Executive Summary

A clear majority of respondents—between 74% and 89%—support recruiting police officers from the neighborhoods they serve, seeing it as a way to build trust and avoid the image of an occupying force. [1]

• Strong public backing (74‑89%) for local recruitment of police officers [1]
• Respondents link local hiring to increased community trust and reduced perceptions of police as outsiders [1]
• Policy recommendation: prioritize hiring locals and establish dedicated unarmed de‑escalation units to focus on preventing deaths [2]

Policymakers are urged to revise hiring practices and consider unarmed response teams as immediate steps to strengthen community policing.

What People Believe

Police recruitment from local communities

A majority of respondents (74–89%) agree that police should be recruited from the communities they patrol. [1]

Respondents believe local recruitment fosters trust and prevents police from being seen as an occupying force. [1]

Suggested Policies and Actions

Recruit police officers from the communities they serve

Local police departments and city governments should implement hiring practices that prioritize candidates who reside in the neighborhoods they will patrol. This approach is supported by a majority of respondents who believe that recruiting from the community fosters trust and prevents police from being seen as an occupying force, with 74-89% agreement [1] .

Create a dedicated unarmed de‑escalation officer unit

Police agencies and municipal policymakers should establish a class of unarmed officers whose sole authority is to de‑escalate situations, calling in armed officers only when necessary. This policy prioritizes preventing deaths over aggressive policing for minor offenses [2] .