Susan Rice, the White House domestic policy adviser, called the leaders of the nation’s largest policing groups last month to promise a significant reset in their relationship as the Biden administration finished an executive order on police reform, a move that averted a potential breach that had been brewing for months, according to several people briefed on the calls.

The groups welcomed Ms. Rice’s outreach, which amounted to a vow to incorporate more of their thinking in the order and possibly an implicit mea culpa. The White House had solicited input from the groups, but had not engaged with them on substance and details; their frustrations only soared in the days before her phone calls, when they were blindsided by the leak of an 18-page draft executive order that contained language they found objectionable…

In an interview, Ms. Rice sought to bridge that gap, saying that Mr. Biden’s recognition that responsible, respectful policing is essential for effective public safety has not undermined his longtime support for law enforcement.

“Yes, we need police on the streets, well equipped, but we need them to have the cooperation and trust of the community. These things are not in opposition — they are mutually reinforcing,” Ms. Rice said.