Unearthing Hidden Keys: Why Pracademics are an Invaluable (if Underutilized) Resource in Policing Research

• In Event: Issues in Evidence Based Policing

Abstract

At the core of evidence based policing is the belief that research should be the outcome of a blending of police experience with academic research skills. Within this paper we argue that no individual figure embodies this perspective better than the 'pracademic' - that is, the experienced police practitioner with the training and knowledge to conduct rigorous, independent scholarship. Despite their apparently increasing numbers, the pracademic remains an underutilized resource within both academia and police institutions. Through an exploration of some of the central problems plaguing contemporary policing research - from lack of receptivity to barriers to knowledge creation and uptake - we demonstrate how the pracademic role can help both police and researchers resolve these issues.

Authors

• Laura Huey, University of Western Ontario

• Renee Mitchell, American Society of Evidence Based Policing