Police Foundation Names Jim Bueermann President: New CEO is an Innovator in Bridging the Gap Between Police Research and Practice

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Police Foundation Board of Directors announced today that Jim Bueermann, former chief of police in Redlands, CA, has been appointed president, effective September 17, 2012. His appointment follows a nationwide search by Korn/Ferry International.

"We are fortunate to have someone of Jim Bueermann's experience and caliber to lead the foundation," said Board Chairman Weldon J. Rougeau. "Jim's advocacy for evidence-based practice and support of researcher and practitioner partnerships has produced several key studies of crime and policing. He has been a leading advocate among chiefs for using research to make decisions around policy and practice."

Rougeau added, "In establishing the Police Foundation in 1970, the Ford Foundation intended for the new organization to become a force for constructive change in the police function. The police of America had never before had an independent focal point to which they could look for leadership and resources to help them strike out in new directions. Through the years, Ford sustained its commitment to the Police Foundation and in 1987 bestowed a generous endowment to the Police Foundation Third Decade Fund for Public Safety, ensuring the foundation's continued ability to fulfill the mission Ford had envisioned. At this important time in the foundation's 42-year history, Jim Bueermann brings precisely the kind of innovative thinking and leadership necessary to take the Police Foundation into its future."

Jim Bueermann worked for the Redlands (CA) Police Department for 33 years, serving in every unit in the department. He was appointed chief of police and director of housing, recreation, and senior services in 1998. He retired in June 2011.

Jim was the first police chief to be inducted as an honorary fellow in the Academy of Experimental Criminology and into the halls of fame at George Mason University's Center for Evidence Based Crime Policy and the School of Behavioral Science at California State University, San Bernardino. He is currently an executive fellow with the US Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice and a senior fellow at George Mason University.

"I am deeply honored to have been given the opportunity to lead such a prestigious organization as the Police Foundation," said Bueermann. "As a police officer for more than three decades, I constantly used the knowledge generated by the foundation to advance policing in my hometown. I am humbled to lead the organization that has been instrumental in advancing policing in so many ways—from helping make communities safer through hot spots policing, to helping make police officers' work safer through the foundation's recently released study on officer fatigue and shift work. The current fiscal environment in America creates challenges and opportunities alike. Perhaps never before has there been such a need—nor such a compelling prospect—to advance the noble cause of policing through innovation and research into "what works" to control crime and disorder, increase officer safety, and enhance the legitimacy of the police in the eyes of the people they serve."

Bueermann succeeds Hubert Williams who announced his retirement in March 2012, after 27 years as foundation president. "We are grateful to have had Hubert's knowledge, integrity, and leadership for the past 27 years. Under his leadership, the Police Foundation has helped lay the groundwork for significant improvement in the way police conduct their business in decades to come," said Mr. Rougeau.

Bueermann added, "Hubert Williams leaves an unparalleled legacy, not only at the Police Foundation but also within the policing profession. Police departments throughout America have benefited from his leadership. I endeavor to honor his contributions and dedication to policing by leading the Police Foundation during a period of our country's history that I believe will reflect great advances in innovative and rightful policing."

The Police Foundation is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting innovation and improvement in policing through its research, professional services, technical assistance, and communication programs. Established in 1970, the foundation has conducted seminal research in police behavior, policy, and procedure, and works to transfer to local agencies the best new information about practices for dealing effectively with the full range of police operational and administrative concerns. Motivating all of the foundation's efforts is the goal of efficient, humane policing that operates within the framework of democratic principles and the highest ideals of the nation.

For more information about the Police Foundation, please visit www.policefoundation.org.

SOURCE Police Foundation