Beyond reform: A social contract for policing

A POLICE presence is one of those presences we take for granted in modern society. The police simply appear, present, in uniform, in plain clothes, in various settings of society. In some countries, they dress similarly to soldiers; in others, more subtly; in short, it adapts to the society where it serves.

The presence of police officers and police forces is tied to the development of the states and societies they serve. But it all points to a generic trait of policing: maintaining public order, ensuring domestic security, and performing civil duties. But does that mean the police cannot have any special capabilities for high-intensity needs? Of course not. But this role must return to the original purpose of why a police force was necessary in the first place.