The organization is dedicated to improving policing and advancing professionalism through research and involvement in public policy debate.

Established in 1976, PERF's primary sources of operating revenues are tuition payments for educational programs, grants from private and nonprofit organizations, membership dues, and government contracts.

[3][4][5][6][7] PERF also has released a series of reports describing and advocating the increasing role of local law enforcement agencies in addressing the opioid epidemic, by actively helping addicted persons to get treatment and other services, while saving lives by providing naloxone to officers so they can help prevent fatal overdoses.

[11][12] Another area of focus has been reducing gender bias in the police response to sexual assault and domestic violence and expanding the FBI’s definition of rape to more accurately report levels of crime.

[19] PERF organized conference calls with city police chiefs to discuss their response to the Occupy Wall Street movement during the Fall of 2011.