ABSTRACT
Policing has to change with societal changes if it is to be relevant and effective. Ideological changes bring new public concerns to the fore; behavioral changes bring with them new conflicts; demographic changes bring new people into the community with new cultural practices; economic changes bring access or denial to new resources both for police and criminals. Concerted effort has been made by police reform programs to improve that legitimacy, especially after conflict, to ensure security and stability for so-called 'fragile states'(countries unable or unwilling to provide core services such as security). A survey in France in 2019 suggested that one in two French people 'trust' the police, and that 20 percent were 'concerned' about them. Returning to the technology theme, the development of tasers and pepper spray make it easier and safer for them to deal with violent persons, although no one would say that policing is now risk free.
