What is evidence-based policing? According to an online spotlight article written by Abbey Slatterly in Wake County, North Carolina, "Evidence-based policing refers to law enforcement assembling and reviewing data to inform, and challenge policies, practices and decisions." (Posted October 27, 2021)
In a guidebook published by the National Institute of Justice, evidence-based policing is defined as, "Using data, analysis, and research to complement experience and professional judgement, in order to provide the best possible police service to the public." (Cordner, 2020)
As you can see, both of these definitions include a data component to evidence-based policing. When you think of data, you might think of computers, cell phones, and spreadsheets, but these items are not data in and of themselves; they are places where data can be gathered and stored. The Glossary of Statistical Terms defines data as, "the physical representation of information [or facts] in a manner suitable for communication, interpretation, or processing by human beings or by automatic means." In today's society, technology has made the accumulation of data almost instant. We create data everyday through cell phones, computers, and even our cars! For evidence-based policing to be effective, law enforcement must collect and utilize the data it gathers by assembling it and reporting it in an efficient and timely manner to those who are authorized to make informed and proactive decisions regarding policing strategies and crime prevention.
Crime analysis is the research, collection and analysis of data within the evidence-based policing framework. According to Santos (2023), "Both research and practice have shown the most effective methods police employ to prevent and control crime are those in which crime analysis plays a vital role."
Evidence-based policing seeks to proactively prevent and reduce crime through utilizing crime analysis and effective policing strategies. One of the newest approaches to evidence-based policing is called Stratified Policing. Created and implemented throughout the United States by Rachel Boba Santos and, her husband, Dr. Roberto Santos, Stratified Policing is intended to provide a new framework for organizational culture and proactive crime reduction. The framework includes concepts such as integration of evidence-based strategies, stratification of crime (i.e. stratified by problem type, such as immediate, short term, and long term), crime analysis, improved communication across the organization, transparency, and responsibility and accountability by rank in the organization. (Santos, 2023)
