On Thursday, June 22, the Center on Policing hosted Peter Harvey, former New Jersey Attorney General, for a lecture on 21st Century Urban Policing as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series.  Mr. Harvey is a partner in the New York City law office of Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler, and serves as the Independent Monitor for the Newark Police Department under the consent decree which the COP is part of the Monitoring Team.  Members of various law enforcement agencies, Rutgers faculty, and students attended the lecture.

Mr. Harvey highlighted the changing nature of public safety–departments can no longer hire officers based on family connections or physical prowess.  Officers need to be thoughtful, smart, fair, and willing to learn throughout their entire careers.  They must also be willing to retrain to ensure they are using the best and most effective techniques.

In order for community policing to be effective, police commanders need frequent and constructive dialogue with members of the community.  Police officers must be held accountable for their actions both on and off duty.  Technology has driven change, but departments must understand the data for it to be effective.  This data must be analyzed and studied to find important information such as hot spots and reasons why crime is being conducted in that location.  The world has changed in the 21st century, and policing must evolve with it or it will no longer be effective.