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Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) has over the last decade made an increasing mark in several fields, notably health and medicine, education and social welfare. In recent years it has begun to make its mark in criminal justice. As engagement with EBP has spread, it has begun to evolve from what might be regarded as a somewhat narrow doctrine and orthodoxy to something more complex and various. Often criminological research has been at odds with the assumptions, conventions and methodologies associated with first generation EBP. In that context EBP poses a challenge to the research community and existing evidence base and is, accordingly, hotly controversial.This book is a welcome and timely contribution to current debates on evidence-based practice in policing. With a sharp conceptual focus, the chapters provide a critical examination of the recent history of EBP in academic, policy and practitioner communities, evaluate key dimensions of its application to policing, challenge established understandings and pave the way for a much needed change in how research ‘evidence'is perceived, generated, transferred, implemented and evaluated.

Special constables are warranted officers retained within British constabularies. Wearing similar uniforms, carrying the same personal protective equipment and holding identical powers to enforce the criminal law, special constables are to all intents and purposes indistinguishable from their colleagues in the regular police service. However, very little is documented about the experiences and motivations of special constables, the roles they play in contemporary policing or the impact that they have on the police organisation.This book draws together academics and practitioners to provide a valuable insight into historical, international and contemporary themes pertinent to the historical development and contemporary operation of the special constabulary. The book critically considers the origins of the special constabulary and the political, social and economic factors which led to its evolution over time. It compares and contrasts the organisation, functions and status of the special constabulary with other auxiliary forces, notably from the United States. The book also contributes to theoretical understanding of contemporary policing, to debates about the roles and operation of the'mixed economy'of provision, and informs policy and practice in the United Kingdom and beyond.

Situational crime prevention is the art and science of reducing opportunities for crime. Despite accumulating evidence of its value in reducing many different kinds of crime - such as burglary, fraud, robbery, car theft, child sexual abuse and even terrorism - little has previously been published about its role in reducing organised crimes. This collection of case studies, by a distinguished international group of researchers, fills this gap by documenting the application of a situational prevention approach to a variety of organised crimes. These include sex trafficking, cigarette and drug smuggling, timber theft, mortgage fraud, corruption of private professionals and public officials, and subversion of tendering procedures for construction projects. By moving the focus away from the nature of criminal organisations to the analysis of the crimes committed by these organisations, the book opens up a fresh agenda for policy and research. Situational Prevention of Organised Crimes will be of interest to those tasked with tackling organised crime problems, as well as those interested in understanding the ways that organised crime problems have manifested themselves globally, and how law enforcement and other agencies might seek to tackle them in the future.

This book makes an important contribution to the literature on problem-oriented policing, aiming to distill the British experience of problem-oriented policing. Drawing upon over 500 entries to the Tilley Award since its inception in 1999, the book examines what can be achieved by problem-oriented policing, what conditions are required for its successful implementation and what has been learned about resolving crime and disorder issues. Examples of problem-oriented policing examined in this book include specific police and partnership initiatives targeting a wide spectrum of individual problems (such as road safety, graffiti and alcohol-related violence), as well as organisational efforts to embed problem-oriented work as a routine way of working (such as improving training and interagency problem solving along with more specific challenges like improving the way that identity parades are conducted. This book will be of particular interest to those working in the field of crime reduction and community safety in the police, local government and other agencies, as well as students taking courses in policing, criminal justice and criminology.

Problem-oriented policing has been one of the most significant new approaches to policing and crime reduction in recent years, and in the UK significant funding was provided to a variety of projects adopting a problem solving methodology in both policing and crime prevention and reduction partnerships as part of the government's Crime Reduction Programme. This book aims to draw upon the main findings of this initiative, to provide an overview of the government's Targeted Policing Initiative as a whole, to describe findings about the adoption of a problem solving approach, and to indicate what was learned from efforts to address the specific problems targeted in the evaluated initiatives.