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<\/a>Morgan Freeman<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cLook at the past year in our country \u2013 that sums it up,\u201d Freeman said. \u201cIt\u2019s time we are equipping police officers with training and ensuring \u2018law enforcement\u2019 is not defined only as a gun and a stick. Policing should be about that phrase \u2018To Serve\u2019 found on most law enforcement vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n
The center, which will be located in the Garland, Hedleston, and Mayes (School of Applied Sciences<\/a>) buildings, will be the only one of its kind at a Mississippi university and one of a few in the nation. University leaders say they plan to build relationships and share data with policing agencies as well as use the data to enhance the preparation of students in criminal justice.<\/p>\n UM\u2019s Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies<\/a> has established three primary roles for the center, beginning with training for police and other law enforcement in Mississippi and, as the center develops, around the country, using evidence-based practices that allow officers to be more proactive. Other training will focus on how police can better engage the community in crime prevention.<\/p>\n Training also will address how to improve community members\u2019 perceptions of and trust and confidence in police, and how to improve their willingness to call the police in a time of need, said Wesley G. Jennings, UM chair and professor of criminal justice and legal studies.<\/p>\n The center also will seek external funding to support cutting-edge research for evidence-based policing strategies, policies and practices. It will prioritize curriculum development around evidence-based policing to infuse into the department\u2019s degree programs.<\/p>\n When asked if any one of the numerous accounts reported in the media about police encounters stand out to him, Freeman shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cAll the stories are stuck in my mind,\u201d he said. \u201cI often talk to police officers when I see them out and ask how they would do their work if they didn\u2019t have guns. Support of this center is about finding ways to help officers and arrive at solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n Likewise, current events bother Keena, who believes \u201ctransformative and sustainable change\u201d in policing can be achieved by providing better training that covers more areas.<\/p>\n Linda Keena<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cThe goal should be to give officers as many tools as possible to do their jobs more effectively,\u201d said Keena, an associate professor of criminal justice. \u201cOur faculty will address critical issues inherently interwoven in the current and historic landscape of policing such as race, class, bias and lack of compassion.<\/p>\n \u201cRequiring law enforcement only to be recertified in the use of their guns each year is not sufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n The gift will be allocated into two funding streams: $500,000 directed to start-up costs, and $500,000 placed in an endowment for long-range sustainability. Immediate steps are being taken to pursue center- and donor-prioritized activities throughout the summer. <\/p>\n UM Chancellor Glenn Boyce said he is grateful to Freeman and Keena for committing funds for the center.<\/p>\n \u201cLinda Keena and Morgan Freeman are helping found and equip an academic center, where our professors and students can not only develop realistic solutions but also offer training to police forces,\u201d he said. \u201cOur flagship university wants to strengthen the work of police forces in our state and beyond, particularly those in more rural communities that might not have as many resources as departments in large metropolitan areas.\u201d<\/p>\n Leading the center will be Jennings, who is former editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Criminal Justice and current editor-in-chief of the Journal of Experimental Criminology. He was named the No. 1 criminologist in the world in a 2017 paper in the Journal of Criminal Justice Education.<\/p>\n \u201cInterest exists on all sides \u2013 police, citizens and policymakers \u2013 to see an infusion of evidence-based practices into policing,\u201d Jennings said. \u201cWhile police relations with certain segments of the community have historically been tenuous and strained at times, the source of this mistrust and fear has never been more nationally and internationally recognized until recent, tragic events and the subsequent protests and movement to address social injustice.\u201d<\/p>\n By providing generous funds to launch this center, Keena and Freeman are forging their legacies as conduits for innovation and advancements in policing, Jennings said.<\/p>\n Wes Jennings<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cIt is important to understand that the goals of this center certainly cannot be realized overnight but will happen as a result of a collective, focused and evidence-based approach and commitment,\u201d he said. \u201cSuccess only will occur if there is effective and genuine buy-in from police, community stakeholders and constituents, and one of my critical tasks will be to foster these relationships.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have no agenda in launching this center except to be a resource through science and data vital to police and other law enforcement officials.\u201d<\/p>\n The criminal justice and legal studies department falls under the School of Applied Sciences, where Peter W. Grandjean is the dean.<\/p>\n \u201cThis generous and visionary gift comes at just the right time and with the correct people in place,\u201d Grandjean said. \u201cThe Center for Evidence-Based Policing and Reform is urgently needed to inform and serve our policing agencies, educate our current and future law enforcement leaders and nurture community trust. <\/p>\n \u201cDr. Keena transformed criminal justice education at UM. This new center, under Wes Jennings\u2019 leadership, builds on the foundation she established and is certain to usher in data-driven changes in policing across our nation. The center\u2019s initiatives align perfectly with our school\u2019s vision, \u2018that all are equipped to advance their profession, serve others and improve the human condition through discovery, ingenuity, hard work and compassion.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Keena has witnessed the criminal justice and legal studies department\u2019s growth since joining the faculty in 2009. When she was serving as interim department chair, she recruited Jennings.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew he was the one to steer us and take the department to the next level,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have been very deliberate in bringing about change in our own department. I think everything from the diverse, talented faculty to our new graduate programs are in place to provide the perfect environment for this new center.\u201d<\/p>\n Freeman agreed with Keena\u2019s assessment and added that he thought UM was the \u201cbest choice\u201d for their gift because \u201cMississippi\u2019s flagship university continues to lead the state forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Individuals and organizations can support the Center for Evidence-Based Policing and Reform by visiting https:\/\/umfoundation.com\/cebpr<\/a>. Checks also can be mailed to the University of Mississippi Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation of the state of Mississippi, with the center\u2019s name written in the memo line, to 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655.<\/p>\n For more information, contact William Fisher, development associate for the School of Applied Sciences, at wjfisher@olemiss.edu<\/a> or 662-915-2293.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"\"](\"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Policing-and-reform-center-Linda-Keena-200x300.jpg\")
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