As the world has reacted to the events in Ferguson/St. Louis County and New York City, we have tried to understand the implications for cities, towns, counties, and the profession.

First, we have reached out to support our colleagues in Ferguson by offering whatever is needed to John Shaw and his staff as they work through a complex range of issues and emotions.

Second, for some time now, we have been working on a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) project on the police departments of the future. If you are interested, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) website has some good material that looks at many of the issues raised by the events of the past few months. We have also talked with the BJA project team and representatives from the Major Cities Chiefs Association about how to develop a set of recommendations for communities going forward.

Third, we met with our colleagues from the Big 7 and White House representatives to encourage significant involvement on the part of the state/local government communities in any White House/DOJ initiatives. We also stressed that the issues raised were broader and more complex than just police strategy, tactics, and equipment. 

We will continue to be engaged on this issue and will keep you informed as we progress.

Bob O'Neill

ICMA Executive Director