The National Policing Institute team proudly presents Inside Our Impact, a newsletter dedicated to sharing NPI’s stories and those who make our work possible. Each issue highlights some of NPI’s research or projects and shares insights into how our dedication to excellence benefits you and your community.
GivingTuesday
GivingTuesday is a movement to transform your community and the world—and it’s the perfect time to give to NPI. Your donation will help fund essential research, support evidence-based police training, and allow us to develop new strategies to build safer communities. Join us now through December 3 to help us reach our goal.
Understanding Success in Law Enforcement
Recruiting and retaining police officers is not a new challenge, but new research launched earlier this year is positioned to find better solutions to the problem.
The National Policing Institute is collaborating with the Fairfax County Police Department (VA) and George Mason University’s Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy to study the careers of a large group of officers over the next two decades–from recruitment through retirement. The goal of this first-of-its-kind longitudinal study is to understand how officers progress through their careers and what success looks like for them and their agencies.
By following officer careers from their first motivation to join the force through initial experiences and career milestones, researchers will be able to better understand what influences their attitudes, actions, and decisions to stay in the profession and excel in their careers.
Through ongoing analysis, the research team also hopes to understand what changes agencies can make to ensure officers have rewarding careers and are able to continue to serve their communities most effectively.
Fairfax County Chief of Police Kevin Davis shares, “We’re partnering with the National Policing Institute and George Mason University on one of the top priorities we have–ensuring that we’re recruiting America’s best and brightest into policing and that we are doing everything necessary to help them succeed in serving their communities with pride, professionalism, and safety. We’re investing in our recruits, officers, and staff so that they can invest in their communities. That’s what policing is all about.”
Agencies around the country are not only losing officers, they’re having difficulty finding candidates to begin with. As a result, understaffing impacts the ability of some agencies to provide public safety services to their communities. This is part of what makes the longitudinal study so critical.
The longitudinal study was initially supported by a gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. However, additional funding is needed to support the study’s annual analysis and findings over its 20-year timeline.
If you would like to support this study, we invite you to make an online donation or contact NPI’s Senior Director for Philanthropy Holly Kobia at 202-833-1460 or hkobia@policinginstitute.org.
Read more about this topic.
Strengthening Law Enforcement’s Image
Though law enforcement has consistently been shown to be among the most trusted institutions by Americans overall, enhancing the profession’s image may offer benefits in recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction among officers and staff. This is especially true in communities where relationships have been strained.
By better understanding how the public image of law enforcement is shaped and upheld, we can create strategies to strengthen the relationship between officers and the communities they serve. This is one of the many reasons our team is engaging through law enforcement convenings.
The National Policing Institute is collaborating with the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office to review current research and come together to address core issues around uplifting the image of law enforcement.
“The goal of these convenings is to create a strategy for improving the image of law enforcement both locally and nationally,” said Dr. Colby Dolly, Director of Science and Innovation at NPI and former officer of 20 years. “Law enforcement leaders need strategies to uplift and maintain their image and reputation among community members and other stakeholders.”
NPI coordinates the convenings, bringing together thought leaders, law enforcement executives, community organizations, and subject matter experts to generate insights and best practices for improving law enforcement’s image and reputation. The group’s recommendations address key factors and produce actionable steps that agencies can take to positively impact their image and relationship with the community.
The image convenings will culminate with the release of a detailed guidebook that includes recommendations, strategies, and best practices with practical examples and case studies to support implementation at the local level.
More information about this project will be available soon on our website.
Meet NPI Senior Director for Philanthropy, Holly Kobia
The National Policing Institute relies on donor support to conduct leading research on important aspects of the policing profession. This work is critical to our society, and for Holly Kobia, it’s important to her family.
“My husband recently retired after serving as an officer for 17 years,” Kobia said. “I understand, deeply, what it is like to be in a police family and a police wife.”
Kobia spent 12 years in nonprofit fundraising. After leading several record-breaking years as Assistant Dean of Advancement for Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Holly became interested in building a new and comprehensive fundraising program. NPI’s President, Jim Burch, approached Holly about using her experience to help expand NPI’s fundraising efforts.
“Law enforcement service is a huge sacrifice that is often misunderstood,” Holly added. “My personal connection to policing was the most significant driver of making the move to NPI.”
Research is essential to solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Policing is no different, making fundraising critical to NPI’s ability to lead key research and technical training.
“A gift to NPI is a gift to elevating the future of policing,” said Holly.
NPI is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit research organization and training institute committed to addressing the complex challenges facing the policing profession. This vital work cannot continue without support. It is why Kobia joined the NPI team and why she’s encouraging others to support NPI’s mission.
If you would like to learn more about NPI’s strategic priority areas and how you can make an impact, contact Holly Kobia at 202-833-1460 or hkobia@policinginstitute.org.
If you liked this issue, and want more, subscribe to Inside Our Impact here. To learn more about how to support our work, policinginstitute.org/support-our-work.