What is evidence-based policing?

Evidence-based policing (EBP) is the philosophy and practice of using the best available research evidence to guide and evaluate decisions in policing. It's not about replacing experience or professional judgment but enhancing them with rigorous and relevant research. EBP can inform anything and everything from crime prevention strategies to organisational policies.

 

The main principles of EBP include:

 

• Using scientific methods to evaluate what works, what doesn’t, and why.

• Emphasising prevention of crime, harm, demand, and efficiency of practice by ensuring resources are allocated to the most effective practices as established by those scientific methods 

• Applying evidence across all levels of policing, from frontline officers to senior leaders, support staff to volunteers, suppliers to governing bodies.

 

As you will see from this guidance and other resources, EBP is not black and white. There is no manual which says ‘you must do this to achieve that’. Research evidence is sometimes complicated, limited or simply doesn’t exist.

 

Being ‘evidence-based’ doesn’t mean slavishly following a set of rules, it means using evidence to inform decisions.