Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the Future of Policing Institute fellows are theirs and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
Who Are the Police? Why the Word Matters More Than Ever
When everyone wears “POLICE” on their vest, who do the people truly see? In this powerful reflection, retired Chief, U.S. Marshal, and FPI Fellow Noel March challenges America to rethink what — and who — the word police really means. He argues that blurring the line between local officers and federal agents risks eroding the fragile trust at the heart of community policing. A must-read for anyone who believes words — and trust — still matter in American policing.
Trust Tuning in the Heat of Crisis
Collaboration moves at the speed of trust, and as today’s challenges grow more complex, success depends on our ability to work seamlessly within organizations and across them. That’s why the familiar phrase “trust but verify” deserves a closer look — it’s inherently contradictory. If trust is present, constant verification isn’t needed; if verification dominates, then trust was never truly there. For leaders, the path forward isn’t blind faith or endless suspicion, but the deliberate work of building, calibrating, and tuning trust to fit the moment.
Redefining Command Leadership: Building Adaptive Culture and Organizational Integrity from the Inside Out
This article emphasizes that organizational leaders, especially in policing, must prioritize fair and humane internal processes, intentional culture-building, and long-term stewardship to build trust and effectively evolve their agencies. Without these efforts, departments risk disengagement and fractured trust both within and with the public.
Redefining the Role of Police Chief: Crisis Leadership in an Era of Federal Pressure and Public Scrutiny
This article by FPI Fellow Jessica Bress explores how the evolving demands of leadership are reshaping the expectations placed on chiefs, and why these emerging competencies are no longer optional – they’re essential for sustaining trust and legitimacy in 21st-century policing. To read the article click here.
Navigating our Policing Careers: Mentorship and the Path to Wisdom
Being a police officer is about more than just making arrests – it's about making a positive impact, one informed decision at a time. And that comes through experience, which perhaps is the greatest lesson of all as we navigate the ever-changing landscape of policing, preparing ourselves for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Are you a police chief or a firefighter?
If you spend most of your day putting out spot fires, you are not setting the course for your agency – here’s how to balance crisis management with long-term planning.