National Police Reform Commissions: Evidence-Based Practices or Unfulfilled Promises?

Abstract

The Kerner Commission devoted significant attention to the issue of policing and its impact on communities of color in particular. In light of the 50th anniversary of the Kerner Commission, the focus of this article is twofold. First, this article provides a literature review on police commissions across time, both pre- and post-Kerner, to identify similarities. There are three key areas of focus that most of the police commissions have touched on: excessive police use of force, police–community relations, and personnel standards. Second, this article assesses the empirical evidence behind these three identified areas of concern and asks the following: What does the research show on the efficacy of police organizational reforms for reducing excessive police use of force, building police–community relations, and improving personnel standards? This article concludes by identifying areas for further research in each of these three subcategories. Specifically, this article highlights the need for further research to empirically delineate what strategies are effective for reducing police–community tensions.