On January 22, 2020, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the establishment of the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice. The Commission was created to explore modern issues affecting law enforcement that most impact the ability of American policing to reduce crime.
Some of the areas the Commission may study include the following:
- The challenges to law enforcement associated with mental illness, homelessness, substance abuse, and other social factors that influence crime and strain criminal justice resources;
- The recruitment, hiring, training, and retention of law enforcement officers, including in rural and tribal communities;
- Refusals by state and local prosecutors to enforce laws or prosecute categories of crimes;
- The need to promote public confidence and respect for the law and law enforcement officers; and
- The effects of technological innovations on law enforcement and the criminal justice system, including the challenges and opportunities presented by such innovations.
Appointed by the Attorney General, the Commissioners are urban police chiefs, state prosecutors, county sheriffs, members of rural law enforcement, federal agents, U.S. Attorneys, and a state attorney general. Katharine Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, will serve as Vice-Chair of the Commission.
View the press release to learn more about the Commission and its purpose.