The Order of the Black Socks is an elite group of policing agencies that demonstrate leadership in the adoption of e-learning. Established in 2008, the Order is based on a memorable analogy first made by Insp. Steve Pilote (ret) of the Winnipeg Police Service where he compared the adoption of e-learning to good fashion sense, specifically sock sense.

During a tongue-in-cheek ceremony, Black Socks are presented each year during the Stanhope Conference. New inductees are selected by the existing members of the Order by nomination, which must demonstrate an organization's proactive attitudes and actions toward eLearning.