Blog posts
Watertown’s latest Justice Navigator Assessment highlights progress, persistent disparities, and actionable insights for a safer, more equitable community.
Advancing Transparency and Equity in Watertown: A New Justice Navigator Assessment Read More
In the years following the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, communities across the country launched a wave of new alternatives to armed police. Today, many of those programs face a critical question: will they receive the support they need to succeed?
Alternatives to Traditional Policing are In Demand – But Need Support to Work Read More
Created as a tool to quickly identify and document people suspected of having a connection to gang violence, gang databases have become a pipeline for federal immigration enforcement. On paper, tools like these look efficient and innocuous, but are actually created based on unclear criteria and inconsistent practices. The end result is often inaccurate and inefficient data that leans on the weakest points of the immigration enforcement system. In our new white paper, Gang Databases and Immigration Enforcement, the Center for Policing Equity (CPE) explores the disproportionate impact these databases have on marginalized communities and why the use of gang databases is an urgent problem. This blog post discusses this impact on communities and why the current political climate demands swift action to address these harms.
Gang Databases and Immigration Enforcement: A Growing Problem Read More
Recent actions from the federal government have blurred the lines between immigration enforcement and local policing, with serious consequences for public safety. In response, the Center for Policing Equity has published a white paper that examines how federal immigration authorities can — and cannot — pressure law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to comply with immigration enforcement efforts. This blog post explores key recommendations that support communities and LEAs in pushing back against attempts to commandeer local resources and help LEAs define their relationship with ICE in ways that protect the rights and dignity of community members.
When Law Enforcement Meets ICE: How a Loss of Local Autonomy Puts Public Safety at Risk Read More
In 2013, a year after the murder of Trayvon Martin, the Black Lives Matter movement mobilized to demand meaningful policy change to address anti-Black violence across the country. While many jurisdictions passed new regulations, such as chokehold bans, and created alternative response programs rooted in community care, a new CPE study reveals that the level of police violence in the form of nonfatal injuries has remained relatively constant. Real change has not been achieved. Our blog post delves into these findings and the urgent steps needed to create safer communities for all.
Police Violence Has Not Declined Despite Black Lives Matter-Era Policy Changes Read More
What does safety really mean in the Antelope Valley? During the Justice Navigator Assessments in Lancaster and Palmdale, CA, the CPE Community Engagement team met with residents to find out how to improve trust between communities and law enforcement. In these listening sessions, the CPE team learned that community members define safety not just through trust, but through authentic engagement and community-led solutions.
Building Safer Communities in the Antelope Valley: Why Earning Community Trust Matters Read More
Gun violence has become a disturbingly common occurrence in everyday
American life. Communities have responded to this increase in mass shootings with investments in community violence intervention (CVI) programs.
In this blog post, Jessica Mofield, Vice President of Policy and Community Engagement at CPE, explores how communities have historically strengthened community-led CVI initiatives and the support they now need to feel truly safe.
In this blog, Marcus McKinney, Senior Advisor for Government Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives at CPE, pens A Love Letter to Los Angeles in honor of #HispanicHeritageMonth. In it, he recalls the city’s history of resilience and how, time and again, Angelenos rise up to fight against discrimination and oppression. Their bravery–especially now when Black and Brown communities are being targeted and discriminated against by the Trump administration’s immigration policies–inspires us to continue advocating for a better future for all.
A Love Letter to Los Angeles Read More
On September 17, 2025, we proudly joined with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) to release two new Justice Navigator Assessments (JNAs) for the Lancaster and Palmdale Stations. This joint rollout event marked an important milestone in our more than three-year partnership with LASD, rooted in a shared commitment: making public safety systems in the Antelope Valley work better for everyone.
As Congress moves to slash Medicaid funding, millions of Americans stand to lose more than just health coverage—they risk losing the stability and safety that come from accessible care. Drawing on the firsthand experiences of a former police chief and a mental health professional, this blog explores how deep cuts to the social safety net threaten not only individual well-being, but also the health and safety of entire communities.
Gutting Medicaid is a Public Safety Crisis in the Making Read More