Public Order Standards: Moving the Public Trust Needle Forward

The significance of law enforcement having established standards for public order tactics, equipment, and training cannot be overstated. The existence of these standards, or lack thereof, has a profound impact upon police legitimacy and public trust in democratic societies. The authors explore how well-defined public order standards keep both citizens and officers safe and promote positive incident outcomes. Using examples and case studies, the authors demonstrate how public order standards influence law enforcement policy development and minimize risk to officer safety, as well as agency liability and credibility thereby furthering police-public trust. Further discussion is presented on why professionalization and specialization of public order policing in law enforcement matters, especially in countries such as the USA where standards do not currently exist.