"Watchman policing style focuses on maintaining order through discretion. Individual officers have the flexibility to decide the best course of action- warning, tickets, arrests etc- based on the specific circumstances of each situation, and what they believe to be appropriate.
Whereas, legalistic policing style enforces the law strictly and uniformly. Officers must follow established procedures without considering individual circumstances. For example, a driver going at 61mph in a 60mph zone would be ticketed, regardless of the situation"