The Advancing 21st Century Policing Community Report 2017 The Advancing 21st Century Policing Community Repo | Page 6

Advancing 21 st Century Policing: The Arlington Police Department Report to the Community
PILLAR 2: POLICY AND OVERSIGHT
The Arlington Police Department is at the forefront of policy
development. We work to ensure that our policies provide a solid
foundation for safety and effectiveness for our officers while reflecting
our community’s values. The department has adopted procedural justice
as our guiding core values. We turn policy into practice every day
through training, education and accountability.
PILLAR
2
Some examples of policy development and oversight:
Policies reflect our community’s values
Through the Arlington Police Department’s many
community outreach activities, APD has learned what our
community values and what they want to see
accomplished by their police department. These values
include sanctity of life, equal and fair treatment by
officers, transparency and trust. These values are
reflected in the policies and procedures that define the
mission of the Arlington Police Department.
Use of force policy
The Arlington Police Department’s Use of Force policies
support the value the department places on the reverence
for life. Our policies include requirements for the use of
de-escalation techniques. We are also required to
provide medical care if force is used.
Police Chief Will Johnson talks about the state of policing on
a nationally-syndicated urban radio program with Rock-T.
Racial/bias-based profiling
Department policy strictly prohibits officers from
engaging in racial and bias-based profiling. The
Arlington Police Department remains vigilant when it
comes to fair and just treatment of those with whom we
interact. Self-initiated contacts with members of the public
are based on behavior and not personal characteristics.
These policies and their implications are taught in the
Police Academy and throughout an officer’s career
through in-service training.
Trust and Transparency
The Arlington Police Department values the trust we earn
from the community every day. We want to maintain that
trust through open communication and transparency. We
are dedicated to ensuring that our policies and
procedures are as transparent as possible. We believe it
is imperative to listen to community concerns and turn
those valuable co