Ten Shared Principles

On March 22, 2018, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) signed a historic agreement on 10 shared principles of policing. This is the first of its kind in the nation and is the result of four years of discussion following the aftermath of the Ferguson, Missouri riots. The Flossmoor Police Department recently joined 152 other Illinois law enforcement agencies in signing a dedication committing to the 10 Shared Principles.

The 10 Shared Principles represent a vow between the two statewide associations "by mutual affirmation to work together and stand together in our communities and at the state level to implement these values and principles, and to replace mistrust with mutual trust wherever, whenever, and however we can."

The Flossmoor Police Department has adopted these 10 Shared Principals as its own and has added its name to the historic agreement between the Illinois NAACP and the ILACP. In early October, the first ever World Café Summit was presented to high school students at H-F High school, an initiative led by Chief Mitch Davis, of the Hazel Crest Police Department and member of the executive board of the ILACP, and Dr. Jerry Anderson, Principal of Homewood Flossmoor High School. Flossmoor Police Chief Tod Kamleiter and members of the Flossmoor Police department were also active participants in the ground-breaking presentation.

These are the Ten Shared Principles

1. We value the life of every person and consider life to be the highest value.

2. All persons should be treated with dignity and respect. This is another foundational value.

3. We reject discrimination toward any person that is based on race, ethnicity, religion, color, nationality, immigrant status, sexual orientation, gender, disability, or familial status.

4. We endorse the six pillars in the report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. The first pillar is to build and rebuild trust through procedural justice, transparency, accountability, and honest recognition of past and present obstacles.

5. We endorse the four pillars of procedural justice, which are fairness, voice (i.e., an opportunity for citizens and police to believe they are heard), transparency, and impartiality.

6. We endorse the values inherent in community policing, which includes community partnerships involving law enforcement, engagement of police officers with residents outside of interaction specific to enforcement of laws, and problem-solving that is collaborative, not one-sided.

7. We believe that developing strong ongoing relationships between law enforcement and communities of color at the leadership level and street level will be the keys to diminishing and eliminating racial tension.

8. We believe that law enforcement and community leaders have a mutual responsibility to encourage all citizens to gain a better understanding and knowledge of the law to assist them in their interactions with law enforcement officers.

9. We support diversity in police departments and in the law enforcement profession. Law enforcement and communities have a mutual responsibility and should work together to make a concerted effort to recruit diverse police departments.

10. We believe de-escalation training should be required to ensure the safety of community members and officers. We endorse using de-escalation tactics to reduce the potential for confrontations that endanger law enforcement officers and community members; and the principle that human life should be taken only as a last resort.