Commissioner Ramsey, Professor Robinson, and members of the Task Force on 21st Century Policing, thank you for inviting me to testify today at the first listening session. My name is Richard Beary and I am the Chief of Police at the University of Central Florida and the President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). I have over 37 years of law enforcement experience, and I am here today to testify on behalf of the IACP.

The IACP is the world's largest association of law enforcement executives, with more than 22,000 members in 98 different countries. For over 120 years, the IACP has been launching internationally acclaimed programs, speaking out on behalf of law enforcement, conducting ground-breaking research, and providing exemplary programs and services to the law enforcement profession across the globe.

Over the past three decades, many communities throughout the United States have witnessed a remarkable decline in the rate of crime. America in 2015 is a far safer place than America in 1985. In fact, the most recent Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Report shows that incidence of violent crime in the United States fell to the lowest number since 1978. This is a testament to both the great work done by law enforcement and a shared commitment by community and political leaders to create and maintain safer communities.