and PERF staff attend an officer wellness symposium
  • February 29th: Police chief turnover in Oakland, ICAT training in Hallandale Beach, FL, and emotional survival training in Baltimore
  • February 22nd: Use of force in Volusia County, FL, body-worn camera research in Miami Beach, and reducing nonfatal shootings in Topeka, KS
  • February 15th: Facial recognition, bail laws, and a new PERF report on less-lethal technologies