What is Evidence-Based Policing?

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You’ve probably heard of evidence-based policing. It is becoming increasingly engrained in UK police forces, and quite frankly, it’s about time. When we say ‘evidence’ in this context, we are not talking about forensic evidence such as DNA or fingerprints. We are talking about something that has been proven to be true.

So, if you’re making your decisions in an evidence-based way, that simply means you are making your decisions based on what has been shown to work, or what has been shown not to work. This is a much better decision-making process than just going with that you’ve always been doing, or going ‘with your gut’.

Although individual, professional experience does have its place and can be very valuable, it might be biased and tainted by opinions and other external factors that make it unreliable. On the other hand, if you base your decisions on a solid evidence-base, that simply means you use information on what has been tested and scientifically shown to work or not to work through methodological research.....