Imagine a world where policing doesn’t start with enforcement but with connection. Where officers aren’t seen as outsiders but as trusted members of the community. Where safety isn’t measured by crime statistics but by belonging, well-being, and trust.
This isn’t a fantasy. It’s the vision that Project PACT and its partners are building.
For decades, police reform has been reactionary. A crisis happens, the public demands change, policies shift—but the deeper culture remains untouched. We shuffle leadership, adjust training programs, introduce new technology, but at the core, the system stays stuck.
Mike Butler, after 26 years as a Public Safety Chief, puts it plainly:
“We’ve been applying band-aids to a much deeper issue. You can change policies, shift leadership, or add technology, but until you change the culture—both inside policing and within the community—nothing really changes.”
Beyond Broken: A System Ready for Transformation
It’s easy to say that policing is broken. But what if the real issue is that it’s stuck? Stuck in old patterns, outdated expectations, and a model built for a different era.
“We are not trying to fix a broken system—we are trying to build something new. There are incredible things happening in policing that we want to see more of, that we want to expand, that we want to become the norm, not the exception.” — Mike Butler
The idea of reimagining policing means moving away from a system based on control toward one rooted in partnership. It means asking, What if public safety wasn’t just the absence of crime, but the presence of well-being?
The Role of Police in a Thriving Community
Policing, when done right, isn’t about force—it’s about service. Officers should be facilitators of safety, not the sole providers of it. True community safety isn’t achieved through arrests; it’s built through relationships, trust, and shared responsibility.
Kristin Daley, Executive Director of New Blue, explains it this way:
“Police are not separate from the communities they serve. They should be part of them. That means breaking down barriers, stepping into real conversations, and rethinking what it means to ‘protect and serve.’”
A New Kind of Officer, A New Kind of Training
Right now, most police training focuses on tactics, enforcement, and crisis response. But what if the skills that mattered most were empathy, mediation, and problem-solving?
Kristin Daley challenges the traditional mindset:
“Imagine if instead of showing officers in tactical gear, rappelling down buildings or in high-speed chases, we showed them in restorative justice sessions, sitting with community members, building relationships. What kind of person would we attract to the profession then?”
This is where Project PACT and its partners, including New Blue and LEAP, are making an impact. They’re training officers differently—not just in law enforcement, but in community-building. They’re reshaping the culture from within, giving officers the tools to be collaborators, not just enforcers.
The Power of Belonging: A Hidden Role of Police
Mike Butler has seen firsthand how belonging transforms communities. When people feel they belong, they take ownership of their neighborhoods. They look out for one another. They call each other before they call 911.
“We have a million police officers in this country. They are in our neighborhoods 24/7, 365 days a year. What if we trained them to not just enforce laws but to help people feel like they truly belong?” — Mike Butler
When belonging increases, reliance on police decreases. Communities become stronger, more self-sufficient, and safer—not because of more policing, but because of more connection.
What’s Next: From Idealism to Action
Reimagining policing isn’t just an idea. It’s happening now, in places where officers and communities are working together to create new possibilities.
This shift requires:
- New training models that emphasize collaboration over control
- Officers who are problem-solvers, not just responders
- Communities that take an active role in their own safety
- A mindset shift—from policing as an external force to policing as a shared responsibility
We don’t need more band-aids. We need a new vision. And that starts with each of us—police, city leaders, and community members—choosing to build something better together.
