International Association of Chiefs of Police
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is a prominent professional organization based in Chicago, Illinois, that plays a crucial role in advancing law enforcement practices. Founded in 1893, initially known as the National Chiefs of Police Union, the IACP was established by police chiefs to facilitate the sharing of vital information regarding wanted suspects and criminal activities across jurisdictions in the United States. Over its long history, the organization has significantly contributed to the development of police training, education, and the adoption of innovative technologies.
One of its key achievements includes the establishment of the Uniform Crime Reports, which provides essential crime statistics in the U.S. and has been published by the FBI since 1930. The IACP has also been instrumental in creating standards for police training and professionalism, including the founding of the International Police Academy in 1955 and the Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation in the 1980s. Today, the IACP continues to advocate for law enforcement excellence and ethical practices, serving as a vital resource and voice for police chiefs and law enforcement agencies worldwide.
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Subject Terms
International Association of Chiefs of Police
IDENTIFICATION: Professional law-enforcement organization
PLACE: Chicago, Illinois
SIGNIFICANCE: Throughout its long history, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has supported police training, education, innovative technology, and modernization with an international outreach to all world police agencies.
The original name of the IACP when it was founded in 1893 was National Chiefs of Police Union. Its founders were police chiefs who wanted to share information on wanted suspects and criminal activity among law-enforcement agencies throughout the United States. The association’s members shared the belief that if any jurisdiction was unaware of criminal activities in other geographical areas, that lack of information was of benefit only to criminals.
The association’s original goal of sharing criminal information developed into the Uniform Crime Reports during the 1920s. Published annually by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) since 1930, this publication now serves as the official source of crime statistics for the United States. The IACP was also responsible for creating the FBI’s Identification Bureau during the mid-1920s.
The association has made numerous contributions to the field of law enforcement during its century-plus history. It has fostered police professionalism, law-enforcement ethics, and technological advancement. In 1934, the association published a newsletter that subsequently evolved into the modern organization’s Police Chief magazine, which continues to serve as the professional voice of the law-enforcement community today. In 1955, the IACP established an International Police Academy and continued to advocate the development of standards for police training throughout the United States. Since then, basic standards have been adopted nationally and now serve as an international model for standards and training for police . The IACP was also responsible for establishing the Commission on Law Enforcement Accreditation during the 1980s. The organization continues to be the leading advocate for law-enforcement training and professionalism worldwide.
Bibliography
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Isenberg, Jim. Police Leadership In A Democracy : Conversations with America's Police Chiefs. Boca Raton: CRC P, 2010. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 26 May 2016.
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