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 John,

When LEAP was founded as Law Enforcement Against Prohibition in 2002, it was rooted in the knowledge that the War on Drugs was very much a war on our communities, and that police were in a position to change that. By speaking out against drug policies that were, at their core, racist, classist, and built to tear communities down instead of building them up, LEAP filled a unique role in the drug policy reform movement. We were reformers who knew first-hand that these policies didn’t work. And we knew transformation of the way we policed was necessary.

This year, LEAP celebrated our 20th anniversary. While our name changed to the Law Enforcement Action Partnership in 2017 to reflect our efforts in and impact on broader justice system issues, we’ve remained true to our roots in two very important ways. First, drug policy remains a major area of focus, because so many justice system problems can be traced back to bad drug policy, which disproportionately impacts communities of color. Secondly, we understand the impact of representation. When we’re talking about programs that deeply impact our communities, we know all community stakeholders need and deserve to be heard. We also know that it’s important for communities to have police departments serving them who actually represent the demographics of the community. 

Internally, LEAP has prioritized increasing diversity within our own speakers bureau, forming a committee dedicated to expanding our recruitment efforts and ensuring that our speakers reflect a wide variety of viewpoints and backgrounds. Law enforcement experience is what makes our speakers credible and effective, but diverse knowledge and life experience makes us stronger in many ways -- including building better partnerships and connecting with hard to reach audiences.

In 2022, in addition to our extensive drug policy work -- which you’ll hear about in more detail later this month -- we addressed critical justice system issues that significantly impact communities of color and low-income communities, including pretextual traffic stop legislation in Oregon and Virginia; and helped pass legislation on financial bail in Illinois and worked on financial bail efforts in New York.

In order to change police culture, we need to make policing a more diverse field. We need to change the way we recruit and hire, making those processes more equitable and open to applicants of color and women. We need to create space for a more diverse pool of qualified, well-trained officers to get on the leadership track and move the profession forward, benefitting both departments and their communities. And we need to prioritize justice and drug policy reforms that strive to make the system more equitable; minimize the footprint of policing; and make our communities safer and healthier.

LEAP is transforming the system: your partnership is what moves us forward. Donate now.

From all of us at LEAP, have a safe and peaceful holiday! 

In solidarity,
The LEAP Team

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