Evidence-Based Policing: A Review of its Adoption and Use by Police Forces in England and Wales

Abstract

Policing is changing in response to increased demands from the community, the need to do more with less, fiscal austerity, the varying nature of crime, new technology, the loss of legitimacy, and the need for more transparency and accountability. One strategy that has been identified that could assist the police in responding to these challenges is evidence-based policing. This research examines the adoption of evidence-based policing by police forces in England and Wales. The research found that while most officers understand what evidence-based policing is and are amenable to its adoption and use, the methods that agencies use to communicate and disseminate information, internally, were inadequate and the current organisational structures cannot support evidence-based practice.