What best describes evidence-based policing?

• A. Based on tradition and intuition.
• B. Using rigorous research and data to guide strategies with evaluation and adaptation.
• C. Ignore feedback from evaluations.
• D. Focus solely on increasing patrol time.

Answer: (B)

Evidence-based policing means making policing decisions based on rigorous research and data, with ongoing evaluation that guides adaptation. It relies on systematic use of evidence from studies, experiments, and performance metrics to determine what tactics actually work, and then adjusts or scales those tactics based on results. This approach stands in contrast to relying on tradition or intuition, ignoring feedback from evaluations, or pursuing actions like increasing patrol time without demonstrating their effectiveness. In short, it’s about using solid evidence to guide strategies and continuously refining them as new data come in.