Turning Evidence Into Practice

This chapter provides an overview of the ways in which police services can translate evidence into practice. It explores the emergence of the evidence-based policing agenda, its influence, challenges, and opportunities. Based on this exploration, the chapter presents a different model, evidence-informed practice, to highlight other important ways in which police could and should engage in knowledge creation, translation and evaluation. It is suggested that police services would benefit from reflecting on adult and organisational learning theories to develop as learning organisations which can help police services to more naturally and sustainably translate evidence into practice in partnership with others. By further developing as learning organisations, it is hoped that a learning sector emerges supporting the holistic whole-system responses required to address the challenges police, partners and communities are facing.