Ten Shared Principles

On July 19, 2021 at the meeting of the Mayor and Board of Trustees, the Deerfield Police Department formally adopted the “Ten Shared Principles” endorsed the Illinois Association of the Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the National Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

History

On March 22, 2018, the NAACP Illinois State Conference and the IACP agreed to share a set of principles regarding the relationship between law enforcement and the communities and people they serve in Illinois. The Ten Shared Principles were designed to build mutual trust between law enforcement and the community. This agreement was the first of its kind in the nation. To date, over 270 Illinois law enforcement agencies have adopted the Ten Shared Principles.

The Ten 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."

10 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.