A catalogue of crimes committed by serving officers, missed opportunities for reform and a scathing review of the internal culture of the police culminating in the recommendation for a ‘complete overhaul’, might initially leave some with the view that there is little hope. But against the backdrop of what seems like a perpetual cycle of crisis for policing, in this special issue academic experts, senior police—both current and former—and commentators offer a diverse set of ideas for changing policing for the better.