Engaging College Students in 21st Century Law Enforcement

This report details a study conducted by Howard University’s Ronald W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center on African American college students’ perceptions of police and interest in law enforcement careers. Focus groups of college students from four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) were convened to identify factors that help or hinder law enforcement recruitment of African Americans. Sessions were also held with African American college students and police officials to discuss ways to build community trust.

The report compiles suggestions from these discussion sessions and focus groups for recruitment and selection policies likely to attract and retain young African American applicants—most notably, that police agencies should engage more with college students in non-confrontational settings.