The big picture: Adopting evidence-based policing is important, but effectively translating, adapting, and implementing it is also vital.Â
It’s important to consider what research and available data say before making decisions or implementing programs, strategies, or changes. This philosophy is evidence-based policing, and it’s a guiding framework that encourages the integration of science into the profession.
There are many “evidence-based” programs and strategies in the field, and we know that sometimes those program descriptions and prior examples of implementation can lead to questions about “fit” and adaptability. Unfortunately, these questions may also lead some to pass on adoption—even when the concept or program can deliver positive results.
This got us thinking about the growing field of research referred to as “implementation science.” It suggests that we can do more to promote the adoption of evidence-based policies and practices through effective translation, adaptation, and implementation to local conditions. These things are just as critical as selecting a program that is evidence-based. Adaptation is absolutely possible, and, in fact, it’s almost always needed.
What science says: Implementation matters.
Applying evidence to policing was inspired by the medical and broader public health community’s “evidence-based medicine.” The available research on this confirms that the implementation of this concept mattered then and matters now.*
Implementation science was originally defined as “the scientific study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine practice.”*
Many argue that what works somewhere doesn’t and won’t work everywhere else. This means bringing an evidence-based policing practice that worked in a big city to a small, rural agency in the Midwest and simply saying, “do this,” isn’t going to cut it.
Implementing evidence-based practices should be a flexible process. Police and community leaders have experience and insight into their own unique challenges, which must be considered when implementing new approaches or changing practices. This is where implementation science comes to life. Involving the community and officers in strategy development can produce a practical variant of evidence-based approaches that are both effective and sustainable for their specific and unique community.
Implementation in action: LEADS Scholars believe the future is evidence-based.
Police leaders nationwide apply to become a National Institute of Justice LEADS Scholar. Once selected, Scholars dive deep into the application of science and evidence to policing, often using their learned knowledge to shape their agency’s culture and future.  We talked to a few past and present LEADS Scholars and learned how they have put implementation into action.
The bottom line: Communities can still benefit from proven, evidence-based strategies even if the science isn’t perfect.Â
These resources can help you identify, adapt, and implement evidence-based practices and strategies in your community.
- Find what works for you. The Evidence-Based Policing Matrix, created by George Mason University’s (and NPI board member) Dr. Cynthia Lum and Dr. Christopher Koper, is a research-to-practice translation tool that collects, summarizes, and organizes policing strategies based on rigor, effectiveness, and category.
- On background. In her 2009 Ideas in American Policing essay, Dr. Lum recognizes the then-state of evidence-based policing in agencies and her ground-breaking matrix. Dive in.
- Resources at your fingertips. The National Institute of Justice developed a crime solutions data hub that offers evidence-based programs and practices rated effective, promising, or ineffective—assisting agencies in implementing “what works” for their community.
- Beyond the US. Policing research isn’t limited to the United States. Explore evidence-based policing research available from around the world.
- Data and strategy. This three-part webinar series presented by Justice Clearinghouse and the American Society of Evidence-Based Policing offers insights on how to understand your agency’s data, how to operationalize it, and then apply evidence-based practices.
- Join the movement. The American Society of Evidence-Based Policing (ASEBP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging the implementation of the best and most effective policing practices. ASEBP offers education and valuable resources to its members.
*Review research citations used in this issue here.
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