Director's Speech on Alternatives to Incarceration

On December 2, 2009, COPS Director Bernard Melekian delivered the keynote address at the 1st Annual Conference of the National Network for Safe Communities. The Network is a coalition of police chiefs, prosecutors, community leaders, service providers, mayors, street workers, scholars and others concerned about the impact of crime and current crime polices on communities. The Network is committed to building a new community policing standard of practice aimed at: Reducing levels of violent crime Eliminating overt drug markets Promoting racial reconciliation between minority communities and police Reducing high levels of incarceration