Command Performance

Command Performance: A Career Guide for Police Executives is now available as a free PDF. To order a physical copy of the book, click here.

Trending and Subject to Debate

Click here to view past issues PERF's weekly email update, Trending, and click here to view past issues of PERF's newsletter, Subject to Debate.

Free Online Documents

Below is a list of the documents PERF makes available for free online, with the most recent publications listed first. You can also click here to view our documents organized by subject or click here to view an alphabetical list of our documents. 

2025

• Enhancing Law Enforcement's Role in Community Violence Interventions / Research brief
• The First Six Months: A Police Chief's Guide to Starting Off on the Right Foot
• Call for Help: Treatment Centers for Police Officers
• Managing Officer-Involved Critical Incidents: Guidelines to Achieve Consistency, Transparency, and Fairness

2024

• Police-Media Interactions during Mass Demonstrations: Practical, Actionable Recommendations
• The Carjacking Crisis: Identifying Causes and Response Strategies
• 15 Principles for Reducing the Risk of Restraint-Related Death
• Embracing Civilianization: Integrating Professional Staff to Advance Modern Policing
• Spotlight on Sheriffs: Spotlight on the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office
• How Law Enforcement Can Better Engage Immigrant Communities: Promising Practices and Challenges from a National Survey and Regional Meetings
• ICAT for Jails: A Guide for Minimizing Use of Force in Correctional Facilities
• Immersing College Students in Police Agencies Can Improve Recruitment and Community Trust: Lessons From the PERF-HBCU Summer Internship Program / Podcast interviews with interns

2023

• Body-Worn Cameras a Decade Later: What We Know
• Rethinking the Police Response to Mental Health-Related Calls: Promising Models
• Vehicular Pursuits: A Guide for Law Enforcement Executives on Managing the Associated Risks
• Responding to the Staffing Crisis: Innovations in Recruitment and Retention
• Podcast: Building Public Trust
• Implementing the ICAT Training Program at Your Agency
• Women in Police Leadership: 10 Action Items for Advancing Women and Strengthening Policing

2022

• Transforming Police Recruit Training: 40 Guiding Principles
• Spotlight on Sheriffs: Spotlight on the Dakota County Sheriff's Office
• Police Chiefs Compensation and Career Pathways: PERF’s 2021 Survey
• An Innovative Approach to Training Future Police Leaders: The Chicago Police Department’s Executive Development Program for Sergeants
• Community Engagement Strategies for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Law Enforcement Unmanned Aircraft System Programs
• Rethinking the Police Response to Mass Demonstrations: 9 Recommendations / Accompanying video
• FirstNet in the Field: How the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network Is Impacting First Responder Operations and Supporting Innovations

2021

• Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Police Learned from One of the Most Challenging Periods of Our Lives
• Promising Strategies for Strengthening Police Department Wellness Programs
• Municipal and Campus Police: Strategies for Working Together During Turbulent Times
• Community-Based Identification Cards Give Immigrants a Sense of Belonging and Trust in Local Police
• Policing on the Front Lines of the Opioid Crisis
• What Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Need to Know About Collecting and Analyzing Use-of-Force Data
• Webinar: Part I: Research and Use of Force
• Webinar: Part II: The PERF Use-of-Force Data Framework
• Webinar: Part III: Analyzing Use-of-Force Data

2020

• Roadmap to Implementing an Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program
• Inventory of Promising Practices and Programs for Immigrant and Refugee Outreach
• Wearable Sensor Technology and Potential Uses Within Law Enforcement
• How FirstNet Deployables Are Supporting Public Safety
• The Role of Police Executives in Assisting Victims of Mass Violence: Lessons from the Field
• How Local Police Can Combat the Global Problem of Human Trafficking: Collaboration, Training, Support for Victims, and Technology Are Keys to Success
• Police Chiefs and Prosecutors Work Through Challenges to Find Common Ground
• Building Trust with Immigrant Communities: Best Practices for Law Enforcement Agencies in Smaller Cities and Towns
• Guidance on Policies and Practices for Patrol Canines
• Drones: A Report on the Use of Drones by Public Safety Agencies—and a Wake-Up Call about the Threat of Malicious Drone Attacks
• New Challenges and Promising Practices in Pretrial Release, Diversion, and Community-Based Supervision
• Refining the Role of Less-Lethal Technologies: Critical Thinking, Communications, and Tactics Are Essential in Defusing Critical Incidents
• Brazos County, TX Sheriff's Office: A FirstNet Early Adopter

2019

• Suicide by Cop: Protocol and Training Guide
• An Occupational Risk: What Every Police Agency Should Do To Prevent Suicide Among Its Officers 
• Beyond Signal Strength: Measuring Performance of Public Safety Mobile Broadband Networks
• The Workforce Crisis, and What Police Agencies Are Doing About It
• Community Policing in Immigrant Neighborhoods: Stories of Success
• Chapter 2: How Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Are Finding Meaning and Purpose In the Next Stage of Their Careers
• Building Police-Community Trust in the Latino Community of Southwood in Richmond, VA
• Spotlight on Sheriffs: Innovation and Promising Programs in the Seminole County Sheriff's Office
• Reducing Gun Violence: What Works, and What Can Be Done Now

2018

• Strengthening Relationships between Police and Immigrant Communities in a Complex Political Environment
• Spotlight on Sheriffs: Reform Efforts in the Denver Sheriff Department
• T Visas Protect Victims of Human Trafficking And Strengthen Community Relationships
• Promoting Excellence in First-Line Supervision: New Approaches to Selection, Training, and Leadership Development
• Building and Sustaining an Officer Wellness Program: Lessons from the San Diego Police Department (Executive Summary)
• Review of the Dearborn Police Department's Policies and Practices Related to Use of Force, Recruiting and Hiring, and Community Partnerships
• Promising Strategies for Strengthening Homicide Investigations
• Managing Mental Illness in Jails: Sheriffs Are Finding Promising New Approaches
• An Inclusive Approach to School Safety: Collaborative Efforts to Combat the School-to-Prison Pipeline in Denver
• Spotlight on Sheriffs: Innovation in the Polk County, Florida Sheriff's Office
• The Police Response to Homelessness
• Cost and Benefits of Body-Worn Camera Deployments
• Executive Guidebook: Practical Approaches for Strengthening Law Enforcement’s Response to Sexual Assault
• Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office: Review of Active Attack Response and Preparedness
• Handling Large, Preplanned Events: Recommendations from Preparations for the 2016 National Political Conventions
• The Police Response to Mass Demonstrations: Promising Practices and Lessons Learned
• Operational Strategies to Build Police-Community Trust and Reduce Crime in Minority Communities: The Minneapolis Cedar-Riverside Exploratory Policing Study
• The Changing Nature of Crime and Criminal Investigations

2017

• The Revolution in Emergency Communications
• The Unprecedented Opioid Epidemic: As Overdoses Become a Leading Cause of Death, Police, Sheriffs, and Health Agencies Must Step Up Their Response
• The "Crime Gun Intelligence Center" Model: Case Studies of the Denver, Milwaukee, and Chicago Approaches to Investigating Gun Crime
• Refugee Outreach and Engagement Programs for Police Agencies
• The Utah Model: A Path Forward for Investigating and Building Resilience to Cyber Crime
• Citizen Perceptions of Body-Worn Cameras: A Randomized Controlled Trial
• Building Interdisciplinary Partnerships to Prevent Violent Extremism
• Hiring for the 21st Century Law Enforcement Officer: Challenges, Opportunities, and Strategies for Success

2016

• Policing Issues in Garrison Communities
• ICAT: Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics
• Responding to Migrant Deaths Along the Southwest Border: Lessons from the Field
• Building Successful Partnerships between Law Enforcement and Public Health Agencies to Address Opioid Use
• U.S. Attorney General's Summit on Violent Crime: Summary of Key Factors, Promising Strategies, and Additional Steps
• Recommendations on Advancing Community Policing in the Pasco Police Department
• Recomendaciones Sobre el Control Policial Comunitario de Avanzada en el Departamento Policial de Pasco
• Promising Practices for Using Community Policing to Prevent Violent Extremism
• Video: Using Community Policing Strategies to Prevent Violent Extremism
• Guiding Principles on Use of Force
• Identifying and Preventing Gender Bias in Law Enforcement Response to Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
• Advice from Police Chiefs and Community Leaders on Building Trust

2015

• Command Performance: A Career Guide for Police Executives (click here to order a physical copy)
• Gun Violence: Regional Problems, Partnerships, and Solutions
• Constitutional Policing as a Cornerstone of Community Policing
• Labor and Management Roundtable Discussions: Collaborating to Address Key Challenges in Policing
• Implementing a Comprehensive Performance Management Approach in Community Policing Organizations: An Executive Guidebook
• Re-Engineering Training on Police Use of Force
• Overcoming the Challenges and Creating a Regional Approach to Policing in St. Louis City and County
• Police Accountability – Findings and National Implications of an Assessment of the San Diego Police Department
• Defining Moments for Police Chiefs

2014

• Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program: Recommendations and Lessons Learned
• Local Police Perspectives on State Immigration Policies
• New Challenges for Police: A Heroin Epidemic and Changing Attitudes Toward Marijuana
• Future Trends in Policing
• The Role of Local Law Enforcement Agencies In Preventing and Investigating Cybercrime
• The Police Response to Active Shooter Incidents
• Legitimacy and Procedural Justice: A New Element of Police Leadership
• Legitimacy and Procedural Justice: The New Orleans Case Study
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection Use of Force Review: Cases and Policies

2013

• Social Media and Tactical Considerations for Law Enforcement
• Compstat: Its Origins, Evolution, and Future in Law Enforcement Agencies
• Civil Rights Investigations of Local Police: Lessons Learned
• A National Survey of Eyewitness Identification Procedures in Law Enforcement Agencies
• Policing and the Economic Downturn: Striving for Efficiency is the New Normal
• FAQs about the Change in the UCR Definition of Rape
• Fact Sheet - Implementation of the Revised UCR Rape Definition and VAWA Grant Funds

2012

• An Integrated Approach to De-Escalation and Minimizing Use of Force
• Improving the Police Response to Sexual Assault
• "How are Innovations in Technology Transforming Policing?"
• Voices From Across the Country: Local Law Enforcement Officials Discuss the Challenges of Immigration Enforcement
• Body Armor Use, Care, and Performance in Real World Conditions: Findings from a National Survey (2012)
• A Practitioner's Guide to the 2011 National Body Armor Survey of Law Enforcement Officers (2012)

2011

• HSAC Task Force on Secure Communities Findings and Recommendations
• Labor-Management Relations in Policing: Looking to the Future and Finding Common Ground
• Managing Major Events: Best Practices from the Field
• Combating Auto Theft in Arizona: A Randomized Experiment with LPR Technology
• 2011 Electronic Control Weapon Guidelines

2010

• Is the Economic Downturn Fundamentally Changing How We Police?
• Gun Enforcement and Gun Violence Prevention Practices among Local Law Enforcement Agencies
• Guns and Crime: Breaking New Ground by Focusing on the Local Impact
• It's More Complex than You Think: A Chief's Guide to DNA
• Law Enforcement Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies: An Executive Summary of the Resources Series
• A Guide to Occupational Health and Safety for Law Enforcement Executives
• Gang Violence: The Police Role in Developing Community-Wide Solutions
• Police and Immigration: How Chiefs Are Leading their Communities through the Challenges

2009

• Leadership Matters: Police Chiefs Talk About Their Careers
• Communication and Public Health Emergencies: A Guide for Law Enforcement
• The Stop Snitching Phenomenon: Breaking the Code of Silence
• Law Enforcement Technology Needs Assessment: Future Technologies to Address the Operational Needs of Law Enforcement
• The BJA/PERF Body Armor National Survey
• Comparing Safety Outcomes in Police Use-of-Force Cases for Law Enforcement Agencies that Have Deployed Conducted Energy Devices and a Matched Comparison Group that Have Not: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation
• Benchmarks for Developing a Law Enforcement Pandemic Flu Plan
• Violent Crime and the Economic Crisis: Police Chiefs Face a New Challenge - Part I
• Violent Crime and the Economic Crisis: Police Chiefs Face a New Challenge - Part II

2008

• Violent Crime in America: What We Know About Hot Spots Enforcement
• Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Speak Out on Local Immigration Enforcement
• Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Speak Out on Local Immigration Enforcement Appendix A-D
• Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Speak Out on Local Immigration Enforcement Appendix E-N

2007

• Patrol-Level Response to a Suicide Bomb Threat
• Conducted Energy Devices: Use in a Custodial Setting
• Police Planning for an Influenza Pandemic: Case Studies and Recommendations from the Field
• Good to Great Policing: Application of Business Management Principles in the Public Sector
• Violent Crime in America: A Tale of Two Cities
• Violent Crime in America: 24 Months of Alarming Trends
• Strategies for Resolving Conflict and Minimizing Use of Force
• Promoting Effective Homicide Investigations

2006

• A Gathering Storm: Violent Crime in America
• The Role of Law Enforcement in Public Health Emergencies
• Implementing an Agency-Level Performance Measurement System
• Conducted Energy Devices: Development of Standards for Consistency and Guidance
• Police Management of Mass Demonstrations: Identifying Issues and Successful Approaches

2005

• Increasing Community-Police Partnerships to Prevent Crime: A Case Study of USAID's Grants Pen Anti-Crime Initiative in Jamaica
• Supervision and Intervention within Early Intervention Systems
• Understanding Race Data from Vehicle Stops: A Stakeholder's Guide
• Executive Summary of the Conference on Police Pattern or Practice Litigation
• Chief Concerns: Exploring the Challenges of Police Use of Force

2004

• Community Policing: The Past, Present, and Future
• Managing a Multijurisdictional Case: Identifying Lessons Learned from the Sniper Investigation
• Law Enforcement Selection: Research Summaries
• By the Numbers: A Guide for Analyzing Race Data from Vehicle Stops
• Community Policing and Terrorism Vol. 1
• Community Policing and Terrorism Vol. 2
• Community Policing and Terrorism Vol. 3
• Community Policing and Terrorism Vol. 4
• Community Policing and Terrorism Vol. 5
• Community Policing and Terrorism Vol. 6

2003

• The Bottom Line of Policing

2002

• Police Department Budgeting: A Guide for Law Enforcement Chief Executives
• Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project
• Managing the Problem of Youth Access to Alcohol

2001

• An Examination of Homicide Clearance Rates: Foundation for the Development of a Homicide Clearance Model
• Racially Biased Policing: A Principled Response
• PTO: An Overview and Introduction
• PTO Manual
• PTO Trainee Manual
• PTO Training Standard
• PTO Training Course

2000

• The Role of Lawyers in the Police Problem-Solving Process

1999

• Homicide Investigation Standard Operating Procedures
• Automated Information Systems for Homicide Investigation: A Survey of Urban Police Departments
• Public Safety and Abortion Clinic Conflict and Violence

1998

• Defining the Community in Community Policing

1996

• Personnel Performance Evaluations in the Community Policing Context