The nonprofit Police Executive Research Forum, or PERF, has just released its year-end “Issues to Watch” statement. PERF “is a police research and policy organization” that aims to improve police services through “national leadership; public debate of police and criminal justice issues; and research and policy development.” 2022 focused on such critical issues in American policing as the national wave of so-called “gun violence,” the reduction of drug overdoses, and the dire situation with police officer recruiting and retention across the country.
ISSUE 1: Is the gun violence wave beginning to recede?
Thankfully, after rising crime rates from 2019-2021, there’s some good news on the “gun violence” front. Even though the complete 2022 national crime data isn’t available yet, murders do appear to be trending downward.
Using the most recent available data from more than 90 cities, crime analyst Jeff Asher found that in 2022, murders in those cities appear to have decreased by about 5%. Similarly, the Major Cities Chiefs Association found that murders had decreased more than 4% in its 70 U.S. member agencies through the first nine months of the year.
While that trend is encouraging, PERF stated that many U.S. cities are still “seeing unfathomable levels of violence.” Philadelphia recorded over 500 homicides for 2022, which was lower than the 562 homicides that occurred there in 2021, but well above the 356 homicides recorded for all of 2019. Meanwhile, Chicago reached 687 murders in 2022, which was 14% below 2021, but still 39% above 2019.
While the available data suggests “gun violence” is trending in the right direction in 2022, it remains to be seen if it will continue in 2023.
ISSUE 2: Can we reduce drug overdose deaths?
Since 2019, fentanyl overdoses have killed thousands and thousands of Americans. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced in mid-December it had “seized enough fentanyl in 2022 to kill every American,” but that story barely got any coverage, according to PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler. “I don’t think this development has received the attention it deserves, and I encourage all [law enforcement officers] to demonstrate your leadership here,” he said. “Raise this topic and encourage local political leaders and members of your community to support programs that can make progress in this ongoing struggle.”
Wexler said short-term “evidence-based strategies that save lives (such as harm reduction programs that reduce the risks of opioid use becoming fatal)” and helping individuals deal with addiction issues in the long term, “such as diversion or deflection programs to connect people to services,” are just some of the strategies he recommends to stop the scourge of fentanyl overdoses in the U.S.
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Wexler also hopes “the federal government will focus on this issue and chart a new course,” which could only mean closing the U.S. southern border once and for all. Texas and Arizona are trying to do their part to stop the people and drugs flowing across their borders. It’s time for Joe Biden & Co. to get serious as well. Americans are overdosing and dying, and we need to do better. It certainly won’t be easy to turn this fentanyl overdose trend around, but it’s a critical issue for law enforcement in 2023.
ISSUE 3: Will the recruiting and retention situation improve?
Over the past three years, as crime has soared, law enforcement agencies nationwide have struggled to recruit the next generation of police officers and retain those currently serving. A PERF survey of workforce trends found that between 2019 and 2021: hirings fell by nearly 4%; resignations rose over 40%; and retirements rose over 20%. Overall, PERF found that officer staffing levels dropped nearly 3.5% during 2020-2021. Surely, it’s just a coincidence that it’s also the same time period the left was screeching to “defund the police,” rioting and burning our cities to the ground because of “ACAB,” and leftists D.A.s were letting criminals out of jail with no-cash bail.
In response, PERF held a conference in late 2022 on “recruiting and retention.” At the conference, “we heard about the staffing adjustments agencies have had to make to meet their service demands, such as requiring officers to work overtime,” said Wexler. “Attendees discussed strategies for retaining officers, such as bonuses and flexible scheduling. And police leaders told us about their strategies for recruiting new officers, including changes to physical fitness tests and other entry requirements,” he said.
In other words, fewer officers are working longer hours, all while fitness standards are being reduced. That sounds like a recipe for disaster, as well as an issue law enforcement must watch in 2023. In fact, Wexler stated as much: “PERF will conduct a new survey of workforce trends to find out whether the staffing situation improved in 2022.” The updated recruiting and retention data should be out any time now. It’s hard to imagine the numbers will be significantly better though, as morale among law enforcement continues to slump — and who can blame them, you know, besides the hateful left?
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