SIOP In Washington SIOP Government Relations Introduces the Policing Reform Initiative to Congressional Staff

Seth Kaplan and Laura Uttley

In February, SIOP President-Elect Jim Outtz joined Lewis-Burke for a series of meetings with representatives from Capitol Hill and nongovernmental organizations to highlight the impacts and applications of I-O evidence-based research on policing reform, to urge stakeholders to apply I-O research to related policies and programs, and to position and promote SIOP as a collaborator and resource for these organizations going forward. 

The meetings were part of a nearly year-long comprehensive initiative that began with a discussion led by Lewis-Burke at the April 2015 Annual Conference.  During the conversation, Dr. Outtz proposed developing a government relations initiative on policing as a way to apply I-O to an active federal policy debate by leveraging SIOP members’ research on police recruitment and selection processes, leadership, individual and organizational decision making, and training.  Following the meeting, Lewis-Burke began working with Dr. Outtz to create a working group to coordinate I-O efforts in this space and consider evidence-based solutions to complex policing challenges.

In June 2015, SIOP and Lewis-Burke facilitated the first working group call, including SIOP members Dr. Frederick Oswald, Dr. Michelle Hebl, Dr. Kevin Ford, Dr. Daniel Newman, Dr. Leaetta Hough, Dr. Cindy McCauley, and Dr. Ann Marie Ryan.  Over the next several months the working group held several more calls.  During the discussions, Lewis-Burke contributed updates on policing concerns and solutions discussed by members of Congress; the Obama Administration and federal agencies; and nongovernmental stakeholders—such as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine—while SIOP members considered relevant I-O research and models to address these issues.  Through this process, Lewis-Burke and SIOP developed a strategy to draft a series of guidance documents that categorized I-O findings in key areas, such as police recruitment and selection processes, leadership, and training to share with and inform key federal decision makers identified by Lewis-Burke.  In January, the guidance documents were finalized and posted on the SIOP Government Relations website[RB1] , which set the stage for the advocacy meetings. 

The first wave of meetings facilitated by Lewis-Burke were with a number of bipartisan, bicameral congressional offices that have been heavily involved in the ongoing conversation over policing reform, including the offices of Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD).  The meetings were a complete success, as staff from each office expressed interest in learning more about the I-O-backed solutions outlined in the guidance documents and pledged to consider engaging SIOP as a consultative resource in future discussions on policing reform.  The second wave of meetings included discussions with Democratic staff from the House Judiciary Committee; Republican staff from the Senate Judiciary Committee; and Poornima Madhavan, director of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Board on Human-Systems Integration (BOHSI).  Lewis-Burke and SIOP will continue to interact with these offices and maintain the relationships built through these meetings.  

Over the past year, the federal conversation on policing reform has proven to be an enduring topic that has sparked various reviews of policies and programs and reformed guidelines from federal agencies, bipartisan congressional hearings and legislation, and numerous reports and discussions held by think tanks and stakeholder organizations.  It was also mentioned in the President’s 2016 State of the Union address, as well as on the presidential campaign trail.  The stakeholder meetings affirmed that there is a desire for more information and consideration of evidence-based solutions to complex issues on policing, and through the efforts of SIOP’s working group on policing, the Society is well-positioned to continue to advocate for the consideration of I-O in future discussions.

In addition to providing a voice in the federal discussion on policing, SIOP’s convening of a topical working group that promotes prolonged membership engagement and focuses on a key government relations initiative will provide a lasting framework for future advocacy initiatives.  The success of this endeavor opens the door for new opportunities to bridge member interests with federal policies and the development of an active base for government relations activities at SIOP.