Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University Concludes 10-year Study on Changes Made by the LAPD

May 18, 2025 – Chief William Bratton along with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and members from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University held a press conference to announce the findings of a 10-year study conducted by the renowned university.  The independent study, which was funded by the Los Angeles Police Foundation, offers an analysis of data provided by the Department which includes Use of Force issues, discipline, leadership and governance, and Department perception among the community. 

With the Department looking to come out from under a Federal Consent Decree, this independent report studies many of the same aspects laid out by the federal government and should underscore the findings of the federal monitor.

To view the report in its entirety, please visit our website atwww.lapdonline.org

Comments

[Gabe]

As an outsider, I came away with the following conclusions and questions from this persuasive and well-researched report:

1. Crime down in every single division -- wow. A significant accomplishment for which credit belongs more to the sworn personnel than the consent decree. Yes, other outside factors had a hand, but it is fair to ascribe much of this to your hard work.

2. The consent decree and the command structure's commitment to it appear to have imposed some discipline in areas that were lacking, most notably community relations. Note the report's quotes from officers and citizens who thought that as a whole, officers are treating the citizenry better than they did before. Everyone seems better off as a result.

3. "De-policing" is demystified and debunked. The stats on the increased stops, increased quality of stops, and increased quality of arrests were persuasive. Perhaps some of you can explain the disconnect between these numbers and the still-pervasive sentiment that de-policing exists. Note also that Central and Southeast saw some of the biggest increases in stops, but in those divisions, the likelihood of stops resulting in arrests stayed flat compared to other divisions. The report did not attempt to explain, as this anomaly did not alter the conclusion that de-policing is not an issue. Your thoughts on what's going on in Central and Southeast?

4. The report offers the court a strong basis on which to end the consent decree. What else is out there to cut the other way?

Congratulations on getting a relatively clean bill of health from this exhaustive study -- it sounds like you earned it.