Crj 100 - Criminal Evidence - Evidence-Based Policing

Running Head: Evidence-based Policing

Cristiano Lingeri-King

CRJ 100 Assignment #2

Strayer University

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EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING

In today's society Evidence-based policing plays a vital role in solving crimes and aiding police agencies through research and the use of technology. In 1969 congress created the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration better known as the LEAA with the passage of the

Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act. During the past there was an increased amount of crime committed therefore there was a need to create such administration to help police officers in improving the quality of Law Enforcement and combating and preventing crimes.

The LEAA also assisted police officers in testing and acquiring the latest technology and adopting new enforcement methods of crime solving. Noted police researcher Lawrence W. Sherman made an important statement, "Police practices should be based on scientific evidence about what works best" as this result Sherman popularized today's evidence-base policing. Evidence-based Policing according to Sherman is solely based on science meaning that any evidence retrieved from crimes is scientific not criminal. One of the basic functions on policing for evidence is to carefully gather and protect all evidence and use it to the advantage of the officer to better understand and resolve crimes and crime patterns so it could be studied to prevent further incidents.

Evidence-based policing is the use of the best available research on the outcomes of police work to implement guidelines and evaluate agencies, units, and officers. Evidence-based practice is the process of applying existing research findings that has shown to work when considering a chosen strategy. It is based on analyzing the collection of data that has contributed towards a specific knowledge base, which has been shared amongst fellow practitioners within a specific field and aiming to inform practice within a profession.

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EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING

It encourages practitioners to guide their practice by drawing on existing research and applying it. The advantages of Evidence-based Policing is that it helps police officials and other related agencies in solving crimes by using science as a more accurate method along with trained investigators and detectives using their investigative skills. One advantage of the evidence-based policing is that it is structured to help reduce the crime rate. Evidence-based policy also helps to structure the law enforcers thinking and approach.

On the flip-side, in my opinion I feel as though it has its disadvantages. I feel as though since the policy is structured to be based off of evidence and not some of the enforcers