| Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being (2026) 11(s1), S16–S17. | https://doi.org/10.35502/jcswb.545 |
As we approach the 10th anniversary of the Journal of Community Safety and Well-Being (JCSWB), on behalf of the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association (GLEPHA), we wish to acknowledge the significant contribution that the Journal makes to advancing the overarching objective of community safety and well-being.
In the complex and interconnected worlds of law enforcement and public health, collaboration is not just beneficial; it is essential. Over the past several years, the partnership between GLEPHA and the JCSWB has exemplified how aligned missions, mutual respect, and intellectual leadership can drive meaningful change. Today, the Journal stands as one of our Association’s primary mechanisms for knowledge dissemination and influencing public policy. This is a role the Journal has fully embraced with energy, integrity, and vision.
The Journal’s willingness to occupy this space has been nothing short of transformative. When GLEPHA first began developing its interdisciplinary approach to the law enforcement and public health sectors, it became clear that no existing publication adequately covered the breadth and nuance of this field. Traditional academic journals tended to silo disciplines – law enforcement, medicine, mental health, and social policy – into separate conversations. The reality on the ground, however, is that these worlds constantly intersect. Communities do not experience “health” and “safety” as distinct categories; they experience them together. That insight is at the very core of both GLEPHA’s mission and JCSWB’s editorial philosophy.
From the earliest stages of our collaboration, the Journal recognized this shared purpose. Its editorial leadership, under the thoughtful direction of Norm Taylor, demonstrated not just enthusiasm but genuine commitment to advancing the field of law enforcement and public health as an integrated practice. Norm is never afraid to challenge the status quo. His editorials regularly confront the hard and sometimes uncomfortable questions that sit at the heart of our work: what does safety really mean in a pluralistic society? How do we reconcile enforcement with empathy or authority with care? Through his writings, he consistently invites readers – practitioners, policymakers, and academics alike – to think differently, to experiment, and to imagine a new kind of infrastructure for community well-being.
It is one thing to articulate an idea; it is another to build a robust knowledge platform that sustains it over time. The JCSWB has done precisely that. GLEPHA has been a proud contributor to the Journal, and the JCSWB has become a key vehicle for disseminating research and thoughtful leadership. The Journal has created a dynamic space for global dialogue – one that bridges disciplines and unites professionals who might otherwise never engage with each other. Through the work of GLEPHA we see that there is much more the same in the world than there are differences, as all countries are struggling with the same societal problems.
Our partnership has borne fruit in multiple tangible ways. One of the most visible and productive has been the Journal’s integration with our law enforcement and public health (LEPH) conferences. The LEPH conferences convene thought leaders, practitioners, and scholars from around the world to explore emerging challenges and innovative solutions at the intersection of policing and public health. In turn, the Journal has taken the major themes arising from these gatherings and developed thematic issues that expand upon them. These special issues not only document what transpires at the conferences but build upon it, inviting contributors to reflect, analyze, and push the conversation further.
This process – of transitioning from dialogue to publication – has proven invaluable. It ensures that the energy and insight generated at each LEPH conference do not dissipate once the event concludes. Instead, they endure through peer-reviewed research, editorials, and commentary that reach a global readership. Thematic issues have explored critical topics such as mental health and policing partnerships, community-led harm reduction, the implications of technology in law enforcement, and the evolving meaning of well-being in the face of social inequality. Each issue embodies the spirit of GLEPHA’s mission: to promote research, understanding, and practice at the intersection of LEPH.
The relationship between GLEPHA and JCSWB is truly symbiotic. Where GLEPHA draws strength from the Journal’s editorial excellence and international reach, the Journal benefits from the intellectual vitality and global perspective that the Association’s network provides. This is not a unidirectional arrangement; it is cooperation in its truest sense.
Beyond publication, JCSWB has been an active partner in the organization and realization of GLEPHA’s initiatives. The Journal’s team has played crucial roles in supporting the planning and delivery of our major conferences, offering not only editorial expertise but also strategic insight into program development, communications, and international engagement. Their involvement reflects a shared belief that building and sustaining healthier, safer communities demands rigorous scholarship, practical collaboration, and influencing public policy.
This synergy has strengthened both organizations. GLEPHA has been able to ensure that its research findings, professional practices, and community experiences reach audiences that can translate them into policy and operational change. Meanwhile, the Journal has expanded its influence and scope by curating interdisciplinary content that resonates across traditional academic and professional boundaries. Together, we have cultivated a community of practice – a living network of thinkers and doers – who see community safety and well-being not as competing priorities but as mutually reinforcing goals.
Central to this success has been the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Norm Taylor. Norm’s thoughtful, principled approach to editorial direction has provided a consistent moral and intellectual compass for the Journal. His editorials routinely frame the most pressing issues in ways that challenge complacency and provoke reflection. He is never afraid to ask “why” – and rarely content to stop there, he pushes us to also ask “what next?”
The value of such leadership cannot be overstated. Norm’s writing has become a touchstone for many in the field, reminding us that progress is rooted in humility and inquiry. His insistence that “community safety” and “well-being” are not static or bureaucratic concepts, but living social ideals, helps guide both researchers and practitioners toward a more integrated and humane vision of public service.
It is rare to find an editor who can balance the rigour of academic publishing with the empathy and candour that genuine reform requires. Under Norm’s guidance, JCSWB has achieved that balance – consistently publishing content that is both scholarly and accessible, aspirational and grounded. This dual identity has made it the ideal partner for GLEPHA’s global mission.
As GLEPHA and JCSWB look toward the future, the road ahead feels alive with possibility. The challenges we face – from mental health crises and substance use to violence prevention and social marginalization – are increasingly transnational and interdependent. Addressing them demands the kind of integrated, evidence-based, and humane approaches that only partnerships like ours can sustain.
In the coming years, we anticipate expanding this relationship even further. New collaborative initiatives are already under discussion, including co-sponsored research projects, enhanced global outreach, and joint digital dissemination strategies to ensure the widest possible access to emerging knowledge. As the field of LEPH continues to evolve, so too must our methods for understanding and serving communities. The Journal’s agility, credibility, and commitment to impact make it an indispensable ally in that work.
At its heart, the partnership between GLEPHA and the JCSWB is about shared purpose. Both organizations are animated by the belief that healthier and safer societies emerge not through isolated expertise but through cooperation, reflection, and courage. We are deeply proud of what we have accomplished together – and even more excited for what lies ahead.
Our work is far from finished, but we can continue it with confidence knowing that we do so alongside a Journal that not only documents change but actively participates in making it happen. Through continued collaboration, rigorous scholarship, and fearless leadership, we will ensure that the principles of community safety and well-being are not simply discussed but lived – in every setting, in every sector, and in every community around the world.
Perplexity AI aided in writing this article. The author thanks the Board of Directors and Executive Director of GLEPHA.
The author has no conflicts of interest to declare.
∗Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association, Melbourne Australia.
†School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
Correspondence to: Richard C. Bent, School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada. E-mail: rcbent@sfu.ca
This work is distributed under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. For commercial re-use, please contact sales@sgpublishing.ca.
Journal of CSWB, VOLUME 11, NUMBER S1, May 2026