Summary
This purpose of this document is to ascertain just how pervasive the stop snitching phenomena is and how it is affecting vitally important issues such as witness cooperation, clearance rates, and police departments’ overall ability to bring criminals to justice. PERF surveyed 300 law enforcement agencies and gathered together more than 100 criminal justice officials and community leaders at an Executive Session where attendees confronted the issue head-on. The goal of the project was to discover what is driving the stop snitching movement and to use that knowledge to develop programs and partnerships to address the issue. Based on the survey results and the frank conversations at the Executive Session, this publication addresses the factors that have led to the stop snitching movement, what makes the message "stick," and what can be done to take back the communities affected by it.
Contents
Framing the issue --
The root of the problem: why has "stop snitching" spread? --
Lack of trust in the police department --
The media --
Summary --
Promising partnerships and programs --
Community outreach --
Multiagency partnerships --
Protecting witnesses --
Preventive efforts --
Recommendations for addressing Stop Snitching --
Get the entire community involved --
Acknowledge and deal with the fear of retaliation --
Understand and address the underlying lack of trust in the police and the entire criminal justice system.