The literature on policing asserts that there has been a remarkable emphasis oninnovation in police work over the last decades. During the same time, police organizationsin several countries have been centralized to promote increased unityand response to political steering and method development. In Sweden, the policereform was motivated by a perceived correlation between uniformity in workingmethods and organizational effectiveness. From a legal perspective, innovationin police methods involves inherent questions of rule of law – ensuring legality,compatibility with human rights, and predictability for citizens. This also carriesimplications for democratic legitimacy, since the police have far-reaching powerto interfere with citizens’ spheres of interest. This article discusses issues of innovationwithin the Swedish police from a rule of law and democracy perspective.Innovation in police work is discussed on a system level through a study of thelegal framework and institutional conditions introduced with the creation of thenew police organization. Results are presented from an interview study with policemanagers on different levels within the new organization. The results suggestthat innovation in police work develops largely organically at different levels andunits within the police organization and then spread as “best practices” whichthe new Police Authority is seen as organizationally able to pick up and disseminate.Secondly, police openness to new evidence-based methods from outside theorganization is increasing. Thirdly, there is a tension between the increased abilityto create uniformity in methods and the need to adjust these methods to localconditions. Lastly, some uncertainties regarding legal accountability seem to existas new methods are developed and implemented.