Roundtable: Building Sustainable Partnerships Between Academics and Police

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

Despite an increasing emphasis and enthusiasm toward Evidence-Based Policing, there are few examples of long-term partnerships between police agencies and academic institutions. Why is that, and what can be done about it? Recognizing there are factors that promote sustainable partnerships, and factors for impediment, innovative efforts are being made to foster lasting collaborations between policing researchers and practitioners. The N8 Policing Research Partnership has formalized a regional network of universities and police organizations in the UK with a shared focus on building capacity for knowledge exchange and research co-production. Through the Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Agencies program, the US National Institute of Justice supports law enforcement agencies in building internal analytical capacity and external research partnerships. The Oregon Center for Policing Excellence (CPE) provides education to police officers on the application of evidence-based policing, as well as free access to an on-staff researcher for individualized assistance acquiring, analyzing and applying research to address local crime and/or livability concerns, and measuring results.

This roundtable will be informed by the experiences of the N8, NIJ, and CPE. Panel members will lead a discussion on maintaining long-term researcher-practitioner partnerships based upon challenges experienced, lessons learned, and successes observed.

Sub Unit

• Area XII. Roundtables

Chair

• Ryan Keck, Oregon Center for Policing Excellence

Discussants

• Joanna Shapland, University of Sheffield, UK

• Geoff Alpert, University of South Carolina

• Annie Rexford, Oregon Center for Policing Excellence