Our Principles

The summer of 2020 produced momentum for change in public safety unlike anything the United States has ever seen. Communities called for a wholesale reimagining of the systems that keep us safe, and a rejection of the logic that insists that punishment is the only response vulnerable communities need. The Center for Policing Equity welcomes this increased insistence on change that is proportional to the moment. And we continue to work with our partners to ensure that our work and its impact match our values.

The path forward towards justice requires that we fight for what we believe. This is what we believe.

  • The vicious legacy of White supremacy is a root cause of suffering across the globe. Systems that support White supremacy must be resisted and dismantled.
  • All communities—but particularly vulnerable communities—are safest when they have the resources they need to prevent the crises that produce calls to 911. Providing those resources is foundational to keeping communities safe.
  • When community members do have crises, the public’s obligation is to provide appropriate resources to respond to those crises. Sending only law enforcement to respond to a crisis that is only about housing (for instance) does not make communities safer.
  • The work we do to improve the systems we have should not impede the work we do to create the systems we need. And any work accomplished inside systems should not be used as a shield against, or as an off-ramp away from, the work communities are doing.

These four principles have always guided our work, but leading with our values is a vital portion of the work ahead. For more about our values and how they influence our work, please contact us here. We want to hear from you, because we do not only want to speak our values, we want to live them.