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The Society of Evidence Based Policing was pleased to contribute to the development of new guidance from the Youth Endowment Fund - Policing, Children and Violence. This guidance is a strong example of what we exist to promote: policing practice that is genuinely shaped by evidence. The YEF's guidance sets out six recommendations for police forces across England and Wales to help prevent children's involvement in violence. The recommendations draw on new YEF research and the best available international evidence, and have been shaped by an expert panel of police officers, commissioners, academics and other specialists. Bringing together evidence and frontline expertise has helped ensure the recommendations are practical, relevant and useful to police forces. The six recommendations are organised around three themes: Treat children as children: Translate child-centred policing into everyday practice. Audit how you safeguard children to prevent violence. Focus on what works: 3. Take a problem-oriented policing approach. 4. Stop harmful approaches and deprioritise approaches without a robust evidence base. 5. Improve the quality of stop and search. Do diversion well: 6. Build an effective and fair out-of-court resolution approach. Download the guidance Alongside the guidance, the YEF has also published four new evidence reviews exploring key areas of policing practice: Safeguarding children involved in violence: Insights for 'best practice' in policing Child-centred policing in practice: Insights from children and young people Policing's Response to Children's Exploitation in Drug Markets Review of evidence-based practice in policing to prevent children from being involved in violence You can learn more about the YEF's new guidance at the National Evidence-Based Policing Conference 2026, taking place in Milton Keynes on 23 and 24 September 2026. The YEF will have a stand in the the Exhibition Area, where you can meet the team and find out more about the guidance. The YEF will also be presenting in the breakout sessions on Wednesday afternoon. Make sure you check it out!

August has been quieter than July on the research front - three studies for you for this month, from digital coercive control to complaints against specialist firearms and counter-terrorism officers, plus a look at strip-searching in custody. As ever, if you spotted something I missed, let me know and I'll add it to the next edition. TL;DR? Policing digitally enabled coercive control — police often miss digital coercive control because they focus on single incidents rather than patterns, and officer confidence in spotting it is low across the ranks. Legitimacy under two roofs — a comparison of complaints against Met counter-terrorism and firearms officers finds similar patterns of officer-level complaint concentration, but the two datasets cover different years, so read the comparison with care. Strip searches in police custody — in one English force, Black detainees had consistently higher odds of being strip-searched than White detainees, even after accounting for offence type and vulnerability. Policing digitally enabled coercive control: challenges in responding to and investigating digital abuse Authors: Huber and colleagues Journal: Policing and Society Study design: Mixed-methods study combining police incident data from two UK forces with interviews of officers, third-sector practitioners and victim-survivors Setting: United Kingdom Summary: Digital technology increasingly features in coercive control, but this study found police frequently misidentify it, focusing on isolated incidents rather than the cumulative pattern of monitoring and restriction that defines the offence. Officer understanding and confidence in gathering digital evidence was limited across all ranks, though some forces are building specialist digital media investigator roles. You'll be interested if: you lead domestic abuse investigation, digital forensics, or training and professional development for frontline and specialist officers. Legitimacy under two roofs: citizen complaints against counter-terrorism and firearms command policing compared Authors: Ford and Benning Journal: CrimRxiv (preprint) Study design: Comparative quantitative analysis of complaints records from two Metropolitan Police Service specialist commands Setting: United Kingdom Summary: Comparing complaints against the Counter-Terrorism Command and Specialist Firearms Command, this preprint finds broadly similar patterns — unlawfulness as the leading complaint category, and complaints concentrated among a small number of officers in both commands — alongside a notable difference in appeal rates. The two datasets cover different years, which the authors flag as a limit on direct comparison. You'll be interested if: you work in professional standards, complaints handling, or governance of specialist armed or counter-terrorism policing. Strip searches in police custody and their association with ethnicity/race: evidence from an English force Authors: Ali and Dymond Journal: Criminology & Criminal Justice Study design: Quantitative analysis of custody records (over 25,000 detainees) from one English force Setting: United Kingdom Summary: Black detainees faced consistently higher odds of being strip-searched than White detainees, even after accounting for offence type, use of force, and disclosed vulnerabilities such as mental health or self-harm history. The disparity was more pronounced for Black men and Black children specifically than would be expected from race alone. You'll be interested if: you work in custody, professional standards, or oversight of PACE search powers. And that's August 2026!

By Dr. Ben Havers - Strategic Research Manager, British Transport Police When people hear the term evidence-based policing, they often think about frontline tactics, crime reduction interventions or operational problem-solving. Those things matter, of course, but I sometimes think we undersell one of the biggest contributions evidence can make: helping forces to deliver their strategic ambitions by making more informed decisions - what to prioritise, where to invest, what to stop doing and how to prepare for what is coming next. Most forces are good at responding to today's challenges. The harder task is preparing for the issues we have not fully encountered yet. In a rail environment, those questions can feel especially practical: what capabilities will we need in five or ten years' time? Where will future demand come from? What impact will new technologies have on crime, investigations and public expectations? How might a new station, arena, rail route or major event change local demand? Which emerging risks deserve attention now, before they become operational problems? These are exactly the kinds of questions that evidence-based policing can help answer. 1) Seeing Around Corners One of the most valuable things a force can do is lift its head above the day-to-day pressures and look at what's changing in the wider environment. That is particularly important on the railway, where changes to infrastructure, passenger behaviour, technology and the wider transport system can all affect future demand. That's where horizon scanning comes in. At BTP, we've spent a lot of time considering signals that could affect future policing demand on the railway. Some of these are obvious, such as major rail infrastructure projects, station redevelopments and large-scale events. Others are less obvious, including demographic change, emerging technologies, evolving criminal methodologies and new forms of vulnerability. The reality is that identifying a signal is only the beginning. Knowing that a major infrastructure project such as HS2 is being delivered tells us very little on its own. The useful questions come afterwards. How might it affect passenger volumes, crime patterns, crowding, trespass risk or demand at particular locations? What new partnerships might be needed with rail operators, local authorities, event organisers or other police forces? What skills, training or specialist capability might officers and staff need? This is where research and analysis become important. Evidence-based policing provides a structured way of moving beyond speculation and developing a clearer understanding of what a trend or development might actually mean in practice. We can draw on existing research, analyse internal data, examine comparable examples from other places and commission new studies where significant evidence gaps exist. The same applies to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Most of us can see that AI is likely to have implications for policing, but evidence is needed to understand what those implications actually are. Research can help us assess where AI might support decision-making, where it could introduce risk, what safeguards are needed and whether a tool is improving practice or simply adding another layer of complexity. In short, horizon scanning helps us spot potential challenges and opportunities. Evidence helps us work out what they mean, how seriously to take them and what we might need to do next. 2) Finding Out What Actually Works Evidence-based policing is not just about answering interesting questions. It is about answering the questions that matter most to the organisation. Every force has far more potential research topics than it has time or resources to pursue. Without some way of prioritising activity, research can become fragmented and disconnected from organisational need. That was one of the drivers behind the development of BTP's Areas of Research Interest (ARIs). The objective was not simply to create a list of topics for academics. It was to identify areas where stronger evidence could support better decision-making, guide external research proposals and help focus limited organisational capacity on the questions most likely to add value. The agenda is directly linked to our force Strategy, with 3 ARIs per Strategic Objective. For example, if the force wants to improve outcomes around vulnerability, violence against women and girls, victim care, offender management or emerging technology-enabled threats, evidence gives us a practical route in. Research can help define the problem, identify who is most affected, understand what is already working, test assumptions and explore which approaches are most likely to improve outcomes. A research agenda also helps with practical decisions. It can shape which academic partnerships we pursue, which proposals we support, which topics we invite people to work on and where we need to build a stronger evidence base ourselves. In that sense, evidence-based policing acts as a bridge between strategy and delivery. It turns broad priorities into questions that can actually be investigated. 3) Knowing Whether Change Is Actually Working Perhaps the strongest strategic argument for evidence-based policing is its role in helping organisations understand whether change is actually delivering the benefits that were intended. Policing is constantly investing in new technologies, programmes, processes and ways of working. There is often understandable enthusiasm about the potential of these initiatives, but good intentions and promising ideas do not automatically translate into positive outcomes. Without evaluation, it can be surprisingly difficult to know whether an intervention is genuinely effective, whether it represents value for money, or whether there are unintended consequences that need to be addressed. Research and evaluation provide the mechanism for answering those questions. They help organisations move beyond anecdote and assess what is actually happening in practice. That might mean looking at whether a pilot is improving outcomes for victims, whether a new process is reducing demand, whether training is changing behaviour, or whether a digital tool is helping officers make better decisions. Just as importantly, evaluation gives leaders evidence on which to base decisions about whether an initiative should be expanded, adapted or discontinued. A useful example is BTP's work with the College of Policing to evaluate an artificial intelligence tool designed to support stop and search supervision. The final results are awaiting publication, but the project is a good example of the value of testing promising technology properly before making decisions about wider adoption. It has helped ensure that any future decisions are informed by evidence about the tool's benefits, limitations and practical use in a policing context. For me, that is exactly what good evaluation should do. It creates a structured way to test promising ideas, understand how they work in practice and consider any benefits, limitations or risks before decisions are made about wider use. In areas such as AI, where the pace of change is fast and the consequences of getting it wrong can be significant, that kind of careful, evidence-informed approach is especially important. This example captures an important aspect of evidence-based policing that is sometimes overlooked. The purpose of research is not to prove that something works. It is to find out whether it works, for whom, in what circumstances and with what risks or trade-offs. Those are very different things. Evidence that a project has not yet demonstrated sufficient benefit can be just as valuable as evidence that it has. Both outcomes reduce uncertainty, improve future decision-making and contribute to organisational learning. In an environment where resources are limited and demands continue to grow, that learning has real value. So What Does This Mean For Strategic Leaders? Research cannot predict the future with complete accuracy and evaluation will never answer every question. Strategic decisions will always involve judgement. What evidence-based policing can do, however, is improve the quality of that judgement. In practical terms, it can help a force decide whether a promising pilot is ready to scale, whether a new technology is worth adopting, whether a partnership is delivering value, whether a rail or infrastructure development requires investment now, or whether a long-standing way of working needs to change. For me, that is why evidence-based policing should be viewed as much more than an operational methodology. It is a strategic capability. It helps organisations anticipate change, focus attention, test assumptions and learn from experience. At a time when policing faces growing complexity, increasing demand and difficult choices about where to invest resources, that feels less like an academic luxury and more like a core part of good strategic decision-making. Declaration of interest: I work for British Transport Police as Strategic Research Manager and lead work relating to the force's research agenda and research governance. Generative AI was used to support the drafting and editing of this article. The ideas, opinions and conclusions remain my own.

BETA Contact us to help improve this site All about evidence-based policing What is EBP? 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. What is the case against EBP? Critical thinking is a cornerstone of any evidence based philosophy, including EBP. Simply put, don’t take anything for granted. With that in mind, it’s only right we ask “what evidence is there that EBP works?”. Aside from being a bit ‘meta’, this question is valid and no true EBP advocate would say otherwise. Many commentators and researchers have made arguments against using evidence-based philosophies in policing. Justifications range from: · The focus of EBP is too narrow · Policing activity cannot be measured through statistics · There is an over-emphasis on quantitative research · Evidence cannot really be sorted into a hierarchy · No police force really has the time to do this · Research in one place cannot be generalised to another · Police data are not good enough to support these methods · EBP shackles professional discretion · Policing only requires common sense and all this academic nonsense is a waste of time And there are more arguments we might add. Each of them has a justification (apart from the last one perhaps) worth considering. You won’t be surprised to learn that at SEBP, we don’t agree with any of these but in the spirit of the philosophy we propose we urge you to make your own mind up. How does EBP relate to other models of policing? Policing is traditionally full of fashionable new initiatives and it might be tempting to think of EBP in this way. That would be wrong. EBP as a ‘brand’ might be something that comes and goes but behind the scenes EBP is just a manifestation of scientific process applied to policing. That existed long before EBP was thought up. The scientific process goes all the way back to the Renaissance although historians would likely point to the relatively more recent developments of sociology and criminology as the roots of EBP. In this way, EBP is quite separate from all of the other models we might think of but that is not to say it isn’t worth considering how they might be related. Intelligence-led policing (ILP) ILP is centred on the use of data (intelligence) through analysis to produce plans of action, which should be evaluated. There are prescribed techniques for collecting, collating and analysing information. In these senses, ILP shares some features with EBP but the focus and the detail are quite different. ILP is primarily concerned with criminal threat assessments. It seeks to direct policing practice in a narrower sphere than EBP (for example, ILP would not apply to recruitment and retention but EBP might). The methods used for analysis are also generally less rigorous than in EBP and often don’t take as long to complete. Problem-oriented policing (POP) Like ILP, POP also advocates analysing data to inform police actions. It also advocates for testing those actions to check for impact. POP is specifically focussed on micro problems and while it is data-centric, it also prioritises the voice of the community and partner-police-public based responses. In this way it is more of a philosophy for tactical practices in a particular area (usually small-scale community problems) than a framework that can be applied strategically. EBP encompasses POP and there have been studies on the effectiveness of the technique. National decision model (NDM) NDM is a generic approach to making individual decisions - find out more on the College of Policing website . You can make a good case for how EBP might inform decisions made in this framework. When assessing threat and risk, the decision maker might ask ‘how good are these methods for assessing threat and risk’ (there are studies on this sort of thing – for example the DASH has been studied numerous times). Evidence might also inform the policies, options and contingencies that the decision maker considers. How that happens, particularly in dynamic situations, is complicated. Community/Neighbourhood policing Community policing advocates for strengthening ties with the communities being policed to improve legitimacy, trust and confidence. It is a technique which might be tested (indeed, it has been at times) using an EBP framework. Wondering about other models and how they relate to EBP? Give us a shout and we’ll add to this page. Where does EBP originate from? EBP draws inspiration from evidence-based medicine (EBM), which emerged in the 1990s to improve clinical decisions. Similarly, EBP aims to address inefficiencies, biases, and outdated or ineffective practices in policing. Similar philosophies exist in education, human resources and management where the connecting idea is ‘how can we do this better?’ Milestones in the development of EBP: · 1998: American Professor Lawrence Sherman introduces the idea of EBP, advocating for experiments and data-driven practices in policing. · 2000s: EBP gains traction in the UK, Australia, and the US. · 2010s: The modernisation of police data and computing capacity, and the rise of practitioner-academic collaborations expand EBP's reach. Several organised EBP groups emerge (the Societies of Evidence Based Policing). · 2020s: Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics further innovate EBP methodologies. Today, EBP is prevalent in many countries. In the UK it is a key part of the College of Policing’s mission and is referred to by the Home Office, His Majesty’s Inspectorate and the National Police Chief’s Council. There is no national oversight of evidence-based policing though – it is not something that is ‘owned’ by any single party. Further reading There is so much you can read about evidence-based policing it’s almost too much! This page and our other resources have been designed to give you a solid working knowledge. However, if you’re keen, here are some other resources you might like to consider: The College of Policing website has numerous resources on EBP and this is a good place to start: https://www.college.police.uk/research/evidence-based-policing-EBP The Centre for Evidence-Based Crime Policy at George Mason University has a range of reading you can do, including this wordy study guide: http://cebcp.org/wp-content/evidence-based-policing/EBP-Guide.pdf There are loads of books on EBP. Here are some of our personal favourites (no commission involved): · Evidence-Based Policing: The Basics - Jerry H. Ratcliffe · Evidence-Based Policing: An Introduction - Edited by Renee J. Mitchell, Laura Huey · Evidence-Based Policing: Translating Research into Practice - Cynthia Lum, Christopher S. Koper · Critical Reflections on Evidence-Based Policing - Edited by Nigel Fielding, Karen Bullock, Simon Holdaway

Browse SEBP's upcoming conferences, regional meetings and webinars, and find out how to book your place. Events New research report: The economic value of policing to business Wed 09 Sept Microsoft Teams New research on the economic value of policing to local business will be discussed in an upcoming SEBP webinar, in partnership with the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser . Share Register National Evidence-Based Policing Conference 2026 Wed 23 Sept Walton Hall building Join hundreds of police professionals at the UK's premier evidence-based policing event. Two days of practical sessions on critical topics, plus the second National EBP Awards Dinner. Share Register Project Minerva Dissemination Day Tue 06 Oct Birmingham City Football Club Reducing violence against women and girls (VAWG), and improving the police response to it, is an operational priority for forces across the country. Project Minerva is a collaborative research initiative between Essex Police and Nottingham Trent University. Share RSVP SEBP Eastern Region Conference 2026 Wed 14 Oct Cambridgeshire Constabulary HQ Join us on 14th October 2026 at Cambridgeshire Police HQ for presentations and workshops. Speakers to be announced soon! Share Register SEBP Midlands Region Conference 2026 (Online) Thu 12 Nov Microsoft Teams Webinar Join us on 12th November 2026 online. Speakers to be announced soon! Morning session will focus on AI in Policing, and the afternoon session will focus on problem-solving. Share Register SEBP Southwest Region Conference 2026 Tue 24 Nov The National Self Build & Renovation Cen Join us on 24th November 2026 at National Self-Build Centre, Swindon for presentations and workshops. Speakers to be announced soon! Share Register

Society of Evidence Based Policing | SEBP BETA Contact us to help improve this site Welcome to the Society of Evidence Based Policing We are a registered UK charity that exists to improve policing for the public through the use, production and communication of evidence based practices in policing. We've been around since 2012 and although we're run by and for police personnel, we're an entirely independent grassroots organisation. On this site you can learn about what we do, access our resources and find out how you can get involved. We've got lots to show you including: > Exclusive resources held in our Member's Hub. > Blogs and research articles open to all > Details of our upcoming events > Links to valuable evidence based resources Welcome to the Society of Evidence Based Policing Improving policing for the public through the use, production and communication of the best available research What is EBP? Evidence-based policing is about making better decisions using the best available evidence. It combines research, data, professional experience, and community needs to help policing achieve better outcomes. Rather than relying on habit or assumptions, it asks: what is most likely to work, and how do we know? Evidence-based policing can be applied across everything from crime prevention and investigations to leadership, policy, training, and organisational change. It is not a rulebook. Research is often incomplete, contested, or still developing. Being evidence-based means using the best available evidence to inform decisions, alongside professional judgement and local context. Our mission Read about why we were founded and the core goals that guide us as an organisation. Our people Meet our national executive, regional co-ordinators and trustees. Volunteer Help strengthen evidence-based policing across the UK and support the people working to improve practice on the ground. Donate Support our mission to make policing more effective, fair and evidence-based. Join the SEBP Become a member of the Society of Evidence Based Policing and connect with a passionate community dedicated to using research and data-driven approaches to solve policing challenges, generate fresh insights, and improve public safety outcomes. Why Join? • Exclusive Access to The Members' Hub – Your gateway to ‘Get Started’ guides, free training courses, event recordings, and practical tools designed to support evidence-based policing. • Discounted Rates for Our Annual Conference – Network with leading practitioners and researchers, gain insights into cutting-edge policing strategies, and be part of the conversation shaping the future. • Advanced Notice of Exclusive Events – Get early access to special online and in-person events, giving you the chance to engage with top thinkers and practitioners before anyone else. • Monthly Newsletter – Stay informed with a round-up of the latest research, case studies, and evidence-based insights to keep you ahead of the curve. Who Can Join? SEBP membership is open to anyone committed to making a difference through evidence-based approaches. Whether you are a serving officer, researcher, policymaker, or engaged community member, your voice and contribution matter. Join today and be part of a movement that’s transforming policing through evidence and innovation! Join now Our partners & supporters Latest posts Upcoming events New research report: The economic value of policing to business Wed 09 Sept New research on the economic value of policing to local business will be discussed in an upcoming SEBP webinar, in partnership with the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser . Share Book ticket National Evidence-Based Policing Conference 2026 Wed 23 Sept Join hundreds of police professionals at the UK's premier evidence-based policing event. Two days of practical sessions on critical topics, plus the second National EBP Awards Dinner. Share Book ticket Project Minerva Dissemination Day Tue 06 Oct Reducing violence against women and girls (VAWG), and improving the police response to it, is an operational priority for forces across the country. Project Minerva is a collaborative research initiative between Essex Police and Nottingham Trent University. Share Register interest Get in touch For general enquiries, please contact us at info@sebp.police.uk . If your enquiry relates to a specific police force or region, please contact the relevant regional coordinator. A full list of regional coordinators and their contact details can be found here: sebp.police.uk/our-people

In this introductory course, SEBP's Chief Operating Officer, Dr Matt Bland, aims to provide an introduction to the subject and offer a structured approach for further learning about EBP. The program begins with definitions and an overview of the scientific process. It then moves on to how research is put together and teaches tips on how to find and interpret evidence-based papers, the challenges of implementation and how to do EBP in an ethical way. The course is around 8 hours and involves cheat sheet resources, quizzes, and case studies.