Evidence-Based Policing: An Evolution of Innovations in Research and Practice

Evidence-based policing promises better outcomes for effective policing. However, it requires meaningful partnerships between research and practice. This book is unique in its emphasis on examples of such models. To highlight the merits of research questions and methods being driven from the field, this book uniquely contains chapters written and researched by members of the New York City Police Department. The contributions from these practitioners cover important innovations in the field, including body-worn cameras, de-escalation training, responses to people in crises, focused deterrence, and evaluating innovate approaches to officer wellness.

In all cases, the practitioners examined the theory and the evidence on the ground to generate the research questions and all elements of the research methods required to answer those questions. These chapters are contextualized by academics reviewing the need for such police-university collaboration within a history of evolving evidence-based policing considerations such as community policing, order maintenance, and mandatory arrest policies.

This unique approach will allow students, and other interested parties, to look at the evolution of innovations in police departments from the perspective of the theoretical as well as the implementation hurdles. In addition, it will also provide a future template for evaluation of other police initiatives for both academics and practitioners in the field of law enforcement.