A Practical Approach to Evidence-Based Policing

Evidence-based policing remains misunderstood and under-appreciated. This article clarifies what it is, emphasizing its value in informing police practices in conjunction with experience, judgment, and craft knowledge. It also argues for a broad framework simply because policing has a broad mission. In other words, evidence-based policing is more than evidence-based crime control. Data, analysis, and the other tools of science can help police increase their effectiveness across the multiple bottom lines of policing.