130 Police Chiefs Declare War on Mass Incarceration

Wednesday, an impressive group of police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, district attorneys, and attorneys general from across the U.S. came together to announce a joint crackdown effort on mass incarceration. You might be thinking, “Wait, but aren’t they the ones who lock people up?”

Yes. But this cohort, banded together under the name Law Enforcement Leaders to Reduce Crime and Incarceration, have acknowledged their wayward punitive ways and are looking to change course. The group has among its members some of the top law-enforcement officials of almost every major city in the nation. It’s co-chaired by the current and former police chiefs of Chicago and New Orleans, respectively. They’re operating under a new blue code, or rather, a statement of principles—which rests on four policy priorities: