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Changing the narrative: harnessing culture as evidence

Changing the narrative: harnessing culture as evidence
Changing the narrative: harnessing culture as evidence
This chapter contributes to the reflection of evidence based practice by providing a case study of the move towards evidence-based policing in the UK. The research conducted for this study was part of the What Works Centre for Crime Reduction initiative established in 2014 (Hunter et al 2017). The chapter shows that the notion of a naturalist social science informing police practice remains a promise rather than everyday practice. The chapter details focus group discussions that took place in 2014. It suggests that the rank and file (here defined as sergeants and constables), while accepting that there is merit in thinking about evidence informing practice are reluctant to commit to the concept. The everyday practicalities of police work versus time and resources; tensions between senior management and the rank and file; and concerns about the appetite for innovation in a culture where everything is somebody else’s fault or ‘doomed to succeed’ are identified here as serious constraints on the success of evidence-based policing. Such beliefs should be taken into account as we consider its widespread implementation.
Police, Evidence-based, Implementation
Routledge
Fleming, Jenny
61449384-ccab-40b3-b494-0852c956ca19
Fielding, Nigel
Fleming, Jenny
61449384-ccab-40b3-b494-0852c956ca19
Fielding, Nigel

Fleming, Jenny (2019) Changing the narrative: harnessing culture as evidence. In, Fielding, Nigel (ed.) Critical Reflections on Evidence-Based Policing. Abingdon, UK. Routledge. (In Press)

Record type: Book Section

Abstract

This chapter contributes to the reflection of evidence based practice by providing a case study of the move towards evidence-based policing in the UK. The research conducted for this study was part of the What Works Centre for Crime Reduction initiative established in 2014 (Hunter et al 2017). The chapter shows that the notion of a naturalist social science informing police practice remains a promise rather than everyday practice. The chapter details focus group discussions that took place in 2014. It suggests that the rank and file (here defined as sergeants and constables), while accepting that there is merit in thinking about evidence informing practice are reluctant to commit to the concept. The everyday practicalities of police work versus time and resources; tensions between senior management and the rank and file; and concerns about the appetite for innovation in a culture where everything is somebody else’s fault or ‘doomed to succeed’ are identified here as serious constraints on the success of evidence-based policing. Such beliefs should be taken into account as we consider its widespread implementation.

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Accepted/In Press date: 2019
Keywords: Police, Evidence-based, Implementation

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 430763
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/430763
PURE UUID: 38fd7744-11eb-400e-a65d-b8e2c52d0139
ORCID for Jenny Fleming: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7913-3345

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Date deposited: 10 May 2019 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 04:09

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Contributors

Author: Jenny Fleming ORCID iD
Editor: Nigel Fielding

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