The globalization of evidence-based policing: Innovations in bridging the research-practice divide

Abstract

Evidence-based policing (EBP) is intended to enhance strategy, operational deployments, initiatives, and policy through research while still maintaining an awareness of policing’s inherent uncertainty. EBP, at its core, involves using the best available research in order to develop effective policies, practices, and programs (Sherman, 1998). Unfortunately, the policing profession continues to resist research (Stone & Travis, 2011). This is due to a variety of factors—many police officers are unaware that there is research on police practices (as Renée was some ten years ago), if they are aware of the research they may not have access due to pay walls, and if they do have access often the journal articles are written for other academics rather than the practitioner who might benefit from them (Huey & Mitchell, 2018). The header,“Resistance is futile,” is just us being tongue in cheek, as the resistance to EBP is mighty. We wish that the creation of the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing (ASEBP) was such a force to be reckoned with that resistance was actually futile, but in reality, ASEBP is a small group of police pracademics (practitioner/academics) who are passionate about their belief that research deserves a “seat at the table” in policing (Lum & Koper, 2015). Since 2015, we have worked diligently to obtain a seat.
The ASEBP formed in June of 2015, the day after Renée announced the formation of the Society during a TEDx Sacramento talk. 1 Her talk centered around the idea that policing strategy continued to be based on opinion, intuition, and best practice rather than research, just like medicine had been in 1847 when Dr. Nathan Smith …