Reflections From a Decade of Partnering With the Police

• In Event: Strengthening Evidence-Based Policing Through Applied Research Partnerships

Abstract

Researcher-practitioner partnerships are central to the advancement of evidence-based policing and the co-production of knowledge that enhances both scholarship and practice. From the researcher’s perspective, partnerships offer valuable opportunities to step outside the "ivory tower” and see the real-life benefits of our work; create mentorship opportunities for our colleagues and students; and develop new ideas. But these partnerships can also be fraught with challenges, especially for scholars who are new to applied research. The realities of working with police agencies do not always align with the norms and expectations of careers in the academy; relationships can be fragile and politics can interfere with the work; and in the current climate partnering with the police can even be controversial. In this presentation I will draw on more than ten years of experience partnering with police departments across the United States to discuss the benefits of police partnerships to researchers, the ways in which they can go wrong, and what I have learned about successful collaboration and co-production strategies.

Author

• Charlotte Gill, George Mason University