According to the National Policing Institute in a recent article posted at Police1.com, “six converging forces will shape how agencies operate, communicate and earn trust in an increasingly volatile public safety environment.” These forces are forming a stress‑test for every local agency in the country. While each of these trends presents a real challenge, none of them are insurmountable – especially if officers recover a clear sense of calling, identity, and hope. Let’s examine the challenges and some potential responses.
We are in the midst of a deepening workforce crisis
The article rightly notes that we are no longer dealing with a simple “recruiting problem.” Agencies across the country are facing a full‑blown workforce crisis marked by shrinking applicant pools, a “brain drain” of experienced officers, and crushing burnout among those who choose to remain. As staffing shrinks and demands grow, every other challenge becomes harder to solve.
From my perspective, this is not just a hiring issue; it is a crisis of meaning and morale. Officers are serving under constant suspicion, often in communities that no longer presume their good will. This reality corrodes the soul long before it shows up on a staffing report or organizational chart. Yes, we must address policies and benefits, but we also have to address the heart issue: officers need a source of resiliency bigger than public approval or department commendations. True resiliency is rooted in Christ, not in the job. When an officer knows his or her identity is secure in Christ, criticism becomes survivable and sacrifice becomes meaningful—even when no one says “thank you.”
We are likely to face heightened homeland‑security demands
The second trend is the rise in homeland‑security tensions as the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, with DHS warning of “pressing threats” from foreign terrorists, domestic extremists, cyber actors, and transnational criminal organizations. Local agencies will be asked to do more than ever before. We will be involved in infrastructure checks, additional training, increased presence at schools, churches, and transit hubs, all while still answering our common calls for service.
Here again, the challenge is not just operational; it is spiritual and ethical. When officers are stretched this thin, shortcuts are tempting and cynicism is inevitable. Yet Scripture calls believers in law enforcement to balance justice and mercy. We are called to endure and even embrace hardship as part of our duty and divine calling. If we are going to be asked to shoulder more homeland‑security responsibility, we must also feed our souls, remembering that God is not surprised by the threats of 2026. Our quiet, faithful work is seen, even when it never makes the headlines.
We are experiencing a gap between crime statistics and public perception
The third trend cited in the article is the growing divergence between what appear to be declining or stabilizing crime statistics and the stubborn feeling many citizens have that everything is getting worse. The reported data on crime doesn’t seem to match our perception of crime.
As a detective, I spent my entire career trying to get to the truth about the crimes I was investigating. The challenge here is to determine what is true about the crime statistics reported at the national and local level. In the past several years, we’ve seen examples where crime data has been routinely downgraded and police leadership pressured to reclassify crimes to minimize the crime rates. Some law enforcement management officials have even been disciplined or suspended for allegedly downgrading crimes. But whatever the truth is about the data, the perception of the public ought to be our first priority as police officers. This will require us to engage the people we protect. Do we understand why they feel unsafe? Have we investigated their concerns? Have we shown them the empathy and compassion they expect from us? Christians in law enforcement must lead the way by treating citizens the way they hope to be treated: as image‑bearers whose fears are taken seriously, but whose judgments are gently redirected toward truth.
While each of these trends presents a real challenge, none of them are insurmountable - especially if officers recover a clear sense of calling, identity, and hope. Share on X
Technology is outpacing our existing policies
AI‑powered tools and other emerging technologies are moving from “future” to everyday practice faster than policy or oversight can keep up. The article warns that adoption is often “deploy first, explain later,” and that concerns about bias, accuracy, and privacy are escalating.
For followers of Christ behind the badge, the core question is not, “Can we do this?” but, “Should we do this?” As enticing as technology may be, it does not absolve us of moral responsibility; instead, it amplifies our responsibility. We must evaluate these new technological tools against God’s standards of truth and brotherly love, rather than simply against the minimal legal requirements. That means insisting on transparency, resisting the temptation to let technology replace discernment, and remembering that no algorithm should act as a substitute for Biblical wisdom.
We are facing unparalleled election‑year pressures
The fifth trend is the intensifying pressure of election‑year policing: heightened threats against election workers, more volatile protests and counter‑protests, and a political climate where almost any police action can be turned into a national controversy. Officers will be asked to safeguard elections, manage demonstrations, and remain strictly neutral in a year when everyone wants to pull them onto “their” side.
No more than ever it’s important for Christian police officers to prioritize the Word of God over the politics of man. If your primary loyalty is partisan, 2026 will tear you apart; if your ultimate loyalty is to Christ and His Word, you can serve with integrity no matter who is in office. Officers must see themselves as guardians of order, not tools of any political party. That kind of grounded neutrality is only possible when your identity and mission are rooted in something higher than elections and more powerful than polls.
Misinformation and disinformation have become public‑safety threats
Finally, the article highlights the rise of mis‑ and disinformation – deepfakes, synthetic audio, fabricated videos – as a core public‑safety challenge. A fake shooting video or fabricated clip of an officer using slurs can spark protests and fear even when nothing actually happened.
This is the logical consequence of a culture that struggles to understand the difference between objective truths and subjective preferences. In a social media world where preferences are valued more than inconvenient truths, it’s tempting to interpret everything we hear or read about law enforcement through the lens of our personal experiences rather than the objective facts. In this environment, Christian officers and citizens alike must become better “detectives.” We must test claims, check sources, and refuse to share what we have not yet verified. Law enforcement agencies need to do a better job of presenting the facts and social media outlets need to confess their biases, but believers also need to see this as part of their discipleship: guarding their hearts and feeds against lies, and pointing people back to the God who is truth.
In the end, 2026 may indeed be an inflection point for American policing. But for those who see the badge as a Divine calling (rather than merely a career option) it is also an opportunity to model courage, restraint, and hope in a culture that desperately needs all three.
To dive deeper, here is my interview with Frank Turek about the importance of Law Enforcement:
Here is my interview with Bill Arnold:
Also, if you’re a police officer and you haven’t yet trusted the Savior who is the “Caller” behind your “calling,” there is no better time than now. The guidance and protection of God is available for anyone who seeks Him.
