Media Coverage

Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, Co-founder and CEO of the Center for Policing Equity, discussed the shooting of 17-year-old Kansas City teen Ralph Yarl after a case of mistaken address with the Washington Post. The article examines the shooter’s excuse and the overarching concept that Black children are routinely perceived as older and more threatening than their White counterparts.  The following is an excerpt from the Washington Post coverage: It’s generally accepted that there’s a distinction between children and adults and what can be expected of them, said Phillip Atiba Goff, chair of African American studies at Yale University. But Black children often aren’t afforded that same grace as White children, he said. In one study, researchers asked people to judge the perceived innocence of children and young people up to age 25. The Black children ranked as significantly less innocent than other children in every age group beginning at age […]

Route Fifty published an article penned by CPE’s Vice President of Product Discovery Dr. Nicole Johnson-Ahorlu, CPE Director of Public Health Dr. Tralonda Triplett, and CPE Content Strategist Ajua Kouadio (Ph.D. candidate in Education Policy). The piece examines recent changes to education policy in the State of Florida and the disturbing trend toward complete erasure of Black history in this nation.  The below is an excerpt from the Route Fifty publication: Black History Month may be over, but Black history continues to feature heavily in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ cynical, mean-spirited political stratagems. The governor has weaponized Black history for some time in his still unofficial presidential bid. Most notably with the signing into law of the dog-whistle-heavy Stop WOKE Act last year, which forbids teaching A.P. African American studies in Florida classrooms. And more recently with hand-picking New College of Florida trustees, who recently voted to dismantle that institution’s

CNN hosted a panel discussion on the shooting of Ralph Yarl, a teen who was shot after an incident of mistaken address when seeking to pick up his younger siblings. The perpetrator argued that they perceived a threat when the teen approached the house. CPE’s Senior Vice President of Policy and Community Engagement, Eric Cumberbatch, joined the discussion. In the below-linked video, Cumberbatch says: “This reflects Emmitt Till and the adultification of Black boys and girls in America. Ultimately there are systems, there are policies, and there are people […] when they see Black children, they see them as adults. They want to treat them as adults. They see them as being inherently violent. They see them as lacking innocence, and these are children. These are our most precious gifts as parents. I have a 17-year-old son, and I feel for him every day when he leaves the house. Ultimately,

The Associated Press published an article examining the series of events surrounding the fallout and public perception of policing after the murder of unarmed Black men and women, beginning with the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Many community leaders and public policy experts note that progress has been slow, and attempts at change seem weak and ineffective.  An excerpt from the coverage states: “Eric Cumberbatch, senior vice president of Policy & Community Engagement at the Center for Policing Equity, questions the efficacy of community outreach programs. Officers meet Black clergy, play basketball with children and attend cookouts, but that “lacks real depth in creating systematic and institutional change,” said Cumberbatch, whose organization uses data to help communities achieve safer policing outcomes.” Read the full article on TheDailyMail.com.

Axios published its findings after its thorough investigation of the Philadelphia Police Department’s use and documentation of body camera footage. The department spent more than $20 million on its body camera program, an initiative it launched to offer transparency and accountability to city residents. But an analysis by Axios found that thousands of officers violated bodycam policies, most for not turning on their cameras. Hans Menos, PhD, LCSW,  CPE’s Triage Response Team Vice President, spoke to the outlet and illuminated issues of concern.  The following is an excerpt from the article: “Hans Menos, former executive director of the Philadelphia Police Advisory Commission, now with the Center for Policing Equity, said it’s not just a matter of finding a few “bad apples” for a department that has “systemic” issues. He criticized the department’s infrequent release of footage to the public. State law makes it nearly impossible for the public to obtain

NBC News recently published an article on the national trend in the absence of policy specifying how officers should handle foot chases, and neither do most American law enforcement agencies. The article discusses how that’s begun to change after a string of high-profile police killings that followed foot chases in certain cities — including Chicago; Sacramento, California; Baltimore; and Las Vegas — demonstrating an expanding effort to limit such pursuits. Footage from officers’ body cameras has given the public a firsthand look at how chases can turn deadly. Studies in different parts of the country have found that a significant proportion — ranging from 12% to 48% — of police shootings followed foot pursuits. Former Salt Lake City Police Chief and CPE Consultant Chris Burbank provided commentary, stating: “Everyone knows this is a problem.” More than a decade ago, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department became one of the first

In her Op-Ed article published in The Hill, Dr. Tracie L. Keesee, President of the Center for Policing Equity, addresses the issue of race in policing in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ killing by Memphis police officers. She emphasizes that even though the officers involved were black, this does not negate the fact that systemic racism remains deeply embedded in law enforcement policies and practices. Dr. Keesee highlights the urgent need for law enforcement agencies to address and uproot the cultural and structural issues that underlie police abuse and brutality. From the coverage: “This country must replace its attachment to violence and systems of punishment with systems of care that provide all communities, particularly Black and Brown communities that have so long lived with burdensome policing, with the resources they need not only to stay safe but to thrive.”  Continue reading at TheHill.com.

Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, the CEO of the Center for Policing Equity, met with Alex Wagner on MCNBC to discuss how qualified immunity protects police from being held accountable in civil lawsuits and who ultimately foots the bill for police misconduct. Watch the complete video on MSN.com.

In “The Problem with Jon Stewart” Podcast, Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff discusses how armed cops for minor traffic stops can escalate violence, highlights the impact of institutional racism on law enforcement, and advocates for investing in human infrastructure as a solution to curb police brutality.  From the coverage: “So we want the behaviors to change. We can put folks in different situations which is to say we need to not have law enforcement responding to places where we don’t want a badge and a gun as a potential consequence. We have to look at the fact that these systems are incredibly well-funded. In Memphis, for instance, it’s 38% of the municipal budget. It’s not that it’s poorly funded and they’re poorly trained. It’s that we’re spending a bunch of money to have them do exactly what we ask them to do.” Continue listening at Podcasts.apple.com.

Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, the CEO of the Center for Policing Equity, appeared on The Last Word with Ali Velshi on MCNBC to discuss the aggressive measures taken by Memphis police officers that resulted in the murder of Tyre Nichols. Dr. Goff asserts that the officers’ excessively brutal and deliberate response was unjustified.  From the video: “As they’re telling him to get on his belly and to lie flat, one of the officers is holding his right arm while the other one is twisting his left arm in the other direction. He would’ve had to struggle out of the grip of the officers in order to lie flat. He was complying as much as his 140-pound body could against 5 grown men who were trained to engage in hand-to-hand combat.” Continue watching at MCNBC.com.