policing project

What policing project does

The Policing Project is a non-profit policy organization established in 2018 and housed at NYU School of Law in New York City, focused on advancing democratic accountability in policing through research, advocacy, model legislation, litigation, and direct engagement with law enforcement agencies. Its work targets four primary stakeholder groups: communities and residents seeking a voice in policing policy, police departments pursuing collaborative reform, legislators needing model statutes and technical assistance, and individuals affected by policing practices who seek legal recourse. The organization develops and distributes several substantive products at no cost, including the SAJE Policing Assessment — a 100-metric framework for evaluating police-agency performance — model statutes covering use of force, traffic stops, data collection, ALPRs, facial recognition, and DNA technologies, the AI Policy Hub and AI Governance Framework, the 12 Million Calls Initiative for 911 diversion, the Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative, and the 30x30 Initiative advancing women in policing.

The business model is institutional philanthropy: the organization is funded by foundation and corporate grants from sources including Arnold Ventures, the Ford Foundation, Joyce Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Microsoft Corporation, and the Charles Koch Foundation, accepting support across the political spectrum without conditionality on outcomes. Distribution occurs through direct partnerships with 30+ law enforcement agencies (NYPD, Chicago PD, Minneapolis PD, Tampa PD, Tucson PD, Las Vegas DPS, Washington DC MPD, Camden County PD, MNPD, and others), legislative testimony in 25+ proceedings annually, free public resources on policingproject.org, webinars, convenings, and a sustained media presence in outlets including the Associated Press, New York Times, and NBC News. The organization's litigation docket — including Andre v. Clayton County, Umemoto v. Westchester, SCPIF v. SLED, and an amicus brief in Chatrie v. United States — functions both as accountability mechanism and as a channel for shaping constitutional doctrine on surveillance and policing technology. There is no pricing model and no product sales; impact is measured in legislation enacted, agency adoptions, and judicial outcomes rather than revenue.

Name

policing project

Legal name

The Policing Project at New York University School of Law

Website

https://policingproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Policing Project is a non-profit policy organization at NYU School of Law that develops model legislation, conducts policing assessments, litigates surveillance cases, and partners with 30+ police departments to advance democratic accountability and reform in U.S. policing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Other Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922190)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Police Services (Patrol, Response & Community Policing) (BPAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Law Enforcement & Police Academy Training (EDAOAMAA), Public Safety Training Academies & Standards (Police/Fire/EMS) (BPAIAGAF), Prosecution & District/State Attorney Services (BPAIAFAB)

Keywords

• Policing reform advocacy
• Criminal justice policy
• Police accountability research
• Model legislation drafting
• Civil rights litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Philanthropy and Grants: The Policing Project operates as a non-profit organization funded by institutional donors including foundations and corporations. Funding is accepted without promises regarding results or positions taken, with support coming from across the political spectrum.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Policing Project at NYU School of Law is a non-profit policy organization that partners with communities and police to promote public safety through transparency, equity, and democratic engagement. It develops model legislation, conducts research, files litigation, and provides technical assistance to advance democratic accountability in policing — including the SAJE Policing Assessment, Model Policing Statutes, AI Policy Hub, and initiatives such as 30x30 (women in policing), the Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative, and the 12 Million Calls Initiative (alternative 911 response).

Product overview

The Policing Project at NYU School of Law is a policy and research organization (not a product company) that works with communities and police to promote public safety through transparency, equity, and democratic engagement. Its offerings include the SAJE Policing Assessment tool for evaluating police agency performance across 100 metrics, the AI Policy Hub providing policy guidance on AI governance in law enforcement, and various model statutes and legislative resources for policing reform. The organization also operates initiative programs including the 12 Million Calls Initiative for alternative response diversion, the Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative, and the 30x30 Initiative for advancing women in policing. Educational resources include webinars and research reports on topics ranging from AI ethics to traffic enforcement reform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 30x30 Initiative: Initiative focused on advancing women in policing
• 12 Million Calls Initiative
• SAJE Policing Assessment
• Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative
• Public Safety AI Policy Hub

Products and services

• SAJE Policing Assessment A comprehensive assessment tool designed to define and measure characteristics of sound, accountable, just, and effective policing across 100 metrics, helping police agencies, municipal leaders, and communities evaluate agency performance.
• Public Safety AI Policy Hub A central forum for insights, analysis, and policy guidance related to the use of AI in public safety, serving policymakers and stakeholders interested in sound governance of AI in law enforcement.
• 12 Million Calls Initiative A national initiative in partnership with municipalities to divert 911 calls to non-police alternative responders, addressing the overburdening of police with social issues better suited for specialized alternative response systems.
• Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative A collaborative partnership with the Chicago Police Department and Chicago residents to improve public safety through neighborhood-focused collaborative policing philosophy.
• 30x30 Initiative An initiative advancing women in policing, focused on reaching 30% representation of women in police recruit classes by 2030.
• Model Policing Statutes Model legislation addressing key policing reforms including data collection, use of force, pretextual traffic stops, officer discipline, warrant reform, and vehicle pursuits, offered to legislators and policymakers.
• Policing Technology Model Statutes Comprehensive resources providing reasonable regulations and transparency requirements for police use of various technologies including face recognition, automated license plate readers, and other surveillance technologies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Working with Minneapolis on goal to divert 20% of 911 calls to non-police responders, potentially resulting in 12 million calls annually diverted across 100 largest municipalities if replicated nationally.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Police FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with the Police Project on many projects including cost-benefit analysis and community engagement studies.
• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignatory of the Policing Project's Principles of Democratic Policing.
• Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on a number of projects in Chicago, including development of citizen police commission ordinance.
• NYPD (New York Police Department)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NYPD to facilitate public input on the department's body-worn camera policy.
• Chicago Police DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on multiple initiatives to promote community engagement including the Chicago Neighborhood Policing Initiative.
• Center for Policing EquitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to create a national guidebook on stop data best practices.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored 'Safe Roads for All' report on rethinking traffic safety. Joint litigation on automated license plate reader lawsuits.
• Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on class action lawsuit Umemoto v. Westchester challenging mass vehicle surveillance.
• Vanderbilt Project on Prosecution Policy (VPOPP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'AI and Prosecution' report cataloging AI applications in prosecution.
• National Urban LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked on study of police-community engagement in collaboration with the Police Foundation.
• NAACP Legal Defense FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiled amicus briefs in support of policing accountability cases.
• American Law InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBarry Friedman serves as Reporter for the American Law Institute's Principles of Policing.
• Latham & Watkins LLPminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConducting pro bono research with the Policing Project on community advisory boards.
• Jenner & BlockminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides pro bono support for the Policing Project's Chicago community engagement initiatives.
• Freshfields LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnered on class action lawsuit Umemoto v. Westchester challenging mass vehicle surveillance.
• Jones DaycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGlobal law firm litigating Andre v. Clayton County case with the Policing Project.
• Brennan Center for JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted 'Policing and Accountability in the Digital Age' event.
• Traffic Safety For All CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition coordinated and educated stakeholders on limiting low-level traffic stops. Policing Project is founding member.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Center for Policing Equity: Non-profit that partners directly with police departments on data-driven reform, racial equity, and accountability. Comparable to the Policing Project in mission (police reform), target clients (police agencies), and analytic products, and the two have collaborated on national stop-data best practices guidance.
• Brennan Center for Justice: NYU-affiliated non-profit policy and law organization working on criminal justice reform, policing, and democratic accountability. Highly comparable in policy-advocacy model, NYU adjacency, litigation, and legislative engagement; co-hosted Policing and Accountability in the Digital Age with the Policing Project.
• Vera Institute of Justice: Non-profit research and policy organization working on criminal justice reform with police, prosecutors, and communities. Comparable in operating model (research-driven, multi-jurisdictional, partnered with agencies) and policy-product approach.
• ACLU: National civil liberties organization with active policing accountability, surveillance, and criminal justice reform programs. Comparable in litigation-heavy model, model-policy work, and partnership engagement; co-authored Safe Roads for All with the Policing Project.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Civil rights legal organization that litigates against unconstitutional policing, files amicus briefs, and pursues policy reform. Comparable in litigation portfolio, civil-rights advocacy framing, and amicus engagement strategy.
• The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights: Civil rights coalition that signs onto and develops principles for democratic policing, and coordinates legislative advocacy. Signatory of the Policing Project's Principles of Democratic Policing and highly comparable in federal-level civil rights coordination work.
• National Police Foundation: Non-profit police research and technical-assistance organization that conducts program evaluations and community-policing studies. Collaborated with the Policing Project on cost-benefit analysis and community-engagement studies, making it a direct peer in applied research.
• Council on Criminal Justice: Non-partisan criminal justice policy and research organization producing data-driven recommendations on policing, sentencing, and reform. Comparable in policy-product (reports, frameworks) and bipartisan positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Police Executive Research Forum (PERF): Established police-research and policy organization serving police chiefs and executives with reports, training, and guidelines. Less advocacy-focused than the Policing Project but highly comparable in audience (police leadership) and policy-product offerings.

Emerging players

• R Street Institute: Center-right policy research organization with criminal-justice reform and policing initiatives. Comparable in producing model legislation and bipartisan policy analysis; partial overlap given different ideological center of gravity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/policingproject
• Facebookfacebook.com/PolicingProjectNYU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/policing-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about policing project