Bridging Theory and Practice: Abductive Reasoning in Law Enforcement

• In Event: Theoretical and Methodological Advances in Policing I

Abstract

Law enforcement relies on standard approaches to building and testing knowledge and evidence. The value of abductive reasoning, which involves creatively generating new theories or knowledge to explain specific evidence and make decisions, is largely unrecognized. This paper extends existing literature on thinking investigative styles in law enforcement by focusing on how police organizations develop and manage knowledge. A survey of law enforcement agencies in five counties in the San Francisco metro will be conducted to tap into dimensions of knowledge development and management styles used by law enforcement practitioners. The analysis and implications of these styles will be described and detailed. The mixed method approach will utilize the aforementioned survey and focus groups.

Authors

• Summer Jackson, California State University, East Bay

• Sanjay Marwah, California State University, East Bay

• Michelle Rippy, California State University, East Bay