What Should Police Do? Community Priorities Backed by New Research

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

The Growing Gap Between Police and the Public

If you’ve spent any time in modern policing, you’ve seen how stretched the profession has become. New crime types, rising expectations, shrinking budgets, and constant calls for reform pull agencies in every direction. And through it all, public trust is fraying.

Amid all the body-worn cameras, algorithmic patrol plans, and data dashboards, one simple question keeps getting lost:

What exactly should police be doing?

You’d think we’d have a clear answer. But we don’t. Instead, many people feel ignored, left behind, or invisible in everyday policing. While agencies chase efficiency and specialization, the public keeps asking for something more basic: officers who are present, approachable, and genuinely connected to their communities.

This study helps shed light on that gap and why it matters so deeply.

The Study: How Researchers Asked Communities What Police Should Do

A team of UK researchers, Ben Bradford, David Rowlands, Christine A. Weirich, and Adam Crawford, did something surprisingly straightforward but rarely done at this scale:

They sat down and asked everyday people what police should actually be responsible for.

Not just survey checkboxes.

Not ranking crime types.

But real conversations about real expectations.

They held three rounds of focus groups across four locations (London, Leeds, Lancaster, and rural Staffordshire), bringing together 93 participants ages 18 to 75. Each round built on the last:

Round 1: Define what “neighborhood policing” even means today.

Round 2: Generate a list of activities and services that police should provide to everyone.

Round 3: Refine those ideas and apply them to real scenarios, walking step-by-step through situations like:

• A man causing a disturbance on the street
• A single mother whose home situation is becoming unsafe
• A domestic argument with a child present
• A group of teens repeatedly causing problems in the neighborhood

Participants had to decide when they would call police, when they wouldn’t, and when another agency should lead.

The goal wasn’t to debate major crimes, since everyone agreed those are police priorities. Instead, the researchers focused on the everyday, neighborhood-level work that shapes how the public experiences policing.

And the consensus was surprising, not because it was radical, but because it was almost… well… nostalgic.

Findings: What People Actually Want From Police

Across every location, every age group, every round, the message was simple:

People want police to be present, fair, and responsive, not just data-driven crime fighters.

Here’s how that breaks down.

1. Police Response

When people talked about “police response,” they weren’t just talking about how fast an officer shows up. They meant the whole experience.

Participants listed seven core expectations:

• Fast, proportionate response (top priority)
• Focus on public safety and local problems
• Investigate and solve crimes
• Be honest and open with the public
• Follow up on crimes
• Do crime prevention and early intervention
• Provide equal service across communities

Several participants brought up concerns about proportionality. One pointed out that sometimes police reactions escalate beyond what feels reasonable for the situation, saying they just want responses that “match what’s actually happening.”

Others talked about basic follow-up. One participant shared that after their license plates were stolen, they never heard anything back, not even a quick update. They said it felt like police saw it as a “small” crime, but they were left paying for replacement plates and feeling dismissed.

Across the groups, this theme was consistent: people don’t expect the impossible. They expect responsiveness, fairness, and not being forgotten.

2. Police Behavior & Treatment

When participants talked about “police behavior,” they meant how officers interact with people, not the tactics, not the crime types, but the quality of the day-to-day encounters.

They highlighted six expectations:

• Building trust
• Treating people with fairness and respect
• Building relationships within the community
• Acting professionally
• Modeling good behavior
• Establishing positive relationships with young people

A few participants from the Lancaster group explained why this matters so much. One said that trust and relationships, especially with young people, don’t happen overnight. “That’s why it’s called building,” they said. “It takes time.”

Another agreed that when officers invest in those relationships, people are more willing to cooperate and share information: if the public trusts the police, they’re more likely to help them solve crimes.

Others talked about the importance of fair and respectful treatment. One person shared that without it, some people hesitate to even report a crime especially in situations involving things like mental health or domestic issues. They worried that the response might make them feel worse instead of supported.

Across groups, the message was the same: how officers treat people shapes whether the public engages with police at all.

3. Police Presence & Engagement

When participants talked about “police presence and engagement,” they meant more than just being available for emergencies. They were referring to being visible, approachable, and connected to the community.

Key elements participants identified include:

• Greater community police presence, including on foot and by car
• Opportunities to speak directly with officers about local problems
• Adequate follow-up after crimes
• Responsiveness to the local community
• Physical local police stations
• Named local community police officers
• Engaging in non-traditional types of communication

Participants repeatedly referenced the old “bobbies on the beat” model. One said it helped prevent problems and gave young people early lessons in respect. Another noted that greater presence naturally encourages engagement and disclosure. A third lamented the loss of local stations and officers, saying just seeing police around the community makes people feel safer.

Across groups, the message was clear: presence is not just symbolic. It builds confidence, supports engagement, and strengthens the relationship between police and the community.

4. Crime Priorities

Participants were asked to rank crimes and behaviors into low, medium, or high priority for police response, and to note when other agencies might be needed. Many found this exercise difficult. Rather than picking strict categories, several participants wrote notes in their workbooks, specifying that response times should depend on the situation like repeated anti-social behavior triggering a faster response.

Across groups, there was consensus that crimes against people in progress or involving weapons should be top priority. But opinions diverged on issues like drug use or drug dealing. One London participant said drug dealing should be medium priority, while theft should be higher. Another in Leeds noted that drug use behind closed doors isn’t a priority unless it causes visible problems or anti-social behavior.

The overall takeaway: context matters more than crime type. People wanted police to respond based on how incidents actually affect their neighborhood, not just a generic ranking.

Police Response to Vulnerability

Across mental health, addiction, homelessness, domestic violence, and child safety:

• People want police as the first responder only when there’s immediate risk or a related crime.
• After that, they want handoffs to specialists, not continued police involvement.
• Many questioned why police would show up at all to non-risk mental health or homelessness calls.

They stressed that addiction and mental illness need health responses, not criminal ones.

Why Evidence-Based Policing Doesn’t Always Match Public Expectations

In evidence-based policing (EBP), decisions are increasingly guided by data, risk models, and measurable crime reduction outcomes. That’s especially valuable for high-harm crimes like child exploitation or modern slavery.

But here’s the catch the researchers highlight:

EBP often assumes that if police reduce crime, public trust will naturally follow.

The study shows that isn’t always true. While the public cares about safety, they define good policing through interactions, presence, and fair treatment, not just crime statistics.

People want officers to be available, visible in their neighborhoods, responsive to smaller but meaningful issues, and connected enough to build trust. EBP emphasizes efficiency, risk-based deployment, and specialist expertise, which can conflict with these expectations.

For example, from a purely crime-reduction standpoint, sending officers to every burglary may not seem “efficient.” But for the public, attending these calls is symbolic: “You care about what happened to me.”

That’s the disconnect between data-driven priorities and what the community actually values.

Practical Steps to Improve Community Trust in Policing

Here are practical ways law enforcement can apply these findings to strengthen community trust and service:

1. Bring back a consistent community presence

This isn’t about replicating 1970s beat policing everywhere, but it is about creating predictable, human contact.

• Deploy foot patrols in targeted neighborhoods, not just vehicles.
• Assign named officers to areas, so residents know who to contact.
• Encourage officers to engage casually with the community such as stopping to chat, attending local events, or checking in on recurring neighborhood issues.
• Even small, routine interactions build recognition and trust over time.

2. Rebuild follow-up processes

Follow-up matters more than many officers realize.

• A short call, text, or email after a burglary, stolen bike, or other minor crime signals that police take incidents seriously.
• In my “Want to Boost Police-Community Trust? Try a 5-Minute Call” article, I showed how even brief post-incident contact improves victim satisfaction.

Want to Boost Police-Community Trust? Try a 5-Minute Call

A simple 5-minute police callback boosted victim satisfaction by 22% in London. Low-cost, scalable, and effective for building trust

3. Make fairness and consistency a training priority

Interactions with youth and marginalized communities are especially sensitive.

• Integrate scenario-based training around proportional responses, respectful communication, and equitable treatment.
• Highlight situations where small actions, like listening, explaining decisions, or following through, can have lasting impact on trust.
• Reinforce that fairness isn’t just ethical; it’s practical: it directly affects compliance, cooperation, and intelligence gathering.

4. Clarify boundaries with partner agencies

The public wants police to act as first responders, but not long-term service providers for every social issue.

• Clearly define when police intervene in mental health, homelessness, or addiction cases.
• Focus on ensuring immediate safety, then quickly connect the person with appropriate social, medical, or housing services.
• Develop joint protocols with partner agencies to make hand-offs smooth and predictable.

5. Blend data-driven and human-driven policing

Evidence-based policing is a tool, not a replacement for relationships.

• Use data to guide deployment, resource allocation, and hotspot attention.
• But don’t let metrics overshadow the human side: knowing your residents, listening to their concerns, and being visibly present remains central.
• Treat EBP as a complement to neighborhood knowledge, not a substitute for it.

Final Thoughts

This study reinforces something many officers already know but rarely see in research:

People don’t just want policing to be effective. They want it to be present.

They want officers who are sincere, fair, and connected to their community, not just responding when a call hits the CAD. They want a policing model that values people as much as crime reduction.

If policing drifts too far into a technocratic, data-heavy approach without reflecting public expectations, that trust gap will only grow. But agencies that take these findings seriously can rebuild neighborhood policing for today, keeping both effectiveness and humanity at its core.

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Carlee Ruiz

Carlee Ruiz is the founder of PoliceResearchHub, a platform that turns academic research into practical insights for law enforcement. She brings seven years of experience as a crime analyst and justice researcher, with a focus on evidence based policing, gun violence prevention, and public safety strategy. Carlee currently works as a researcher at National Policing Institute, where she supports evaluations of law enforcement programs and criminal justice initiatives across the country. Through PoliceResearchHub, she aims to make research easier to understand and more useful for the people doing the work on the ground.