The Boston Indicators Project

Police are charged with protecting people and enforcing laws. They are also in positions of power that may be abused as a result of personal bias, inadequate training or lack of accountability. Cases of police brutality, racial profiling, excessive force and corruption have plagued police departments across the nation. The Boston Police Department has led the country in instituting community policing measures and has invested heavily in community partnerships, the training of recruits, and improved transparency. One indicator of the success of these efforts is the way that residents of Boston feel about their local law enforcement agency.