By: Mike Butler
If we want public safety to truly serve our communities, we have to look beyond policies and into culture: how people communicate, make decisions, and build trust.
At Project PACT, we offer step-by-step, practical strategies to shift police and community culture from the inside out. This includes everything from how officers are hired and trained to how departments manage performance, lead teams, and build relationships with the communities they serve.
Here’s a breakdown of the most important areas and how each connects to everyday police operations.
1. Recruitment, Hiring, and Training
Who we bring into the profession—and how we prepare them—shapes everything.
- Profile of officers to be hired
- Recruitment practices
- Hiring practices
- Training and education
2. Internal Systems and Performance
Shifting culture means updating the systems that shape behavior from within.
- Directives, policies, and procedures
- Performance management (Note: innovation and clear metrics matter here)
- Staff/support functions (HR, finance, compensation, budgeting)
- Internal behavior modification
- Service delivery expectations
3. Communication and Recognition
Culture is shaped by what gets said—and what gets rewarded.
- Communication protocols
- Recognition and reward systems
- Leadership and stewardship philosophy
- Organizational architecture (including decision-making models and structure)
4. Strategic Philosophy: Ownership & Partnership
Culture shifts stick when everyone has skin in the game.
- Emphasizing partnership and shared ownership with the community
- Creating systems that support transparency and collaboration
- Delivering on leadership principles through action—not just messaging
5. External Relationships
Departments don’t operate in isolation. Relationships matter.
- Relationship of police with the broader criminal justice system
- Relationship with the community
6. The Skills That Drive Cultural Change
People need tools, not just theory. These skills support culture change on the ground:
- Presence
- Active, empathetic listening
- Harmonizing contrasts
- Connecting dots
- Emotional intelligence
- Framing and reframing perspectives
- Creating ownership and accountability
- Building social capital
- Asking powerful questions
- Hosting meaningful conversations
- Facilitating groups with resistance (cynics, victims, bystanders)
We know this work is complex, but it’s not out of reach. Departments that want to improve trust, recruitment, and impact can start by focusing on these foundational areas.rtments that want to improve trust, recruitment, and impact can start by focusing on these foundational areas.
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