The various roles of the police in our country are subject to the ebbs and flows of political will and, quite often, the quick knee-jerk reactions of the media, elected officials at all levels, citizens in our communities, and others who believe they are legitimate stakeholders for equality, justice, and fairness. A few years ago, there was considerable sentiment to defund the police. Trust levels were low, and confidence waned when it came to the police. The policing institution was blamed for much of the racial injustice in our country. Overall, the police were considered a threat to our democracy.
The Changing Landscape of Policing
Fast forward a few months. Because of the perceived increase in violence in our communities, there is a desire for more police, more assertive policing, and less concern for how the actions of police impact our communities. Importantly, there is widespread support for the police in performing their role as “enforcers of the law.” Some might argue that the window to enact meaningful reform within the policing profession is narrowing.
The ebb and flow cycles are happening much more rapidly due to a frenzied media-induced narrative that shifts quickly. More and more, people are reacting to headlines and paying considerably less attention to longer-term trends.
One could say policing is caught in a cyclical stalemate. Almost paradoxically, the policing profession cannot help reconstruct communities or have a meaningful impact on the communities they serve without first reconstructing itself. At the same time, it may not be able to reconstruct itself until our communities have been reconstructed.
A Persistent Reliance on Traditional Justice Systems
Our communities are stuck in the belief that the traditional criminal justice system is the answer to crime and disorder. Leadership continues to focus on the symptoms of our woundedness, ramping up legislative, simplistic, and reductionist reactions to the downstream symptoms of our health and social issues.
Some question the level of internal degeneration in our country, suggesting we are more inclined toward feudalism and tribalism among the many perspectives, cultures, political factions, and economic divides. Many neighborhoods are languishing in disconnectedness. Recidivism rates of fifty to seventy percent do not seem concerning and certainly are not part of the narrative as we once again ramp up our criminal justice system’s response to rising violence and crime—both of which are symptoms of deeper social and health issues.
Citizens in our communities are often unwilling to accept the level of responsibility necessary to become a viable part of responding to the woundedness that exists. This unwillingness is tied to a lack of permission to act, the perceived inability to engage effectively in the healing process, or a lack of belonging to their neighborhoods and communities.
Rethinking the Concept of Justice
The definition of justice has remained virtually unchanged in our country. The idea of justice is still attached to the primitive thinking of “an eye for an eye” and exacting “a pound of flesh.” There is little conversation about a more enlightened perspective—one grounded in restorative principles and practices. Fear and retribution continue to be the primary emotional drivers behind policy and practice. The incessant noise of the trumpet blasts of the Middle Ages still echoes in our local, state, and national legislative assemblies.
The Power of Goodness
Despite these challenges, it is clear that goodness persists all around us. It exists in families, neighborhoods, communities, and individuals. This goodness, if more fully activated, could transform neighborhoods into places characterized by kindness, generosity, a spirit of belonging, and people going the extra mile for others. It is a force capable of connecting people, breaking down racial, generational, and cultural barriers, and activating the abundant social capital within our communities.
What’s Next? Recommendations for Policing
While the focus is on policing, all municipal governments can play an active role in the healing of our communities. The following are recommendations for the future of policing:
- Foster Community Belonging – The police should actively encourage people to feel and believe they belong to their communities.
- Mobilize Social Capital – The police should engage in mobilizing social capital and encourage citizens to assume greater responsibility for their own well-being and safety.
- Strengthen Neighborhoods – The police can become facilitators in building and reinforcing strong neighborhoods.
- Leverage Community Goodness – The police should recognize and learn how to leverage the active and latent goodness in our communities.
- Promote an Enlightened Perspective of Justice – The police should embrace a more enlightened model of justice, rather than justice rooted merely in the primitive framework of retribution.
- Implement Alternatives to Traditional Justice – The police should pursue effective alternatives to the criminal justice system, particularly when dealing with individuals struggling with addiction or mental health challenges.
- Refine the Enforcement Role – Policing should maintain an enforcement role, but it should be more precise, community-guided, and judiciously applied.
Structural Changes Needed
To support these shifts, systemic changes are required:
- Transform Police Culture – Moving beyond superficial programmatic changes to address the deeper culture within policing.
- Modify Internal Systems – Recruitment, hiring, training, performance management, service structures, leadership philosophy, and organizational architecture must align with the new roles outlined above.
- Redefine Police-Community Relationships – Evolving from a model of unhealthy dependency to one of robust interdependency.
- Educate Police and Municipal Leaders – Training leaders in organizational and human resource development to better support community resilience and social capital activation.
A Call to Action
If we are serious about strengthening the resilience of our democracy, we must embrace police reform that strengthens neighborhoods, facilitates community healing, and encourages active citizenship. Our institutions—including municipal government and policing—must undergo significant shifts, and in some cases, complete overhauls. Given the rapid evolution of societal conditions, institutional modifications must accelerate accordingly.
Policing, like humanity itself, must adapt to an ongoing cycle of changes, adjustments, and realignments. To remain influential and relevant, the profession must continually refashion and reestablish itself to meet the needs of an ever-changing society.Now is the time to take deliberate action. The question is: Are we ready to embrace a new era of policing that prioritizes community well-being, justice, and true public safety?
