RT Article
T1 Assessing the appetite for evidence based policing: A UK based study
JF International journal of police science & management
VO 21
IS 2
SP 91
OP 100
A1 Palmer, Ian
A2 Kirby, Stuart
A2 Coleman, Rebecca
LA English
YR 2019
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1789546168
AB Although evidence-based policing (EBP) has emerged in Europe, Australasia and the Americas, its level of implementation has received little scrutiny. Using a questionnaire completed by 625 police staff employed by a major UK police force, this study examines how police employees both view and use evidence-based practice. The study found that although the term EBP was recognized widely, its use was less apparent. The findings specifically distinguished lower ranked officers from senior police officers, and discriminated between warranted (sworn) officers and non-warranted (unsworn) civilian staff. It showed that lower ranking officers (constables) were more likely to value experience over academic evidence and collaboration, whereas senior ranks were much more likely to embrace EBP principles. Further, civilian staff were less likely to view new ideas as a ‘fad’ and be more open to research experimentation and evaluation, albeit they had fewer internal avenues to pursue professional development. In summary, it is argued that to develop an environment in which EBP can thrive, explicit implementation plans that consider issues such as organizational culture, are helpful.
K1 EBP
K1 Evidence-based policing
K1 Police organizational culture
K1 Police survey
K1 Policing
DO 10.1177/1461355719838930