From Remembrance to Responsibility: Global Police Forge Anti-Hate Pact

KRAKÓW, POLAND – April 14, 2026 – In a solemn and unprecedented display of international solidarity, more than 120 senior law enforcement leaders from North America and Europe are leading this year’s International March of the Living, walking the three-kilometer path from Auschwitz to Birkenau. This historic moment, the largest and most high-ranking police delegation to ever participate, is the centerpiece of a groundbreaking initiative designed to translate the indelible lessons of the Holocaust into modern policing doctrine aimed at preventing extremism and protecting vulnerable communities.

The delegation's presence in Poland is part of the Not on Our Watch: Operationalizing Never Again program, a global effort coordinated by the Rutgers Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience. It follows the recent signing of a major international policing agreement in Berlin, formalizing a new, united front against the rising tide of hate and threats to democratic stability.

A New International Framework Against Hate

The foundation for this week’s activities was laid on April 9 in Berlin, where a coalition of major police associations signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch the "Democratic Policing Initiative." This five-year cooperative framework formally unites powerful law enforcement bodies from both sides of the Atlantic, including the German Police Union (GdP), the European Federation of Police Unions (EU.Pol), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA), among others.

The initiative establishes a long-term operational alliance focused on strengthening early threat detection, developing joint training on ethical decision-making, and establishing coordinated responses to extremist violence. It represents a strategic shift from symbolic gestures to a sustained, collaborative effort to reinforce democratic values and public trust within policing.

“History makes clear what is at stake when institutions fail to act,” said Jochen Kopelke, Chairman of the German Police Union and President of the Federation of European Police Unions, at the signing. “For law enforcement across Europe, this is a call to lead with clarity, to act early, and to work together across borders to prevent the conditions that allow hate and extremism to take hold.”

The agreement aims to ensure police forces remain an independent, stabilizing force within democratic societies, accountable to the public and committed to protecting all communities, especially those targeted by hate.

Walking in the Footsteps of History

For the police leaders gathered in Poland, the program is an immersive and deeply personal confrontation with the consequences of institutional failure. While smaller law enforcement delegations have attended the March of the Living in recent years, including groups in 2023 and 2025, the scale and seniority of this year's contingent—entrusted by march organizers to lead the procession—marks a profound turning point.

The march itself, from the infamous gates of Auschwitz I to the sprawling grounds of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, is a somber pilgrimage. Participants are engaging in structured discussions, touring the historic sites, and holding direct conversations with Holocaust survivors, connecting the abstract horror of history to the tangible, human impact of state-sanctioned violence where police were often instruments of oppression.

“Standing in these places changes how you think about leadership,” said Paul Goldenberg, Chair of the International Police Delegation and Deputy Director of the Rutgers Miller Center. “This is not theoretical. You are confronted with what happens when institutions fail, when warning signs are ignored, and when leadership hesitates. The responsibility we carry as law enforcement leaders becomes very real here.”

In a significant tribute to their commitment, the delegation and its associated police organizations will be honored during the official plenary ceremony at Birkenau. They have been invited to light one of the six commemorative torches, a solemn act honoring the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and symbolizing a pledge to prevent future atrocities.

Operationalizing 'Never Again'

The initiative’s title, Not On Our Watch, underscores its core mission: to move beyond remembrance and operationalize the vow of "Never Again." The program, developed by academic partners at Rutgers University and the University of Virginia, is meticulously designed to equip senior police executives with the historical context and ethical framework needed to lead their agencies in an age of resurgent antisemitism and extremist ideologies.

This approach distinguishes itself from other counter-extremism programs by focusing intensely on the historical role of police in the breakdown of democratic societies. By studying how law enforcement agencies were co-opted and became complicit in the Holocaust, the initiative forces a critical examination of institutional accountability, ethical decision-making, and the imperative to protect civil liberties. The goal is for these leaders to return to their home departments prepared to implement new training, improve support for hate crime victims, and foster a culture of proactive guardianship against hate.

The Rutgers Miller Center, which spearheads the program, has a long track record of working on international security and community resilience. Led by experts like Goldenberg, a decorated national security professional with experience advising European governments on transnational extremism, the center has focused on translating academic research into practical, on-the-ground policing strategies from Brussels to Whitefish, Montana.

A United Front in an Era of Evolving Threats

The creation of the Democratic Policing Initiative and the high-profile participation in the March of the Living are not occurring in a vacuum. Organizers emphasize that these actions are a direct response to a global security landscape marked by evolving threats, sophisticated disinformation campaigns, and increasing pressure on democratic institutions. The initiative acknowledges that policing must evolve beyond a reactive, crime-fighting posture to become a proactive force for maintaining public trust and societal resilience.

By uniting disparate police unions and leadership associations across continents, the framework aims to build a more agile and coordinated international security architecture. The focus on shared intelligence and joint training is intended to ensure that an extremist threat emerging in one country is quickly understood and countered by partners across the globe.

As the police leaders complete their march and return to their respective nations, the true work of the five-year initiative begins. The lessons learned on the soil of Auschwitz-Birkenau are intended to ripple outward, shaping policy, training, and the very ethos of what it means to be a police officer in a democratic society. The commitment forged in Berlin and solemnized in Poland is a declaration that law enforcement will not be a passive observer, but an active guardian against the forces that seek to unravel democratic norms and target the vulnerable.