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.