Police perceptions of problem-oriented policing and evidence-based policing: evidence from England and Wales

The history of policing is littered with reform programmes, which aim to improve effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy. Problem-oriented policing (POP) and evidence-based policing (EBP) are two popular and enduring reform efforts, both of which have generated significant researcher and practitioner attention. There are important similarities between POP and EBP: both approaches provide a framework intended to improve the outcomes of policing. There are also key differences, however, in terms of their main objectives, standards of evidence and units of analysis. Despite both approaches being widely advocated and implemented, presently little is known about police practitioner understanding of the relationship between POP and EBP, both in principle and in practice. To address this gap, this paper draws on survey (n = 4,141) and interview (n = 86) data collected from 19 police forces in England and Wales in 2019 to explore police practitioners’ views on the relationship between POP and EBP, and the extent to which these two approaches inform contemporary police practices. Our findings indicate that respondents generally viewed the two approaches as complementary and important frameworks for orienting police work. However, respondents also drew attention to how the two approaches are not always connected organisationally nor in the minds of police personnel. In addition, challenges were identified in the application of both approaches in practice. Our results suggest that more needs to be done to maximise the potential of POP and EBP, both separately and synergistically. The article concludes by suggesting some ways in which this might be achieved

Show Me Health: Clearing the Air About Tobacco Evaluation Instruments

This report depicts a holistic overview of the evaluation instruments used in the Show Me Health: Clearing the Air About Tobacco (SMH) evaluation.https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/cphss/1100/thumbnail.jp

Ashby, Bowman & Zeithamova, 2020

Data available from: Ashby, S. R., Bowman, C. R., & Zeithamova, D. (2020). Perceived similarity ratings predict generalization success after traditional category learning and a new paired-associate learning task. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 27(4), 791-800. DOI: 10.3758/s13423-020-01754-

Bowman, Ashby, & Zeithamova, 2021

Source data from: Bowman, C., Ashby, S. R., & Zeithamova, D. (2021). Age effects on category learning, categorical perception, and generalization. Memory, https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2021.200381

Age effects on category learning and their relationship to deficits in memory specificity

Age deficits in memory for individual episodes are well established. Less is known about how age affects another key memory function: the ability to form new conceptual knowledge. Here we studied age differences in concept formation in a category-learning paradigm with face-blend stimuli, using several metrics: direct learning of category members presented during training, generalization of category labels to new examples, and shifts in perceived similarity between category members that often follow category learning. Age deficits in categorization were compared to metrics of memory specificity (recognition, cued-recall) for the same set of stimuli. We found that older adults were impaired in direct learning of training examples, but there was no generalization deficit above-and-beyond the deficit in direct learning. We also found that category learning affected the perceived similarity between members of the same versus opposing categories, and age did not significantly moderate this effect. When comparing categorization to memory specificity, we found that categorization deficits were smaller than deficits in recall and comparable to deficits in recognition, showing that categorization deficits are smaller than some of the largest known age-related memory deficits. Lastly, we compared traditional category learning to categorization after a learning task in which a category label (shared last name) was presented alongside stimulus-specific information (unique first names that individuated category members). We found that simultaneously learning stimulus-specific and category information resulted in decreased category learning in both age groups, and that this decrement was not disproportionate in older adults

Problem-oriented policing in England and Wales:barriers and facilitators

Evidence shows that the application of problem-oriented policing can be effective in reducing a wide range of crime and public safety issues, but that the approach is challenging to implement and sustain. This article examines police perceptions and experiences regarding organisational barriers to and facilitators of the implementation and delivery of problem-oriented policing. Drawing on surveys of (n = 4141) and interviews with (n = 86) police personnel from 19 police forces in England and Wales, we identify five key barriers and facilitators to problem-oriented policing: leadership and governance, capacity, organisational structures and infrastructure, partnership working and organisational culture. These factors provide important indicators for what police organisations need to do, or need to avoid, if they are to successfully embed and deliver problem-oriented policing. The article generates critical information about the processes that drive change in police organisations and offers recommendations for police managers who may wish to implement or develop problem-oriented policing. The paper also proposes a research agenda aimed at addressing evidence gaps in our understanding of the implementation and sustenance of problem-oriented policing

Forty years of problem-oriented policing: A review of progress in England and Wales

This article analyses and critically reflects on the position of problem-oriented policing within England and Wales. Problem-oriented policing is a framework for improving police effectiveness. Its adoption has consistently been shown to be associated with sizable reductions in a wide range of crimes and public safety issues. However, many studies also find that problem-oriented policing is difficult to embed and sustain within police organisations. This article draws on the experiences and perspectives of 86 informed stakeholders to critically examine the position and practice of problem-oriented policing 40 years after its original formulation by Herman Goldstein in 1979. We argue that despite evidence of renewed interest in problem-oriented policing, the approach is not habitually conducted within police organisations in England and Wales. Where it is conducted, the practice of problem-oriented policing is found to lack discipline, the processes tend not to be faithfully followed, and there are weaknesses at all stages of the process. Implications of the findings for future research and police practice are discussed