I disagree. The warrior culture of policing sets the baseline for all behaviour. Officers justify lawbreaking to one another out of solidarity. The belief that

I disagree. The warrior culture of policing sets the baseline for all behaviour. Officers justify lawbreaking to one another out of solidarity. The belief that “it’s a war out there and enemies can jump out at any moment” underlies the concept that the law is secondary to officer survival. When you create a proper guardian police force, officers become friendly and respected community members; they become good neighbours. What then stops them from committing crimes against members of the public is the same thing that stops most family members from committing crimes against one another: a sense of belonging, investment, and care for a community. The best example of this style of policing that I can think of is the classic small town police in small town dramas or sitcoms like Corner Gas [1]. Notice how the police officers eat at the local diner which serves as a third place [2] for the community. Of course, the disappearance of third places from American social life is another big factor in this complicated puzzle. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPrBAEqGwKE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPrBAEqGwKE [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_place