Implementing statewide use of force reform: perspectives from police executives

In December 2020, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General (NJOAG) mandated sweeping reforms to statewide police use of force policy, training, and reporting. Although prior research suggests that police leaders play a crucial role in determining the success of efforts like the NJOAG’s Use of Force Reduction Initiative (the Initiative), few evaluations have examined executives’ perspectives. Addressing this gap, this study examines law enforcement executives’ perceptions of the development, implementation, and sustainability of the NJOAG Initiative. Data were collected from a statewide survey of police executives (n =139) and semi-structured interviews (n=12). Findings reveal that executives largely supported the Initiative’s goals but reported challenges related to limited practitioner input and personnel demands, with resource constraints, agency size, and jurisdiction characteristics shaping implementation experiences. By documenting executives’ perspectives on statewide reform, this study contributes to the sparse literature on reform implementation in policing and offers lessons for sustainable change.