Police Executive Research Forum

What Police Executive Research Forum does

Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) is an independent nonprofit research and policy organization founded in 1976 and headquartered in Washington, DC. It supports law enforcement agencies in the United States through three operational pillars: applied research and policy development, technical and management assistance to agencies, and executive-level training. The organization's portfolio centers on ICAT (Integrating Communication, Assessment, and Tactics), an evidence-based de-escalation training program built around a Critical Decision-Making Model and validated through a randomized control trial showing a 28% reduction in use-of-force incidents. It also operates SMIP (Senior Management Institute for Police), a three-week residential executive program at Boston University, and an executive search practice that has placed police chiefs in 75+ major cities over the past decade. Additional offerings include management studies for 250+ jurisdictions, the Critical Response Toolkit for first-line supervisors, publications including daily and weekly newsletters, podcasts, and the Chapter 2 career planning program for retired executives.

PERF makes money through a hybrid of membership dues (General $575/year, Subscribing $250/year, Sustaining $150/year), tuition revenue from SMIP ($11,750 per participant), fees for executive search engagements and management studies, advertising on its career opportunities board ($50-$500 per posting), and on-site ICAT training delivered to agencies (with train-the-trainer sessions funded under a U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office cooperative agreement). It serves municipal, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, senior police executives, first-line supervisors, criminal justice academics, and retired executives. Customer logos include NYPD, Chicago PD, Baltimore PD, Louisville Metro PD, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office, Phoenix PD, Denver PD, Camden County PD, and Amtrak Police Department, with ICAT deployed across 150+ agencies in 35+ states.

Name

Police Executive Research Forum

Legal name

Police Executive Research Forum

Website

https://policeforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PERF is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit founded in 1976 that provides police research, evidence-based de-escalation training (ICAT), executive search, and senior management education to U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: General Membership at $575/year for executive heads of agencies with 100+ full-time employees or serving 50,000+ population. Subscribing Membership at $250/year for those not qualifying for general membership. Sustaining Membership at $150/year for retired members.
2. SMIP Program Tuition: Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) three-week intensive program at $11,750 covering instruction, materials, lodging, and most meals. Includes $550 credit card deposit for application.
3. Executive Search Services: Recruitment and selection assistance for police chief positions, serving city leaders and government officials.
4. Career Opportunities Advertising: Job posting services: $50 for website posting, $500 for email distribution to 3,000+ police executives.
5. ICAT Training Program: Train-the-trainer sessions provided free of charge; attendees cover their own travel costs. PERF also offers on-site agency training with follow-up quality control visits.
6. Management Technical Assistance: Customized technical assistance services to law enforcement agencies including management studies, organizational reviews, and policy development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PERF is a nonprofit police research and policy organization that delivers training programs (ICAT de-escalation training and the SMIP senior executive program), management consulting and technical assistance (studies for 250+ jurisdictions, organizational reviews, policy development), executive search services for police chief recruitment, and original research publications for U.S. law enforcement agencies. It operates as a national membership association serving municipal, county, and state law enforcement leaders with direct service delivery, residential executive education, and on-site consulting engagements.

Product overview

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) is a nonprofit police research and policy organization founded in 1976 that provides a portfolio of training programs, management services, and professional development resources for law enforcement agencies. The core products include ICAT (Integrating Communication, Assessment, and Tactics), a de-escalation training program with eight modules; the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), a three-week executive training program at Boston University; the Critical Response Toolkit for First-Line Supervisors covering critical incident management; Executive Search Services for police chief recruitment; and the Center for Management and Technical Assistance providing consulting services. PERF also offers publications including reports, the PERF Daily Clips newsletter, PERF Trending commentary, podcasts, and the Chapter 2 career guidance book. The organization operates the ICAT Training Facility in Decatur, Illinois, opened in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICAT Training: An innovative, evidence-based approach to use-of-force training that provides first responding police officers with the tools, skills, and options they need to defuse a range of critical incidents successfully and safely. ICAT was developed by PERF with input from hundreds of law enforcement professionals nationwide and is currently being taught in police agencies of all sizes in all parts of the country.
• SMIP (Senior Management Institute for Police)
• Center for Management and Technical Assistance

Products and services

• ICAT (Integrating Communication, Assessment, and Tactics) Training Program An evidence-based, eight-module use-of-force and de-escalation training program for first-responding police officers, anchored by the Critical Decision-Making Model; train-the-trainer sessions are provided free of charge to sworn law enforcement with on-site agency training and quality control follow-up available.
• Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) A demanding three-week residential executive development program at Boston University for senior police executives, featuring faculty from top universities, current chief executives, and private-sector experts, with tuition of $11,750 covering instruction, materials, lodging, and most meals.
• Critical Response Toolkit for First-Line Supervisors A comprehensive toolkit with sample checklists, field reference guides, training outlines, and after-action templates that helps first-line supervisory teams prepare for, manage, and conduct post-incident reviews of critical incidents.
• Executive Search Services Recruitment and selection assistance for police chief positions, drawing on PERF's national network of policing leaders and its in-depth knowledge of policing to serve mayors, city/county managers, and government officials.
• Center for Management and Technical Assistance Customized management and technical assistance to law enforcement agencies, including resource allocation studies, productivity analyses, technology needs assessments, organizational development planning, strategic planning, and policy/practice/training support.
• PERF Publications and Reports Research reports, policy guidance, and best practices publications including the Critical Issues Series, available in a free online documents section and as hard copies for members.
• Career Opportunities Advertising Job posting service for agencies and employers to advertise career opportunities to more than 3,000 police executives on PERF's email distribution list, with pricing of $50 for website posting and $500 for email distribution.
• Chapter 2 (Career Planning Book and Video Series) A book and video series providing guidance on career planning for police chiefs and sheriffs after retirement, based on interviews with nearly 100 retired PERF members who shared their experiences with second careers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28% reduction in use-of-force incidents, 26% reduction in citizen injuries, and 36% reduction in officer injuries in Louisville Metro PD after ICAT training
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOPS Office provides funding and support for PERF programs including the Critical Response Toolkit for First-Line Supervisors (cooperative agreement 2018CKWXK016) and ICAT train-the-trainer sessions at locations like North Carolina Justice Academy and Tyler Junior College.
• Law Enforcement Cyber Center (LECC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative project between PERF, DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Information Sharing Environment, and RAND Corporation designed to assist police chiefs, sheriffs, commanders, patrol officers, and investigators with cybercrime prevention and investigation.
• Boston University School of LawcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSMIP program is held at Boston University School of Law where participants learn and reside in the university's classrooms and residence hall at 10 Buick St. Boston, MA 02215. Note: SMIP and PERF are not affiliated with Boston University.
• Outward Bound Professional on Cathleen Stone IslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSMIP program features a day at Cathleen Stone Island for experiential learning, conducted outside the classroom requiring attendees to be active on their feet for most of the day.
• Tyler Junior CollegeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHost location for COPS Office-funded ICAT train-the-trainer sessions at the Regional Training and Development Complex for attendees from Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas.
• North Carolina Justice AcademyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHost location for COPS Office-funded ICAT train-the-trainer sessions at Salemburg Campus for attendees from North Carolina.
• IACP/University of Cincinnati Center for Police Research and PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished evaluation of ICAT training in Louisville Metro Police Department in 2020, finding 28% reduction in use-of-force incidents, 26% reduction in citizen injuries, and 36% reduction in officer injuries.
• National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)minorOthersPublished study on focused deterrence in Baltimore's Western police district, finding shootings and homicides fell by roughly one-third and carjackings by about 40 percent within 18 months.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP): The principal membership association for police chiefs and senior law enforcement leaders globally. Directly comparable to PERF in serving police executives, publishing research, hosting conferences, and partnering with PERF on the Louisville ICAT evaluation and joint convenings.
• Police Foundation: A nonprofit police research organization founded in 1970 that funds and conducts research on policing, with a similar mission of improving police services through evidence-based policy and practice. Direct peer in police-focused nonprofit research and policy.
• National Policing Institute: A nonprofit organization focused on advancing policing through research, training, and innovation. Direct peer in mission, with overlapping training curricula and technical assistance offerings for law enforcement agencies.
• Vera Institute of Justice: A nonprofit research and policy organization that works on criminal justice reform, including policing. Comparable in mission (justice system reform through research and technical assistance) and in providing technical assistance and reports to government agencies.
• FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA): An alumni association of senior law enforcement leaders who have attended the FBI National Academy. Comparable audience (senior police executives) and professional-development focus, with overlapping continuing-education offerings.
• Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA): A membership association of chiefs from the largest U.S. and Canadian police agencies. Directly comparable in membership model and leadership audience, with overlapping participation in joint training and policy convenings.

Broad incumbents

• National Institute of Justice (NIJ): The research, evaluation, and development arm of DOJ. Provides grant funding and publishes policing research, serving a federal-level role analogous to PERF's research and policy function but with broader criminal-justice scope.
• RAND Corporation: A large nonprofit research organization with a public-safety portfolio and a co-development partnership with PERF on the Law Enforcement Cyber Center. Broader than PERF in scope but overlapping on policing research methodology and policy advising.

Others

• Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA): A federal agency within DOJ that administers grant programs and provides training and technical assistance to state, local, and tribal justice agencies. Co-funder and partner with PERF on LECC and other policing initiatives.

Emerging players

• John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY): A leading academic institution for criminal justice research and executive education. Comparable in publishing policing research and offering senior leadership training programs that overlap with PERF's SMIP audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Police Executive Research Forum