The IACP Trust Building Campaign seeks to enhance trust between police agencies and the communities they serve by ensuring positive community-police partnerships that promote safe, effective interactions; create strategies to prevent and reduce crime; and improve the well-being and quality of life for all.

To join the campaign, police agencies must pledge to implement key policies and promising practices over the next 36 months. These policies and practices represent six key focus areas that are essential to enhancing trust and collaboration between communities and police.

Bias-free Policing

• Establish a policy on bias-free policing.
• Increase transparency and accountability of police use of force. Publish complaint process policies and data.
• Provide officers with training and coaching on cultural responsivity. Train officers on the unique makeup and needs of their communities based on country of origin, religious and cultural practices, etc. which may conflict with local laws.

Use of Force

• Adopt the elements of the National Consensus Policy on Use of Force into the agency’s policies and procedures. Publish use of force policies.
• Provide regular training on the agency’s use of force policies. Training should include scenario-based exercises that incorporate de-escalation techniques. 
• Document all use of force beyond handcuffing in agency records. Review these records on an annual basis to identify trends that need to be addressed in policy and training.
• Participate in the National Use of Force database.

Leadership and Culture

• Establish an agency policy or statement that recognizes the sanctity of life and the importance of preserving human life during all encounters.  Adopting the IACP Oath of Honor (Revised 2020) will meet this requirement.
• Participate in accreditation, certification, or credentialing process that utilizes an independent organization which reviews an agency’s policies and procedures.
• Ensure training and policy reflect a culture of equity, diversion, inclusion, accountability and that promote procedural justice for community members and employees alike.
• Establish an employee wellness program that includes both physical and mental health.
• Conduct a culture assessment of the organization, with steps taken to address areas of concern and opportunity.
• Provide body armor to all officers and require the wearing of soft body armor while on uniformed patrol.

Recruitment, Hiring, and Retention

• Approach recruiting based on a guardian officer ideology rather than through a warrior mentality. 
• Establish minimum educational standards or equivalency requirements that can be met by prior life experience. Provide officers with the opportunity for advanced education and training opportunities throughout their careers.
• Verify potential hires with the national decertification database before hiring experienced officers.
• Include measures of problem-solving, trust-building, and cultural responsivity in metrics of officer performance. 

Victim Services

• Train officers in Trauma-Informed response.
• Train officers on best practices while providing resources and tools for communicating with community members who do not speak English or whose ability to communicate is impaired. 
• Establish partnerships to provide for mental health, substance abuse, and youth deflection/diversion resources in their community.

Community Relations

• Educate communities on the dynamics of policing and set reasonable expectations for their police. Establish shared expectations of the role police have in the community and solicit input from the community on agency policies and procedures.
• Establish a clear and timely complaint process that does not require written or sworn statements to submit. Complaint processes and applicable policies should be accessible to all.
• Conduct a regular recurring survey of the community to measure the level of trust in the police.
• Establish written strategies to engage with youth and marginalized groups in the community to foster positive relationships and build trust. 

Agencies and organizations demonstrating a serious commitment to implementing the key action items in all 6 areas will become publicly recognized members of the Trust Building Campaign.