Police reform has occurred in policing with the first reform by Sir Robert Peel. Peel disseminated new rules for police operations with focus that the power of the police is dependent on public approval and respect. Specifically for law enforcement, social contract theory is important to justify the authority that law enforcement can exert over the population. The power imbalance, held by law enforcement, is part of the contract that society has agreed upon in exchange for security. In today’s policing across the country society wants the social contract to have more community input on police practices. For any reform to succeed, police leaders need to demonstrate why it is important and credibly articulate the benefits to the rank-and-file officers who will be charged with incorporating the new practices into their everyday shifts. This session will discuss the role of commanders in the new era of policing.
