Communication and humanity aren’t words people typically mention first when they talk about policing in the United States.

But those concepts are very much present in our twinned stories that lead today’s Daily. Why? Because more police see them as central to effectiveness. Patrik Jonsson points to a three-city study showing a 14% drop in crime in troubled areas where police officers got training in better interactions. Meanwhile, Troy Aidan Sambajon homes in on Boston, which has just seen the biggest drop in murders of any major U.S. city. A central focus in the city is community policing.

Trust remains an issue. But thinking – and actions – are shifting.