By Chief (ret.) Robert White
The first 30 to 90 days as a new police chief are a powerful window of opportunity. Public expectations are high, internal staff are curious about your direction and the momentum for change is within reach. But seizing this moment requires a clear, strategic approach.
In this article, I leverage my 40-plus years of law enforcement experience, including my role as police chief in five different U.S. cities, to provide public safety leadership tips that address the foundational pillars every new police chief should prioritize. Together, these initiatives will help develop trust, prevent crime and set a lasting tone for leadership and accountability.
1. Assess the current state of affairs
As with any leadership role, your first task is understanding the landscape. This assessment period will determine what you carry forward and what needs to change.
- Review your predecessor’s strengths and weaknesses: Understanding what the previous chief did well — and where they fell short — is essential for building your roadmap. Their legacy will impact public perception and internal morale, so learning from their successes and failures is necessary.
- Evaluate metrics, technology and vendor partnerships: Examine what metrics are currently being used to define success. Are they tied to outcomes or merely activity? If your systems can’t measure what matters, you may need to upgrade your technology platforms or data vendors to support a more outcome-focused approach.
- Scrutinize policies and procedures: Dive deep into departmental training, discipline, use of force, pursuits and other core policies. Independent review is essential, but consulting with those most impacted by these policies is also essential, which leads to the next critical task.
2. Establish trust with key stakeholders
The foundation of effective policing lies in relationships. In the early months, it’s imperative to listen far more than you speak. Prioritize building trust by meeting with key internal and external stakeholders to understand their perspectives, expectations and concerns. Here is a structured approach for doing this effectively.
- Meet with executive staff: Engage with police and civilian leaders alike. Learn what challenges they face, how they measure success and what they believe needs to change. These conversations will shape your understanding of departmental capacity and priorities.
- Connect with sergeants: Sergeants are the conduit between leadership and frontline officers. If you want your values and vision to reach officers, you must have the buy-in of your sergeants. Their perspectives on morale, policy and culture are invaluable. Your sergeants are truly on-the-ground agents of change.
- Attend roll calls: Meeting officers where they are — in the squad room, during roll call — shows respect and lets you hear directly from those doing the work. These interactions can reveal both cultural strengths and pain points in the department.
- Align with the mayor and engage city council: Success requires political support. Meet early and often with the mayor to understand the broader public safety vision. Attend city council meetings to hear from elected officials and begin cultivating those relationships.
- Show up in the community: Whether visiting churches, neighborhood meetings or local events, being physically present in the community is one of the most effective ways to build trust. As the chief in Louisville, I visited up to 40 churches a weekend. In Denver, I made a point to attend multiple community organizations every weekend. These efforts demonstrate commitment, break down barriers and open channels for honest conversation.
3. Navigate communication timing
As a new chief, the first two weeks are critical. Prioritize internal meetings to gather insight from leadership and sergeants while simultaneously introducing yourself to the community. Make it clear that you’re assessing internal capacity and shaping a strategy. Let residents know their input will play a role in the final plan. In the meantime, show up — attend events, walk neighborhoods and be seen.
4. Set a productive agenda with law enforcement leadership
Your goal is to reduce crime and improve quality of life. Start by asking each executive what they see as their mission, how they measure impact and what they believe should change. Their answers will reveal alignment (or misalignment) with department-wide goals and help you map a path forward. This step is crucial for identifying strong leaders and where restructuring may be needed.
5. Facilitate authentic conversations
Avoid stating your goals too early. Let conversations unfold naturally so people speak candidly, rather than trying to echo your expectations. This results in more honest assessments of leadership alignment and departmental culture. It also helps you better understand how the community fits into your crime prevention strategy.
6. Follow up on action and ensure accountability
Trust is built on results. Hold regular meetings to review CompStat data and address crime and quality-of-life issues. Insist on clarity — what exactly was done to reduce crime? When a strategy works, replicate it across the department. For instance, if a neighborhood sees a rise in car break-ins, ask what’s driving it. If steering wheel locks are part of the solution, implement their use consistently and track results. Success must be intentional, evidence-based and scalable.
7. Implement policies that reflect your values
Once you’ve gathered insights and built relationships, it’s time to implement your values. Policy isn’t just a rulebook — it reflects your vision for the department.
Take an example from the Denver Police Department. Our leadership team recognized the need to shift how we talked about officer-involved shootings. Instead of focusing solely on whether a shooting was legally “justified,” we began asking a deeper question: was it necessary?
This shift led us to change our awards program. Officers were now publicly recognized for bravery under fire, choosing restraint and making decisions that prioritized life, even when force was legally permissible. These changes didn’t just modify our policy—they reshaped our culture.
8. Instill a culture of transparency
Transparency must be a core leadership value. Throughout my 40+ years as a police chief in five cities, I never once told a reporter “No comment.” If information was sensitive, I explained why. If I couldn’t answer a question definitively, I made that clear. But I always said something.
This approach builds trust — not just with the media, but with the public, officers and political stakeholders. Transparency isn’t about giving away every detail; it’s about showing accountability and respect for those you serve.
Leadership in action
The early days of a police chief’s tenure are not just about observation — they’re about action, trust and transformation. By conducting a thorough assessment, building deep relationships, aligning your policies with values and committing to transparency, you set a tone that can carry through your entire tenure.
Change in policing doesn’t begin with press releases or public statements. It begins with consistently listening, showing up, making hard decisions and recognizing those who embody the mission. Get that right in your first 90 days, and you’ll be well on your way to driving the kind of change that matters.
About the author
Robert White is a former police chief with over 40 years of law enforcement experience. He is frequently consulted for his expertise as a major American chief executive. With a focus on increasing transparency, work efficiencies, and key partnerships between police officers and communities, he has earned a reputation as a leader with a keen understanding for implementing cultural change. He is currently a customer success director at SoundThinking.
