The appointment of a new head of a law enforcement agency
Whenever a new police chief is being selected, community members have the opportunity to educate the mayor and advocate for candidates who have a particular vision or approach to policing, relevant experience, and a strong track record.
 
Budget season
Every year, state and local legislators approve budgets, including budgets for law enforcement. This creates an important opportunity to advocate for changes to the structure, function, and resources of a police department and against allocation of funds to buy military equipment.
 
Critical incidents
Individual incidents of excessive or lethal <span aria-describedby="tt" class="glossaryLink " data-cmtooltip="
Force
The application of physical strength for coercive purposes. Police use of force can range from the use of hands, legs, batons, or other equipment, including vehicles, handcuffs, restraints, pepper spray, tear gas, water cannons, canines, Tasers, and firearms.
">force, or of other officer misconduct, are important opportunities to pressure officials to make necessary changes to policing policies and practices, as well as to increase accountability and oversight.
 
Release of data
If the police department regularly releases information about stops, searches, and arrests, it can create opportunities to call for changes to the department’s practices and priorities based on what the data show.
 
Elections
Elections for key positions, such as mayor, sheriff, and district attorney, present critical opportunities to raise issues about the impact of policing policies and to press candidates for their position on policing and public safety during public fora, one-on-one interactions, and <span aria-describedby="tt" class="glossaryLink " data-cmtooltip="
Campaign
A planned activity, or set of activities, carried out over a period of time with the purpose of achieving social or political change.
">campaign rallies; in the press; and on social media.
 
Oversight hearings
Local legislators can call oversight hearings and ask questions of agencies they fund. Typically, the public safety committee conducts hearings about how police departments operate, but hearings can also be called on topics such as race relations, health, and safety. Hearings offer opportunities to testify about policing practices, to pressure legislators, and to ask the department specific questions.