Table Of ContentTHE GLOBALIZATION OF
EVIDENCE- BASED POLICING
Evidence- based policing is based on the straightforward, but powerful, idea that crime
prevention and crime control policy should be based on what works best in promoting
public safety, as determined by the best available scientific evidence. Bringing together
leading academics and practitioners, this book explores a wide range of case studies
from around the world that best exemplify the integration of scientific evidence in
contemporary policing processes.
Chapters explore the transfer of scientific knowledge to the practice community, the
role of officers in conducting police- led science, connection of work between police
researchers and practitioners, and how evidence-b ased policing can be incorporated in
daily police functions. The Globalization of Evidence- Based Policing is written for both
researchers and practitioners interested in ensuring that scientific research is at center
stage in policing. Agencies (including law enforcement agencies, research centers, and
institutions of higher learning) can look to these case studies as road maps to better
foster an evidence- based approach to crime prevention and crime control. Those already
committed to evidence- based policing can look to these chapters to ensure that evidence-
based policing is firmly institutionalized within their agencies.
Accessible and compelling, this book is essential reading for all those interested in
learning more about and doing more to bring about evidence-b ased policing.
Eric L. Piza is an Associate Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City
University of New York. Before entering academia, he served as the Geographic
Information Systems Specialist of the Newark, NJ Police Department. His research
focuses on the spatial analysis of crime patterns, evidence-b ased policing, crime control
technology, and the integration of academic research and police practice.
Brandon C. Welsh is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
at Northeastern University in Boston and the Director of the Cambridge-S omerville
Youth Study. His research centers on the prevention of delinquency and crime and
evidence- based social policy.
Evidence- based policing is here to stay—t hat’s how the editors of this collection
begin their final chapter. The preceding 19 chapters back up that claim. The book
is full of thoughtful discussion and concrete examples from numerous countries
across four continents, written by leading practitioners and academics. Well done!
Gary Cordner, Academic Director, Education and Training Section,
Baltimore Police Department
Piza and Welsh’s exceptional book, The Globalization of Evidence- Based Policing,
brings together an amazing set of scholars and practitioners. It is a master class
that anyone holding a position of responsibility in the policing world— police
executives, city managers, consultants, oversight officials, and academics— should
be required to read.
John Eck, Professor, University of Cincinnati
Piza and Welsh’s comprehensive volume is a remarkable contribution to the “next
generation” of evidence-b ased policing. We have amassed an extensive evidence-
base establishing the effectiveness of various policing policies, practices, and reform
efforts, and this book offers clear guidance on how researchers, police agencies,
and communities can collaborate to ensure the benefits of these approaches can be
realized in practice.
Charlotte Gill, Associate Professor, George Mason University
A distinctive feature of evidence-b ased policing is that understanding the imple-
mentation of proven strategies shares equal billing with rigorous evaluation. Lists of
promising projects lead nowhere without the hard work of change agents, and Piza
and Welsh’s The Globalization of Evidence- Based Policing illustrates how leadership,
staff buy- in, partnership building, and community involvement are needed to make
what works really work!
Wesley Skogan, Professor Emeritus, Northwestern University
As the role of policing in a democratic society continues to evolve, and the challenges
of policing a multi- racial society become more complex, this volume offers insight
and inspiration, enriched by scholarship from around the world. The imperative
of bridging the divide between research and practice reverberates through every
chapter. We can only hope that readers will follow this exhortation.
Jeremy Travis, Executive Vice President of Criminal Justice, Arnold Ventures
and President Emeritus, John Jay College of Criminal Justice
THE GLOBALIZATION
OF EVIDENCE- BASED
POLICING
Innovations in Bridging the
Research– Practice Divide
Edited by Eric L. Piza and Brandon C. Welsh
First published 2022
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2022 selection and editorial matter, Eric L. Piza and Brandon C. Welsh;
individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Eric L. Piza and Brandon C. Welsh to be identified as the authors
of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters,
has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised
in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks,
and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing- in- Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 46195- 9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 46196- 6 (pbk)
ISBN: 978- 1- 003- 02750- 8 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/ 9781003027508
Typeset in Bembo
by Newgen Publishing UK
CONTENTS
List of figures viii
List of tables x
List of boxes xi
List of contributors xii
Introduction 1
1 Evidence- based policing: Research, practice, and bridging the
great divide 3
Eric L. Piza and Brandon C. Welsh
PART I
Transferring scientific knowledge to the practice
community 21
2 Globalizing evidence- based policing: Case studies of community
policing, reform, and diversion 23
Peter Neyroud
3 Developing evidence- based crime reduction skills in mid- level
command staff 39
Jerry Ratcliffe
4 Fits and starts: Criminology’s influence on policing policy and
practice 53
Nancy G. La Vigne
vi Contents
5 EMMIE and the What Works Centre for Crime
Reduction: Progress, challenges, and future directions
for evidence- based policing and crime reduction in the
United Kingdom 73
Aiden Sidebottom and Nick Tilley
PART II
Empowering officers to conduct police- led science 93
6 From practitioner to policymaker: Developing influence
and expertise to deliver police reform 95
Richard Smith
7 Creating a social network of change agents: The American
Society of Evidence- Based Policing 111
Heather Prince, Jason Potts, and Renée J. Mitchell
8 Building empowerment: The Canadian approach to
evidence- based policing 122
Laura Huey and Lorna Ferguson
9 Evidence- based policing in Australia and New
Zealand: Empowering police to drive the reform agenda 136
Lorraine Mazerolle, Sarah Bennett, Peter Martin,
Michael Newman, David Cowan, and Simon Williams
PART III
Aligning the work of researchers and practitioners 151
10 The LEADS Academics Program: Building sustainable
police– research partnerships in pursuit of evidence- based
policing 153
Natalie Todak, Kyle McLean, Justin Nix, and Cory P. Haberman
11 The benefits and challenges of embedding criminologists
in crime analysis units: An example from Sweden 166
Manne Gerell
12 Non- traditional research partnerships to aid the adoption
of evidence- based policing 178
Stephen Douglas and Anthony A. Braga
Contents vii
13 Data- informed community engagement: The Newark Public
Safety Collaborative 191
Alejandro Gimenez- Santana, Joel M. Caplan, and Leslie W. Kennedy
14 Surveillance, action research, and Community Technology
Oversight Boards: A proposed model for police technology
research 206
Eric L. Piza, Sarah P. Chu, and Brandon C. Welsh
PART IV
Incorporating evidence- based policing in daily
police functions 223
15 Translating and institutionalizing evidence- based
policing: The Matrix Demonstration Projects 225
Cynthia Lum and Christopher S. Koper
16 CompStat360: CompStat beyond the numbers 240
S. Rebecca Neusteter and Chris Magnus
17 Transitioning into an evidence- based police service:
The New Zealand experience 255
Bruce O’Brien and Mark Evans
18 Statewide evidence- based policing: The example of the
New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services 273
Michael C. Green and Leigh Bates
19 The Cambridge Police Executive Programme: A global
reach for pracademics 295
Lawrence W. Sherman
Conclusion 319
20 Evidence- based policing is here to stay: Lessons learned
and next steps 321
Brandon C. Welsh and Eric L. Piza
Index 327
FIGURES
3.1 The PANDA crime reduction model 45
5.1 The Crime Reduction Toolkit 80
5.2 Sources of information drawn on when problem solving
(n = 3,064) 86
5.3 Monthly hits on the Crime Reduction Toolkit (April 2015 to
June 2020) 87
8.1 Empowerment model 123
8.2 Pre- Test/ Post- Test Infographic 128
8.3 Podcasts on Spotify 129
8.4 Square 1 Assessments 130
8.5 The new Hierarchy of Scientific Evidence 133
13.1 RTM map for high- risk areas for motor vehicle theft 199
13.2 Satellite images representing two risky locations for motor
vehicle theft 200
13.3 Flyers distributed at high- risk locations for motor vehicle theft 201
14.1 Community Technology Oversight Boards: Core components and
activities 213
16.1 Evolution of CompStat 242
16.2 CompStat360 Model, dimensions, and goals 244
17.1 New Zealand Police goals (2020) 257
17.2 EBPC High Level Operating Model (2018) 259
17.3 Perspectives on EBP from New Zealand Police staff 270
18.1 New York State Crime Analysis Center Network 276
18.2 Index crimes by region, 1990– 2014 283
18.3 NYC property and violent crime, 1990– 2014 283
18.4 Non- NYC property and violent crime, 1990– 2014 283
List of figures ix
18.5 Firearm- related homicide by region, 1990– 2014 284
18.6 Statewide map of GIVE counties 285
19.1 Countries where EBP content has been taught by Cambridge
Academics 300
19.2 The Cambridge Pyramid of Police Education 302
