Evidence-based policing

Evidence-Based Policing (EBP) is an approach to policy making and tactical decision-making for police departments. It is an extension of evidence-based medicine and evidence-based policy.

Advocates of evidence-based policing emphasize the value of statistical analysis, empirical research and ideally randomized controlled trials. EBP does not dismiss more traditional drivers of police decision-making, but seeks to raise awareness and increase the application of scientific testing, targeting and tracking of police resources, especially during times of budget cuts and greater public scrutiny.

Origins

Experimental criminologist Lawrence Sherman is acknowledged as the founder of evidence-based policing. To some, he is known as the "father" of evidence based policing.[1]

With fellow criminologist Richard Berk, Sherman published the first randomized controlled trial of the effects of arrest on repeat offending.[2] With fellow criminologist David Weisburd, Sherman conducted a ground breaking study in 1995 which showed the efficacy of focusing police crime prevention resources on small hot spots of crime.[3]

In a 1998 Police Foundation lecture, Sherman outlined the concept of "evidence-based policing".[4] His core idea was that police practice can be made far more effective if tactics proven to work during controlled field experiments are prioritized. In February 2000, Sherman co-founded the Campbell Collaboration's Crime and Justice Group, which has pursued the synthesis of research evidence on the effectiveness of policing and other crime prevention practices. The first professional Society of Evidence-Based Policing was founded at Cambridge University in 2010, and now has some 2,000 members from mostly UK police agencies (see http://www.sebp.police.uk/). In 2013, police in collaboration with the University of Queensland established the Australian-New Zealand Society of Evidence-Based Policing, which now has over 500 members (see http://www.anzsebp.com/). In 2015, both Canada (see http://www.can-sebp.net/) and the United States (see http://www.evidencebasedpolicing.org/) established their own branches of this learned professional society.

United Kingdom

In 2008, Sherman made EBP the core of the Police Executive Programme at Cambridge University, a part-time course of study for senior police leaders from around the world to earn a Diploma or Master’s in applied criminology. In that year, the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) funded the first international conference on EBP, which was attended by police executives from Asia, Australia, Europe and the US. Since then the conference has been held each July, with the 7th International Conference attended by over 300 police and scholars from six continents, including Africa and Latin America.

In 2010, a group of UK police officers founded the Society of Evidence-Based Policing, and elected Sherman Honorary President, along with Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of the UK's Greater Manchester Police; as of 2015 the Society has over 2,800 members, including its 750-member Australia-New Zealand affiliate,[5] consisting primarily UK police officers but with membership from Australia to Argentina and North America.[6] The Society's twice-annual UK meetings have attracted over 200 attendees per meeting (including 2015), as well as press coverage.[7]

In 2012, the UK Home Office founded the College of Policing, which took over many of the responsibilities of the National Police Improvement Agency (formally abolished in 2013). One of the College's five strategic objectives is "identifying, developing and promoting good practice based on evidence". The College is committed to identifying and sharing with police practitioners "what works".[8] In 2013, the UK's largest police force, London's Metropolitan Police Service committed to "crime fighting based on what we know works".[9]

What Works Center For Crime Reduction Toolkit

The What Works Centre for Crime Reduction is part of a network of What Works Centres created to provide easy access to robust and comprehensive evidence to guide decision-making on public spending. The Crime Reduction Toolkit is an online tool that that allows users to to weigh up evidence on the impact, cost and implementation of different interventions and use this to help shape their crime reduction efforts. The What Works Centre Crime Reduction Toolkit currently includes 35 evaluations of interventions and has has identified over 300 systematic reviews covering 60 different interventions. [10]

InterventionEffectsEvidence
Alcohol ignition interlock Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime Strong quality
Alcohol tax and price policies Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime Strong quality
Alternative education programmes Overall, evidence suggests no impact on crime (but some studies suggest an decrease and or an increase) Strong quality
CCTV Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime Strong quality
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime Strong quality
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Domestic Violence Overall, evidence suggests no impact (but some studies suggest an decrease) Strong quality
Correctional boot camps Overall, evidence suggests no impact on crime (but some studies suggest an decrease and or an increase) Very strong quality
Criminal sanctions to prevent domestic violence Overall, evidence suggests no impact (but some studies suggest an decrease) Limited quality
Drink driving (DWI) courts Overall, evidence suggests no impact (but some studies suggest an decrease) Strong quality
Drug courts Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime (but some studies suggest an increase) Very strong quality
Educational interventions to prevent relationship violence in young people Overall, evidence suggests no impact on crime Very strong quality
Electronic monitoring Overall, evidence suggests no impact (but some studies suggest an decrease) Moderate quality
Environmental design to prevent robbery Overall, evidence suggests no impact (but some studies suggest an decrease) Limited quality
Firearm laws Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime (but some studies suggest an increase) Strong quality
Increased police patrols to reduce drink driving Overall, evidence suggests no impact (but some studies suggest an decrease) Strong quality
Juvenile curfew laws Overall, evidence suggests no impact on crime (but some studies suggest an decrease and or an increase) Moderate quality
Mass media campaigns to reduce drink driving Overall, evidence suggests no impact (but some studies suggest an decrease) Limited quality
Mental health courts Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime (but some studies suggest an increase) Very strong quality
Minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws Overall, evidence suggests no impact on crime (but some studies suggest an decrease and or an increase) Limited quality
Moral Reconation Therapy Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime Strong quality
Multisystemic therapy Overall, evidence suggests no impact (but some studies suggest an decrease) Strong quality
Music making interventions Overall, evidence suggests no impact on crime Limited quality
Neighbourhood watch Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime Strong quality
Policies on hours and days of alcohol sales Overall, evidence suggests no impact on crime (but some studies suggest an decrease and or an increase) Moderate quality
Restorative Justice (RJ) conferencing Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime Very strong quality
"Scared Straight" programmes Overall evidence suggests an increase in crime Very strong quality
School-based programmes to reduce drink driving Overall, evidence suggests no impact on crime (but some studies suggest an decrease and or an increase) Moderate quality
Second responder programmes to prevent domestic abuse Overall, evidence suggests no impact on crime (but some studies suggest an decrease and or an increase) Strong quality
Sobriety checkpoints Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime Very strong quality
Street lighting Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime Very strong quality
Temporary release from prison Overall, evidence suggests no impact (but some studies suggest an decrease) Limited quality
Therapeutic foster care Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime Strong quality
Transferring youths to the adult criminal justice system Overall evidence suggests an increase in crime Limited quality
Victim Offender Mediation Overall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime (but some studies suggest an increase) Strong quality
Wilderness challenge programmes Overall, evidence suggests no impact (but some studies suggest an decrease) Strong quality

United States

EBP is acknowledged by some senior police leaders as a valuable approach to improve policing.[11] The FBI Academy offers a course on EBP.[12]

EBP has become the subject of debate in research journals, deliberating the extent to which policing should be guided by experimental criminology.[13][14][15][16] But there is consensus that more needs to be done to bridge the 'translation gap' between frontline police officers and academics.[17][18][19]

Academics from the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University launched the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy in 2008.[20] Their Evidence-Based Policing Matrix records, orders and rates all scientific evaluations in policing and seeks to enable police departments to access and assess existing evidence.[21]

Australia

The Australia & New Zealand Society of Evidence Based Policing[22] (ANZSEBP) was formed in April 2013 in Brisbane, Australia. The ANZSEBP is a police practitioner-led Society.[23] The mission of the ANZSEBP is to develop, disseminate and advocate for police to use scientific research (“the evidence”) to guide best practice in all aspects of policing.

The Society comprises both full members (current, serving police officers in Australia and New Zealand) and honorary members including police staff members (non-sworn), research professionals and others who aim to make evidence based approaches part of everyday policing in Australia and New Zealand.

The ANZSEBP held its inaugural conference at the Australian Institute of Police Management,[24] Sydney, Australia in March 2015. The Society was fortunate to secure Professor David Weisburd (George Mason University), Mr Peter Neyroud (Cambridge University), Professor Lorraine Mazerolle[25] (University of Queensland), Chief Superintendent Alex Murray West Midlands Police (Chair of the UK SEBP) and Assistant Commissioner Peter Martin[26] (Chair of the ANZ SEBP) to present at the conference. Further to that six short shot presentations were made that highlighted experiments or research throughout Australasia.

Canada

The Canadian Society of Evidence Based Policing[27] (CAN-SEBP) was launched in April 2015 in Manchester, UK, as a branch of the UK-based Society of Evidence Based Policing. CAN-SEBP is a collaborative effort between police practitioners and academic researchers aimed at generating actionable research to inform policy, practice, education and training in the field of public safety. Partners in the Society - who maintain executive-level steering and oversight functions - include representatives from several Canadian police forces and universities. Other agencies and researchers serve as active collaborators.

CAN-SEBP's membership consists of active and retired police officers, civilian police members, applied policing researchers, graduate researchers and representatives from provincial, federal and municipal community safety groups.

CAN-SEBP's international advisory group includes: Professor David Weisburd (George Mason University), Mr Peter Neyroud (Cambridge University), Professor Lorraine Mazerolle[28] (University of Queensland), Chief Superintendent Alex Murray West Midlands Police (Chair of the UK SEBP) and Assistant Commissioner Peter Martin[29] (Chair of the ANZ SEBP).


References

  1. ↑ Cabrera, Angel (2013) President, George Mason University, tweet on April 8, 2013 (https://twitter.com/CabreraAngel/status/321330010600386560)
  2. ↑ Sherman, Lawrence; Richard Berk (1984). "The Specific Deterrent Effects of Arrest for Spouse Assault: A Field Experiment". American Sociological Review 49(2): 261-272.
  3. ↑ Sherman, Lawrence; David Weisburd (1995). "General Deterrent Effects of Police Patrol in Crime ‘Hot Spots’: A Randomized Study". Justice Quarterly 12 (4): 625–648.
  4. ↑ Sherman, Lawrence (1998) "Evidence-based policing", Ideas in American Policing, Washington D.C: Police Foundation. (http://www.policefoundation.org/content/evidence-based-policing)
  5. ↑ see http://www.anzsebp.com/
  6. ↑ see http://sebp.police.uk/index.php.
  7. ↑ see http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/uk/crime/article4429771.ece.and http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3065669/Ideal-temperature-criminals-64-degrees-Fahrenheit-hotter-offenders-worn-out.html.
  8. ↑ see http://www.college.police.uk.
  9. ↑ see Metropolitan Police Service One Met Strategy 2013/17, p.6. Downloaded at http://www.met.police.uk/foi/pdfs/priorities_and_how_we_are_doing/corporate/one_met_mps_strategy_2013_17.pdf.
  10. ↑ http://whatworks.college.police.uk/toolkit/Pages/Toolkit.aspx
  11. ↑ Bueermann, Jim (2012) "Being smart on crime with evidence-based policing" National Institute of Justice Journal, No. 269, March 2012 (http://nij.gov/journals/269/Pages/evidence.aspx)
  12. ↑ Jensen, Carl (2014) "Consuming and applying research evidence-based policing" The Police Chief, vol. 73, no. 2, February 2006. Copyright held by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 515 North Washington Street, Alexandria, VA. http://www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index.cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id=815&issue_id=22006
  13. ↑ Weisburd, David; Cynthia Lum and Anthony Petrosino (2001) "Does Research Design Affect Study Outcomes in Criminal Justice?" Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences vol.578, pp 50-70.
  14. ↑ Sherman, Lawrence (2013) "The Rise of Evidence-Based Policing: Targeting, Testing and Tracking." Crime and Justice vol. 42, pp. 377-431.
  15. ↑ Laycock, Gloria (2012) "In support of evidence-based approaches: a response to Lum and Kennedy" Policing 2012 vol 6, pp. 324-326.
  16. ↑ Lum, Cynthia; Leslie Kennedy (2012) "In support of evidence-based approaches: a rebuttal to Gloria Laycock" Policing 2012 vol 6, pp. 317-323.
  17. ↑ Lum, Cynthia (2009)"Translating Police Research into Practice" Ideas in American Policing, Washington, DC: Police Foundation.
  18. ↑ Neyroud Peter; David Weisburd (2014) "Transforming the police through science: some new thoughts on the controversy and challenge of translation" Translational Criminology Magazine, Spring 2014, vol 6, pp.16-19. Downloaded at http://cebcp.org/wp-content/TCmagazine/TC6-Spring2014
  19. ↑ Lum, Cynthia (2014) "Policing at a crossroads" Policing vol 8, pp 1-4.
  20. ↑ see http://cebcp.org/evidence-based-policing/the-matrix
  21. ↑ Lum, Cynthia; Chris Koper and Cody Telep (2011) "The Evidence-Based Policing Matrix". Journal of Experimental Criminology vol 7(1), pp. 3-26.
  22. ↑ see http://www.anzsebp.com/
  23. ↑ see http://www.anzsebp.com/index.php/committee
  24. ↑ see http://www.aipm.gov.au/
  25. ↑ see http://www.issr.uq.edu.au/staff/mazerolle-lorraine
  26. ↑ see http://www.anzsebp.com/index.php/8-committee/36-assistant-commissioner-peter-martin-queensland-police-service-chair-of-anzsebp
  27. ↑ see http://www.can-sebp.net/
  28. ↑ see http://www.issr.uq.edu.au/staff/mazerolle-lorraine
  29. ↑ see http://www.anzsebp.com/index.php/8-committee/36-assistant-commissioner-peter-martin-queensland-police-service-chair-of-anzsebp

External links


Alcohol ignition interlockOverall, evidence suggests a decrease in crime

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