A Tipping Point for "Totally Evidenced Policing": Ten Ideas for Building an Evidence-Based Police Agency. (March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sherman, Lawrence W.
• Other Names: Sherman Lawrence W. guest-editor.; Murray Alexander guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: International criminal justice review. Volume 25:Number 1(2015:Mar.)
• Page Start: 11
• Page End: 29
• Publication Date: 2015-03
• Subjects: evidence-based policing -- totally-evidenced -- organizational change -- early adopters -- organizational culture -- research registry -- tipping points -- randomized controlled trials; Crime -- Periodicals; Criminal justice, Administration of -- Periodicals; 364
• DOI: 10.1177/1057567715574372
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1057-5677

Abstract

Increasing numbers of police professionals have decided to practice evidence-based policing. Yet many of these "early adopters" encounter opposition from their colleagues. Advocates of evidence-based policing (EBP) increasingly ask whether, or how, an entire agency can be transformed at about the same time, rapidly creating a "tipping point" for "totally evidenced" policing—defined as a steady growth of evidence-based decisionmaking on as many practices as possible. Such tipping points may require (1) a powerful advocate for EBP; (2) an "evolutionary" dimension to add on to any "smothering paradigm" that resists the addition of evidence to decision-making; and (3) strong external demands for change. Several attempts to create "totally-evidenced" decisions across entire agencies are under way. This article describes a hypothesis for how they might succeed, consisting of a 10-point plan to be implemented simultaneously.