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Results for research partnerships

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Author: International Association of Chiefs of Police

Title: Establishing and Sustaining Law Enforcement-Researcher Partnerships: Guide for Law Enforcement Leaders

Summary: Law enforcement leaders are increasingly recognizing the benefits of applying research findings in their work. As more researchers direct their efforts toward producing practical knowledge about effective police policies and practices, law enforcement agencies are better able to use that information to maximize their capacity to protect the public and bring lawbreakers to justice. In this era of shrinking budgets, research that points to what works best can help law enforcement leaders do more with less. Evidence-based policing (EBP) is an approach to testing and validating all facets of policing that encourages law enforcement agencies to develop their policy and program guidelines based on knowledge of best practices, and to carefully define and monitor outcomes that are achieved through their actions. Policymakers, funders and even community members have come to expect publicly-funded agencies to demonstrate that their policies and practices are proven to be costeffective. EBP is not an all-or-nothing approach that results in discarding "failed" programs, but rather a way for law enforcement agencies to continuously refine and update their policies and practices. By working with researchers, police departments can contribute to the continuing development of evidence-based policies, programs and practices. Since law enforcement personnel are trained in investigative techniques, they have a natural appreciation for well-done research, i.e., research efforts that ask meaningful questions, assemble relevant evidence, and make a convincing case for recommended actions. Police departments that have implemented community and problem-oriented policing are familiar with the problem-solving process that is the foundation of action research: problem identification and analysis, response development and implementation, ongoing monitoring and refinement, and impact assessment. Many police staff members find that they can become critical consumers of research, able to discern which studies or findings are valid and understand how best to apply them in their own agencies. This guide outlines ways that law enforcement leaders can move from being consumers of research to working with researchers to generate useful knowledge about what works in their own agencies and for policing in general. The guidelines in this document are grounded in the experience of a number of law enforcement agencies that have already partnered with researchers to continuously improve police performance. Many of these agencies have been able to use the results of research on the effectiveness of their policies and practices to successfully advocate for needed resources or policy changes. A few have contributed significantly to the general body of knowledge about what works best in policing.

Details: Alexandria, VA: IACP, 2018? 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: accessed August 23, 2018 at: http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/EstablishingSustaingLawEnforcement-ResearchPartnershipsGuideforLELeaders.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/EstablishingSustaingLawEnforcement-ResearchPartnershipsGuideforLELeaders.pdf

Shelf Number: 151242

Keywords:
Collaboration
Criminal Justice Research
Interagency Cooperation
Police Administration
Police Research
Research Partnerships

Author: International Association of Chiefs of Police

Title: Establishing and Sustaining Law Enforcement-Researcher Partnerships: Guide for Researchers

Summary: Researchers who want to contribute to a better understanding of policing are increasingly finding that many police departments welcome them as essential collaborators in clarifying issues to be addressed and improving knowledge about what works in law enforcement. In fact, the National Research Council of the National Academies notes that "policing stands in first place among all criminal justice agencies in the use of the tools of social science, including surveys, sophisticated statistical analysis and mapping, systematic observation, quasiexperiments, and randomized controlled trials." Although it may seem at times that police and researchers speak different languages, in fact they share key values and priorities. Researchers and law enforcement professionals both pursue knowledge through systematic investigation of the facts and careful assembly of evidence. Police are trained to observe situations, assess conditions and formulate theories based on evidence, skills that are very much akin to the data collection and hypothesis-testing abilities that researchers bring to research situations. Given this fundamental compatibility, action research, in which researchers actively partner with practitioners to solve problems, is a particularly appropriate law enforcement research strategy. Although some police agencies are wary of research results that could be used to diminish their credibility or to justify decreases in funding, police want to be innovative and successful. Studies of police organizational culture have found that officers at all levels strongly prefer an achievement work culture, in which "employees share a commitment to the attainment of departmental goals" and are encouraged to learn new things. Researchers partnering with law enforcement agencies can help reinforce this achievement culture by enhancing police knowledge of factors contributing to their effectiveness and helping them become critical consumers of research findings. Even more important, researchers can help police reach a deeper understanding of local crime problems that can lead to enhanced police capacities to prevent and respond to crime. Police personnel who participate with researchers in data collection and analysis and program design are often better able and more willing to implement the findings and recommendations offered by their research partners. As a result, researchers working collaboratively with law enforcement agencies are frequently able to see the effects that their findings have on police policies, procedures and programs. By partnering with police agencies, researchers can experience the satisfaction of seeing that their work is making a difference in police effectiveness and community safety. Researchers are increasingly finding that action research can withstand peer review, advance careers, and enhance professional reputations. With its emphasis on encouraging the collaborative efforts of many participants, action research produces information from diverse sources that can yield a richer understanding of the issues being studied. Although publication of research articles is not the primary goal of local action research efforts, many applied researchers routinely develop articles for peer-reviewed journals. Navigating the real-world complexities of law enforcement organizations can be challenging, but researchers are finding that it can also be energizing and inspiring. By testing researchers' assumptions and customary approaches to knowledge-building, police partners can foster researchers' creativity, insight and flexibility. Instead of being perceived as critics who focus only on mistakes, researchers working in partnership with police can help law enforcement agencies document and celebrate their successes while also enabling them to learn from missteps and refine their strategies. By developing trusting and mutually respectful relationships with law enforcement agencies, researchers can cultivate future research opportunities that will not only support their professional advancement but also contribute significantly to building knowledge about what works in law enforcement.

Details: Alexandria, VA: IACP, 2018. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 23, 2018 at: http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/EstablishingSustaingLawEnforcement-ResearchPartnershipsGuideforResearchers.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: http://www.theiacp.org/Portals/0/documents/pdfs/EstablishingSustaingLawEnforcement-ResearchPartnershipsGuideforResearchers.pdf

Shelf Number: 151241

Keywords:
Collaboration
Criminal Justice Research
Interagency Cooperation
Police Administration
Police Research
Research Partnerships