Walk the floor at any policing conference and you’ll see it: booths lined with “game-changing” tools, dashboards powered by AI, and technologies marketed as the future of public safety. The problem? Not every shiny product delivers when it’s needed most.
This is why evidence-based policing (EBP) has to be the standard for chiefs, sheriffs, and command staff evaluating new technology. Hype fades quickly, but reputational and financial damage from a bad investment can linger for years.
Cutting Through the Noise and Hype
Law enforcement has no shortage of vendors with polished sales decks. What agencies need is proof. Leaders should be asking: What independent studies back this up? Where has it worked in the field? EBP provides the filter that keeps scarce budgets focused on what truly works.
Demonstrating Measurable Impact
City councils, accreditation boards, and communities expect more than “we think this tool helps.” Leaders who can point to peer-reviewed studies, pilot programs, or measurable outcomes strengthen their credibility and make it easier to justify funding.
Reducing Risk of Adoption Failure
History offers cautionary tales: predictive policing tools that amplified bias, training programs that never delivered, technology that gathered dust after roll-out. EBP reduces those risks by demanding evidence of effectiveness before an agency commits time, money, and officer buy-in.
Building Trust with Officers and the Public
Officers are more likely to adopt technology if they know it has been tested and shown to improve outcomes like safety or efficiency. Communities are more likely to support it if leaders can point to transparent, independent results, not just vendor assurances.
Aligning with Professional Standards
Other professions, from medicine to aviation, require rigorous evidence before adopting new practices. Policing should be no different. Leaders who embrace EBP position themselves as forward-thinking professionals committed to science, not salesmanship.
The takeaway is simple: Evidence-based policing isn’t academic theory; it’s the difference between making smart, defensible choices and becoming the next cautionary tale. In a marketplace full of noise, leaders who insist on evidence ensure their agencies invest in solutions that actually make policing safer, smarter, and more trusted.