If anyone is interested in actually reducing the tension between the police and the larger society, there are two things I can think of that I would put at the top of the list given the realities of modern life (in other words, I am not considering private and competing agencies for this exercise).

The first would be to demilitarize the police.  Let's consider some examples.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

What does all of this do to the relationship between police and the common man?  I think to ask the question is to answer it.

Many people are demanding to de-fund the police.  I am all for it if it means de-militarize the police.  Dump all of the war-footing paraphernalia into the ocean.  Fundamentally change the training in order to minimize assault.

Otherwise, de-funding the police does nothing for me.  The same tactics and equipment will be deployed, and the same money will be spent elsewhere.

And it really won't achieve much of anything without implementing my second recommendation: decriminalize non-violent acts.  Non-violent drug offenses come to mind, but there are others.  These laws do nothing other than put the police in a position to raise the tension between them and the rest of society.  These are used as a pretext to confront and search.