'If You're Gonna Make a Decision, You Should Understand the Rationale': Are Police Leadership Programs Preparing Canadian Police Leaders for Evidence-Based Policing?. (12th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Huey, Laura; Kalyal, Hina; Peladeau, Hillary; Lindsay, Felisha
• Is Part Of: Policing. Volume 15:Number 1(2021)
• Page Start: 197
• Page End: 207
• Publication Date: 2018-11-12
• Subjects: Police -- Periodicals; 363.2
• DOI: 10.1093/police/pay086
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1752-4512

Abstract

Abstract: Recently, we have seen a steady growth in the number of police practitioners and agencies adopting evidence-based policing (EBP). At its core, EBP rests on a central tenet: police decision-making should be 'based on scientific evidence about what works best' (Sherman, L. W. (1998). Evidence Based Policing. Washington, DC: Police Foundation). While this proposition seems straightforward, it places a responsibility on police leaders for which they may be unprepared. Understanding how best to commission, resource, appreciate the strengths and limitations of and/or make actionable the products of research, requires senior officers to have some level of familiarity with the research process. One potential source of that knowledge is police leader training and education. However, no one has yet explored the question of whether police leadership programs are adequately preparing senior officers for the world of EBP. To examine this issue, the authors present the results of an analysis of 29 in-depth qualitative interviews with senior Canadian police officers.