About the National Police Accountability Project

At NPAP, we are building a future free from police violence while seeking justice for those harmed by the existing system.

Despite the 2020 national uprisings calling for police accountability, more people were killed by police in 2024 than in any other year in the past decade. Police officers kill an average of three people every day in the U.S.—mostly people of color—and injure, brutalize, and harass countless more, with little to no accountability. 

Only 1% of people who believe their rights have been violated by law enforcement or correctional agencies ever file a lawsuit. This is largely because most people who have been harmed by law enforcement or correctional officers can’t find a lawyer to take their case.

To change that, a courageous group of civil rights attorneys founded the National Police Accountability Project (NPAP) in 1999 to serve as one of the few national organizations focused solely on ending law enforcement overreach and abuse of power.

NPAP works to build a future free from police violence while seeking justice for those harmed by the existing criminal legal system. We do this by supporting a membership of 550+ attorneys who sue abusive police departments, federal law enforcement agencies, prisons, and jails nationwide.

NPAP also provides legal and legislative expertise to community-led efforts to reform policing. 

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

NPAP’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging seeks to inspire all members to fight for inclusive and safe communities free from police violence and abuses of power.

We aspire to build a culture – internally and externally – that is free from discrimination and oppression. We do this by empowering communities, demanding accountability, and sharing resources and knowledge.