Welcome to the PFI Website
Whether you’re a first time visitor a long-standing PFI member, I encourage you to browse this site and check back often for new resources and updated notices.
The purpose of the Society of Police Futurists International (PFI) is to foster excellence in policing by promoting and applying futurist research methodologies. PFI is a virtual, volunteer-driven, non-profit organization consisting of active and retired law enforcement officers, civilian policing professionals, educators and other members of the academic community, students of criminal justice and futures studies, and other governmental and private sector security experts from around the world.
Membership in PFI allows access to a vigorous listserv where issues of emerging interest are discussed from a variety of viewpoints. Access to the members’ login also provides resources for practitioners and academics working in criminal justice, such as links to futures research and papers to affiliate sites and other members.
PFI collaborates with the FBI through the Futures Working Group (FWG), whose purpose is to develop and encourage others to develop forecasts and strategies to ethically maximize the effectiveness of law enforcement bodies at all levels. FWG deals with a myriad of topics, from police leadership to cybercrime and futurist perspectives. Most FWG publications are shared with members; others are made available for download through the member login site.
As police futurists, we all share common interests in visioning and creating policing for tomorrow. The Executive Board encourages PFI members to make a difference: seek out local opportunities to promote our goals, share your knowledge, and foster a futurist approach.
We also welcome member involvement in other activities that make PFI a thriving endeavor. Being a non-profit organization, we depend on volunteer support and encourage members, seasoned and new, to contribute to our growth through discussions, collaborations, or by volunteering for committees, projects, appointments or Executive Board vacancies.
The Board strives to keep this website dynamic. Being dependent on the contributions of volunteers, as we are, means we welcome ideas for additional resources, links, book descriptions and other items of interest to police futurists. Please feel free to e-mail me with your suggestions.
If you’re not a current member, please know that being a part of PFI is a unique opportunity. We are striving to be a transformational, leading influence within policing, and hope that you will join us in that journey!
What’s new for members…
I’m pleased to report that PFI officially welcomes the Public Safety Leadership Development Consortium (PSLDC) members as new PFI members, effective June 1st, 2009. This merger represents a new period of growth for all of us. The projects and study groups under the leadership wing are now open to PFI members to participate in and find new areas of interest to explore, and the listserv is now open to consortium members to engage in dialogues where their ideas and contributions will surely add an overall enriched dimension.
It’s also with great pleasure that the Executive Board looks forward to bestowing PFI’s first-ever Innovation Award to Spears Westbrook, Gene Stephens and Jim Alexander for turning their creative vision of PSLDC into a concrete reality. Through their combined efforts, they have provided policing with a viable means to developing future leadership programs and futures-oriented research across North American and internationally. The honorable mention award goes to Immediate Past President Joe Schafer for his outstanding efforts as editor of and contributing author to Policing 2020: Exploring the Future of Crime, Communities, and Policing. The winners will receive their awards at the next annual meeting on July 17th in Chicago (see WFS link above left). |
