Are Police Born to Be Anti-Science? - An Exploration in Taiwan

• In Event: Evidence-Based Policing in an International Context

Abstract

Evidence-based policing (EBP) is a promising paradigm for squeezed budgets and increasing doubts of effectiveness toward policing. However, its incorporation into practice is far from popular, and to understand the causes, research so far was focused on police officers’ receptivity of EBP. Yet, from a distinctive viewpoint, this research addresses it by tracing back to officers’ cradle and probing whether or not cadets are already implanted genes of anti-science by police education before their occupation.

The sample surveyed consists of five cohorts, three of which are recruits at the only police university in Taiwan. The other two are undergraduates studying crime related fields at general universities. The questionnaire was designed by the author to fit in the Taiwanese situation. To validate it, double-translation, pretest and factor analysis were conducted. Also, to reduce the varieties caused by age, work experience and officers’ service length, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) is applied.

The findings demonstrate the receptivity of application of science in policing declines significantly after police education undertaken. This implies that militaristic police training undermines cadets’ receptivity and thereby promotion of EBP in practice.

Author

• Keng-hui Lin, University College London