We can all appreciate what has been done to date in our attempts to reimagine, transform, or reset what is happening in our police profession. New policies, new practices, and new technology have indeed brought about needed changes.
As far as we’ve come, we believe we can travel much further. It seems after every major, high-profile catastrophe in policing, we hear a chorus of calls for police culture to change, giving rise to the perspective that despite many changes, policing still has considerable progress to make. As much as has been accomplished, it is not enough and probably never will be. Mayors, city managers, and police chiefs everywhere are looking for ways to strengthen their police department’s relationship with the community, transform internal police culture, and foster greater civic engagement among residents.
Unlocking the Untapped Potential in Policing
We believe there is a clear path forward that city managers, mayors, police chiefs, sheriffs, and others can follow. At the heart of this belief is the idealism that already exists within the policing profession—a form of social capital that has yet to be fully realized.
At its core, policing attracts individuals who want to make a difference. Nearly one million commissioned and auxiliary police officers are present in communities across the country 24/7/365, with immense potential to help mend and strengthen the social fabric of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities. Yet, this potential remains largely underutilized because the focus has been too narrowly centered on enforcement, rather than partnership and co-creation of public safety.
A Bold Initiative for Cultural Transformation
The Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), New Blue, and the School of Statesmanship, Stewardship, and Service (SOSSAS) have joined forces to provide an educational, practical, and experiential learning process for city managers, mayors, elected officials, and police leadership. Through Project PACT, we help reshape the relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve, while guiding police leaders through the process of meaningful cultural change within their departments.
This initiative offers an actionable framework that allows public safety leaders to move beyond reactionary policies and take deliberate steps toward lasting, systemic transformation. Among the key components of Project PACT’s approach:
- Strengthening police-community relationships by reducing unhealthy dependency
- Creating internal cultures that value officer voice, agency, and human dignity
- Developing practical, community-based alternatives to the criminal justice system
- Training public safety leaders in statesmanship, organizational transformation, and community-building
Addressing the Hard Questions
Project PACT provides real-life examples, deep instruction, and hands-on strategies to help public safety leaders answer critical questions, such as:
- How can we shift from unhealthy police-community dependency to a balanced, shared responsibility for public safety?
- How can law enforcement agencies foster a culture where officers feel valued, heard, and empowered?
- What practical alternatives to the criminal justice system can police departments effectively implement?
- How can police leadership move away from traditional command-driven structures and embrace a partnership-oriented approach?
- What leadership qualities and skill sets should mayors and city managers prioritize when selecting a police chief?
- How can public safety leaders facilitate community ownership of safety while strengthening local social capital?
- How do we move from crime prevention models based on enforcement to models based on engagement and connection?
Time for Action: Leading the Shift
There has been no shortage of attempts to reform policing, yet too often, these efforts fall short because they fail to address the deeper cultural and systemic changes required. Project PACT provides a structured, proven pathway for bringing about meaningful transformation in law enforcement and public safety.
For police leaders, city managers, and elected officials, the opportunity to lead this shift is now. Join the movement toward sustainable cultural change.
👉 Schedule a Free Strategy Call
🎧 Listen to the Beyond the Bandaids Podcast for insights into public safety transformation.Real, lasting change isn’t about responding to the next crisis. It’s about leading differently, today.
