There is almost no aspect of policing that does not include or touch the community in some way. To that end, building trust and meaningful, productive partnerships between law enforcement and the communities they serve is a foundational element of equitable policing.

Excellent agencies will consider community trust and partnership an ongoing, active process in which they collaborate and co-create public safety with their communities. Meaningful engagement with communities most impacted by crime and violence is critical to building communities of trust. Agencies that achieve community trust and partnership work regularly with local leaders, advocates, and community-based organizations to identify and address mutually identified community safety concerns through problem-solving processes. Importantly, to build community trust and partnership, the means through which agencies achieve community safety goals should be co-developed, equitable, and regularly assessed for effectiveness.