BETTER COP (Being Effective to Taxpayers Every Response - Cultivating Outstanding Practice)

Police Accountability and Enhancing Community Relations Objective: Develop criminal justice strategies that advance law enforcement lawfulness and legitimacy. The Office supports law enforcement agencies across the State of Tennessee with the development of effective accountability procedures to achieve their goals of lawfulness and legitimacy while ensuring community relations and transparency. Police Accountability and Community Transparency.

The Police Accountability and Community Transparency (PACT) is a three-year strategic program designed to assist law enforcement in developing effective accountability procedures to achieve lawfulness, legitimacy, and enhance community relations. It supports the Office's goals to improve policing, build public trust, and make communities safer. The program promotes criminal justice reform at the local and state levels, fosters relationships between law enforcement, communities, and businesses through targeted training, and provides technology that fosters transparency and trust.

By implementing best practices in law enforcement, PACT aims to strengthen the relationship between law enforcement and the citizens it serves, contributing to a safer Maryland. Police Recruitment and Retention Law enforcement agencies across Tennessee face critical staffing shortages driven by high turnover rates, increasing retirements, and competition from other sectors. These challenges hinder agencies' ability to respond effectively to crime, engage with communities, and implement modern policing strategies. Recognizing the urgency of Tennessee's needs, our Office regularly collaborates with law enforcement executives to address these issues. Over the next two years, our Office will focus on enhancing police recruitment and retention through funding programs that provide hiring bonuses, streamline recruitment processes, and support officer wellness initiatives aimed at improving mental health and career advancement. We will also continue partnering with educational institutions to develop law enforcement career pathways and work with the Tennessee Police and Correctional Training Commissions to ensure training aligns with modern policing requirements. Additional efforts will include de-escalation training and leveraging technology to enhance outreach and hiring practices. These initiatives aim to build a resilient, well-trained, and diverse law enforcement workforce, ultimately strengthening public safety across Tennessee.