Evidence-based policing (EBP) refers to a tactical approach supporting police departments in making timely and effective decisions regarding combating and detecting crime. Among the approach’s major elements is the emphasis on the scientific method (Sherman, 1998). The term refers to a knowledge discovery method based on constructing hypotheses that are falsifiable and testing them empirically.
Crime statistics analysis has long been used to determine socio-demographic characteristics increasing a person’s propensity to specific types of crime (Mosher et al., 2011). Other crucial elements are randomized experiments that allow manipulating the variables of interest for getting more accurate results and peer-reviewed research or research that underwent the scientific quality appraisal process (Sherman, 1998). The elements above relate to criminal justice research by supporting two dissimilar kinds of research. The so-called basic research explores policing practices that work best in specific conditions (Sherman, 1998). The ongoing outcomes research emphasizes long-term outcomes that units achieve by implementing peer-reviewed basic research.
The discussed approach aims to maximize policing decisions’ quality and timeliness. EBP is already being used in street crime prevention by means of hot spot policing and sporadic unpredictable patrolling (Sherman, 1998). Anti-homicide initiatives based on evidence regarding the predictors of domestic homicide present another area of application (Sherman, 1998). The utilization of EBP may, however, vary across countries and local police departments, which calls for approaches to motivate departments to adopt it. To convince a department to implement EBP, I would emphasize external coercion by performance comparison, which Sherman (1998) identifies as the strongest motivator.
The principle would give rise to the following steps: collecting available data on EBP-using police departments’ success in decreasing the rates of homicide and other crime types, comparing their performance to that of a department in question and presenting the results and some explanatory notes to the chief of police. Aside from effectiveness, I would explain the benefits of EBP for optimizing the cost of policing efforts to make the department more interested in applying science and credible research.
References
Mosher, C. J., Miethe, T. D., & Hart, T. C. (2011). The mismeasure of crime (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.
Sherman, L. W. (1998). Ideas in American policing: Evidence-based policing. Police Foundation. Web.