Fragile States, Fragile Communities
Toronto, Canada
The 11th Pearls in Policing Conference was hosted in Toronto, Canada, from 10 – 14 June 2017 and was organised by the Toronto Police Service and the Pearls Secretariat in the Netherlands. The theme of the conference was “Fragile States, Fragile Communities”.
During the Pearls conference discussions were based on the research conducted by the members of the International Action Learning Group (IALG), three working groups consisting of the police chiefs themselves, inspiring interactive sessions and peer to peer consultations. The annual conference is the culmination of a year of continuous learning undertaken by the IALG. The 2016-2017 IALG has presented its findings, based on the assignment which has been formulated during the previous Pearls in Policing conference in Sydney, Australia, to the Pearls delegates at the start of the conference: How do we create the shock-resistant police organisations of the future that can stay focused on preventative and proactive, rather than reactionary policing? How do we create flexible, agile and networked police organisations that are able to rapidly integrate lessons from international experience and emerging best practice, plan effectively for future known and unknowns and establish partnerships and strategies with the private sector to achieve these goals?
Working Group 1: Effective policing for mental health
What strategies and best practices do we need to handle individuals with mental health problems, and their impact on our communities and crime?
Working Group 2: Weathering the political and media storm
How do we craft political narratives, effectively influence the media, and manage political pressure in an increasingly politicized law enforcement space?
Working Group 3: Quantifying prevention and invisible success
What methods can we develop for measuring and incentivizing prevention outcomes in policing?