Draft:Chuck Wexler

Chuck Wexler (born October 25, 1950) is a non-profit executive and an expert on U.S. policing. He has served as Executive Director of the Police Executive Research Forum since 1993. Wexler has led PERF in the development of national guidelines on police use of force[1] and, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice, published recommended policies and practices on police use of TASERS,[2] body-worn cameras[3] and vehicle pursuits[4]. Wexler is frequently quoted by national and local news media, and he has participated in several online discussions on policing.[5]

Prior to joining PERF, Wexler served in various positions at the Boston Police Department (1975–1986) and as Special Assistant to nation's first Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (1989–1991).

Wexler's approach to police research is grounded in the real-life experiences of police departments and their leaders.[6] Each year, he moderates meetings of police executives that focus on critical issues in policing, resulting in reports on various topics.[7]

Early life and education

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Wexler was born and raised in Boston and graduated from Newton South High School. He received his bachelor's degree in 1972 from Boston University. Wexler has a master's degree in criminology from Florida State University (1975) and a PhD in urban studies and planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1984). He has taught classes at MIT and was a visiting assistant professor at Bowdoin College.

Early career

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In 1975, while studying at MIT, Wexler was hired as a student intern by the Boston Police Department, which was undergoing a period of reform under Commissioner Robert di Grazia.[8] Wexler worked alongside William Bratton, a Boston Police sergeant at the time who went on to lead the police departments in Boston, New York City and Los Angeles. Wexler and Bratton have remained friends and colleagues ever since, and Bratton served two stints as president of PERF.

As Operations Assistant to the Boston Police Commissioner, Wexler worked on the BPD's efforts to prevent racial violence in the wake of court-ordered desegregation of the Boston school system. Wexler helped to create and manage the police department's Community Disorders Unit, which focused on prosecuting and preventing racially motivated crime.[9][10] On July 25, 1979, Wexler was on the scene when Police Superintendent Edward F. Connolly, the No. 3 official in the department, was shot in the chest while negotiating a hostage situation.[11][12] Wexler, Patrolman Frank Delaney and others helped to get Connelly to safety and receive life-saving medical attention. Wexler and Delaney received special citations from the Police Department and the Award of Honor from the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association.

Wexler served as Director of the Professional Services Division of the International Association of Chiefs of Police from 1986-1989. In 1989, he was hired as a special assistant to William Bennett, the first director of the newly created Office of National Drug Control Policy under the administration of President George H. W. Bush.

Career at PERF

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In 1993, Wexler was hired as Executive Director of the Police Executive Research Forum, in Washington, D.C. Under Wexler, PERF has focused on a range of issues, including community policing,[13] violent crime,[14][15][16][17] gun violence reduction,[18] the opioid crisis,[19][20] managing mass demonstrations,[21] training,[22] technology,[23][24] and recruitment and retention of officers.[25][26]

Use-of-force reform

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A particular focus of Wexler at PERF has been on minimizing police use of force through de-escalation and related tactics.[27][28] PERF has published several reports on the topic, which identified improved training as a critical need.[29][30][31]

In November 2015, Wexler led a delegation of approximately two dozen U.S. police chiefs and other leaders to the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan Castle to learn how members of Police Scotland train in use of force.[32] Because most police officers in the United Kingdom do not carry firearms for personal protection, they need to employ a range of tactics when confronting individuals armed with knives, clubs or other dangerous weapons.[33] Wexler and PERF staff also conducted site visits to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (where, unlike Police Scotland, officers do carry firearms but seldom use them on individuals armed with knives and other non-firearm weapons) and the NYPD Emergency Service Unit, which is widely recognized for de-escalating and peacefully resolving dangerous situations.[34][35] This research resulted in a 128-page report outlining 30 guiding principles agencies should adopt for minimizing their use of force.[36]

Other police groups immediately criticized some of the proposals.[37] The recommendation that police agencies adopt use-of-force policies that go beyond the minimum legal standard set in the 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision Graham v. Connor was especially controversial, with some groups saying it would endanger officers. Wexler defended the guidelines, telling CBS News, "We aspire to have a higher standard in terms of preventing these unfortunate situations from happening at all.... This is about the difference between legal versus moral."[38]

The 30 Guiding Principles formed the basis of a PERF use-of-force training program that Wexler spearheaded called ICAT: Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics.[39] Dozens of police agencies across the United States have trained their officers in ICAT.[40][41] A 2020 study in the Louisville Metro Police Department found that ICAT training was associated with reductions in use-of-force incidents and injuries to both citizens and officers.[42]

In July 2024, Wexler moderated a meeting of 16 police officials, physicians, emergency medical technicians and other subject matter experts to explore ways to reduce the number of incidents in which people die while being restrained by police. This followed an Associated Press investigation which found that over the past decade, more than 1,000 people in the U.S. died after police subdued them through means not intended to be lethal.[43] The meeting resulted in a PERF report outlining 15 principles for reducing such deaths through better planning, training and protocols.[44]

Assistance to police agencies

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As PERF Executive Director, Wexler has assisted police agencies, in both the U.S. and other countries, in addressing crime and violence. In the mid-1990s, Minneapolis was experiencing a surge in homicides and other violent crimes, earning the city the moniker of "Muderapolis."[45] Wexler was involved in developing and implementing a comprehensive anti-crime strategy called Minnesota HEALS (Health, Education, and Law and Safety) that the Justice Department identified as a "promising strategy" to reduce gun violence.[46]

In Kansas City, Missouri, in 2002, Wexler helped to spearhead the Kansas City Together initiative, which brought together police and community representatives to address crime in the city and racial issues within the Kansas City Police Department.[47]

Wexler has overseen several projects with the Chicago Police Department, including reducing juvenile homicides in some of the city's most troubled areas,[48] improving coordination between police and public schools, and implementing executive development programs for CPD leaders and mid-level managers.[49]

In Northern Ireland, Wexler moderated a 2007 conference on "Policing the Future."[50] The conference, which brought together more than 300 people representing various factions that contributed to the 1999 Patten Report and the emergence of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, examined the PSNI's implementation of the report's recommendations.

In 2013, Wexler brought a group of U.S. police leaders to the Middle East to facilitate a series of joint discussions among top officials of the Israel Police and the Palestinian Civil Police Force, with the cooperation of Jordan.[51] The purpose was to strengthen the rule of law in the region and enhance cooperation among police agencies.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Wexler developed relationships with various police leaders in Ukraine to learn about policing in a battle zone. In late 2023, with support from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the assistance of former Baltimore Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld, chief security officer at Under Armour, PERF purchased 1,000 sets of Under Armour boots and ColdGear tops and bottoms for officers in the Kyiv Police. In January 2023, Wexler traveled to Kyiv to personally present the donation.[52] Wexler returned to Urkaine two more times to discuss the investigation of war crimes and see how police officers and others wounded in the war are being treated for physical and emotional injuries.[53]

Controversies

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Wexler has been involved in controversial, high-profile issues. In 2010, he chaired the Cambridge Review Committee, a 12-member panel created to identify lessons for police departments from the 2009 arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[54]

In 2011, Wexler chaired the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Task Force on Secure Communities. The group examined federal immigrations enforcement practices and their impact on community policing in American municipalities, and provided recommendations for improving the Secure Communities program.[55]

In 2011, Wexler and PERF were accused of developing a coordinated strategy for the police response to the Occupy protests in U.S cities.[56] In response, the hacker group Anonymous claimed responsibility for hacking PERF and other police groups.[57] Wexler acknowledged that in the fall of 2011 he hosted two conference calls of police chiefs on the Occupy protests.[58] He said the calls were routine information sharing sessions that PERF held for chiefs to report on what was occurring in their jurisdictions and to discuss common concerns, including traffic control, sanitation and safely facilitating marches.[59]

Awards

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In 2006, Wexler was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his work with British and American police agencies. In 2016, he was selected by Politico as one of the "Politico 50," an annual list of "thinkers, doers and dreamers" who are changing America.[60] In 2017, Wexler received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Criminology & Criminal Justice at Florida State University.[61]

Personal life

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Wexler is married to Jan Hirshberg, a children's book author, teacher and reading language specialist. The couple has two children and three grandchildren. They reside in Bethesda, Maryland.

References

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  1. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (March 2016). "Guiding Principles on Use of Force" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 14, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (2011). "2011 Electronic Control Weapons Guidelines" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 14, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (2014). "Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program: Recommendations and Lessons Learned" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 14, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (2023). "Vehicle Pursuits: A Guide for Law Enforcement Executives on Managing the Risks" (PDF). www.cops.usdoj.gov. Retrieved March 14, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ The Washington Post (2025). "Search results for 'Chuck Wexler'". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved March 14, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ Gustin, Georgina (Feb 27, 2019). "Redrawing the thin blue line". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (March 16, 2025). "PERF Publications". www.policeforumorg. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Wexler, Chuck (May 24, 2021). "How a commissioner changed the culture within the Boston Police Department". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Wexler, Chuck and Marx, Gary T. (October 1984).  "When Law and Order Works: Boston's Innovative Program for Dealing with Racial Violence," paper presented at the annual research conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, New Orleans.
  10. ^ Marx, Gary T., and Wexler, Chuck (Jan 14, 1986). "Boston's Example". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "Police Official in Boston Wounded by a City Janitor". The New York Times. July 26, 1979. pp. A12. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  12. ^ Connolly, Edward F, and Harding, Christopher (1985). A Cop's Cop. Quinlan Publishing. ISBN 10 0933341032. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (March 2016). "Advice from Police Chiefs and Community Leaders on Building Trust" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (October 2006). "A Gathering Storm—Violent Crime in America" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (2007). "Violent Crime in America: 24 Months of Alarming Trends" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (January 2009). "Violent Crime and the Economic Crisis: Police Chiefs Face a New Challenge, Part I" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (May 2009). "Violent Crime and the Economic Crisis: Police Chiefs Face a New Challenge, Part II" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (March 2019). "Reducing Gun Violence: What Works, and What Can Be Done Now" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (2016). "Building Successful Partnerships between Law Enforcement and Public Health Agencies to Address Opioid Use" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (September 2017). "The Unprecedented Opioid Epidemic: As Overdoses Become a Leading Cause of Death, Police, Sheriffs, and Health Agencies Must Step Up Their Response" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (February 2022). "Rethinking the Police Response to Mass Demonstrations: 9 Recommendations" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (November 2022). "Transforming Police Recruit Training: 40 Guiding Principles" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (2020). "Drones: A Report on the Use of Drones by Public Safety Agencies—and a Wake-Up Call about the Threat of Malicious Drone Attacks" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (November 2017). "The Revolution in Emergency Communications" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (September 2019). "The Workforce Crisis, and What Police Agencies Are Doing About It" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (August 2023). "Responding to the Staffing Crisis: Innovations in Recruitment and Retention" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ Wexler, Chuck; Thomson, Scott (March 2, 2016). "Making Policing Safer for Everyone". The New York Times. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  28. ^ Wexler, Chuck (Jan 19, 2018). "What it will take to reduce deadly shootings by police". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  29. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (August 2012). "An Integrated Approach to De-Escalation and Minimizing Use of Force" (PDF). policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  30. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (February 2015). "Defining Moments for Police Chiefs" (PDF). policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  31. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (August 2015). "Re-Engineering Training on Police Use of Force" (PDF). policeforum.org. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  32. ^ Baker, Al (Dec 11, 2015). "U.S. Police Leaders, Visiting Scotland, Get Lessons on Avoiding Deadly Force". The New York Times. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  33. ^ Police Scotland. "Use of Force". scotland.police.uk. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  34. ^ Kennedy, Dana (July 11, 2011). "NYPD Emergency Service Unit: The cops the cops call for NYC disasters". New York Post. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  35. ^ Johnson, Nicole (Dec 6, 2023). "Inside NYPD's elite emergency service and hostage negotiation teams". WPIX-TV. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  36. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (March 2016). "Guiding Principles on Use of Force" (PDF). policeforum.lorg. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  37. ^ Jackman, Tom (March 31, 2016). "Protocol for reducing police shootings draws backlash from unions, police groups". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  38. ^ "Police officials slam proposal to rein in cops' use of force". CBS News. Associated Press. Feb 5, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  39. ^ Police Executive Research Forum. "ICAT: Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics – A Training Guide for Defusing Critical Incidents". policeforum.org. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  40. ^ Police Executive Research Forum. "Agencies Implementing ICAT". policeforum.org. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  41. ^ Marx, Willem (June 24, 2020). "A Florida sheriff adopted Scottish police training. Now his deputies use force less often". NBC News. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  42. ^ Engel, Robin S.; et al. (2020). "Examining the Impact of Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) De-escalation Training for the Louisville Metro Police Department: Initial Findings" (PDF). International Association of Chiefs of Police, Center for Police Research and Policy, www.iacp.org. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  43. ^ "LETHAL RESTRAINT: An investigation document police use of force". Associated Press. 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  44. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (September 2024). "15 Principles for Reducing the Risk of Restraint-Related Death" (PDF). policeforum.org. Retrieved March 17, 2025.
  45. ^ Johnson, Dirk (June 20, 1996). "Nice City's Nasty Distinction: Murders Soar in Minneapolis". The New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  46. ^ U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (February 1999). "Promising Strategies To Reduce Gun Violence" (PDF). www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved March 18, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  47. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (2003). "Developing a Partnership to Improve Race Relations: Kansas City Together. (Final Project Report for the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department)".
  48. ^ "Bloodshed on the Homefront". Chicago Tribune. April 17, 2003. Retrieved March 18, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  49. ^ Police Executive Research Forum (March 2022). "An Innovative Approach to Training Future Police Leaders: The Chicago Police Department's Executive Development Program for Sergeants" (PDF). www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 20, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  50. ^ The Northern Ireland Policing Board (2007). "Annual Report and Accounts for the Period 1 April 2006 – 31 March 2007" (PDF). www.gov.uk. Retrieved March 18, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  51. ^ Cochran, Amanda (August 21, 2013). "Middle East police heads meet in effort to strengthen law in region". CBS News. Retrieved March 18, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  52. ^ Wexler, Chuck (January 14, 2023). "A memorable two days with police in Ukraine". www.policeforum.org. Retrieved March 18, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  53. ^ Wexler, Chuck (June 7, 2025). "Witnessing incredible resilience and fortitude on my recent visit to Ukraine". www.policeforum.org. Retrieved June 27, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  54. ^ Thompson, Krissah (June 30, 2010). "Arrest of Harvard's Henry Louis Gates Jr. was avoidable, report says". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 19, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  55. ^ U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Advisory Council (September 2011). "Task Force on Secure Communities: Findings and Recommendations" (PDF). www.dhs.gov. Retrieved March 19, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  56. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (November 15, 2011). "Oakland Mayor Jean Quan: Eighteen Cities Discussed Occupy 'Situation'". New York Magazine. Retrieved March 19, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  57. ^ Crum, Travis (February 7, 2012). "Hackers group posts police chiefs' information online". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved March 19, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  58. ^ Britton, Khadijah (November 26, 2011). "A PERF-ect Storm". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved March 19, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  59. ^ Britton, Khadijah (November 23, 2011). "Interview: Police Executives' Research Forum Director Chuck Wexler". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved March 19, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  60. ^ "Politico 50: Chuck Wexler". Politico Magazine. September 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  61. ^ Florida State University, College of Criminology & Criminal Justice. "Distinguished Alumni Recipients". www.criminology.fsu.edu. Retrieved March 19, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)