As increased national attention has focused on troubling policing incidents and calls to reform policing practices, the need for empirical research and lived examples of effective approaches in modern day policing continues to grow.

Although a great volume of research on policing strategies has been published, much of this work is written for an academic audience and is not easily digestible by police executives and officers, community members, policymakers, and other practitioners and non-researchers. Additionally, access to publications is often restricted due to fee-based subscriptions and low staff capacity to review and translate research into any policy or practice changes.

To drive evidence-based police reforms that improve effective police decision-making, enhance community-police relations, and curb the unnecessary use of criminal justice resources such as arrests and incarceration, I’m delighted that Vera is now launching an initiative to release a concise quarterly digest of relevant emerging issues and best practices in American policing. The first volume—released today—includes reviews of key scholarly articles recently published that highlight innovative practices and groundbreaking research.

The Emerging Issues in American Policing Digest will be released quarterly on Vera’s website and is tailored to practitioners and community members interested in policing practices. The digest is designed to elevate new strategies, practices, and leaders in the field, with the intention that stakeholders will find operational insight in succinct summaries of scholarly research and information on effective policing practices and strategies.

This digest will equip the field with practical, actionable resources, and guidance on policing best practices by disseminating innovative research and proven approaches. In addition to making policing research more publicly accessible, the digest will provide readers with information about current research to help examine emerging issues and trends.

We welcome input, questions, and suggestions and look forward to your feedback and readership.

Please forward any questions or suggestions to EmergingIssuesPolicing@vera.org.