Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-c9gpj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-13T14:33:35.592Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

5 - A Review of Systematic Reviews in Policing

from Part II - The Evidence for Evidence-Based Policing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2023

By
Cody W. Telep  and
David Weisburd
Edited by
David Weisburd ,
Tal Jonathan-Zamir ,
Gali Perry  and
Badi Hasisi
David Weisburd
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem and George Mason University, Virginia
Tal Jonathan-Zamir
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Gali Perry
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Badi Hasisi
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Get access

Summary

Systematic reviews in policing have become an increasingly common way for researchers to synthesize the state of research on programs, practices, and policies. Reviews utilize comprehensive and transparent search strategies to identify and summarize the evidence base for a particular topic, providing rigorous assessments of the state of scientific knowledge about policing strategies needed for evidence-based policing. This chapter summarizes findings and conclusions from systematic reviews on policing, building on an earlier paper that included 17 policing reviews completed between 2004 and 2015. In the current chapter, we identify updates to five of these reviews, and new reviews on 13 policing topics. Our “review of reviews” on 30 policing topics suggests a growth in primary research in policing, and in particular an increase in reviews on non-crime control topics. But we also suggest existing reviews provide insufficient “how to” guidance for implementing evidence-based strategies. We argue in concluding that scholars have succeeded in providing a “first generation” of studies that tell us whether general policing approaches are effective, but a much larger evidence based is needed for a “second generation” of systematic reviews that would provide specific guidance about choosing and implementing evidence-based practices in the field.

Keywords

Campbell CollaborationMeta-analysisOfficer well-beingPolice effectivenessPolice legitimacyPolice trainingRandomized controlled trialSystematic reviewWhat works?
Type
Chapter
Information
The Future of Evidence-Based Policing , pp. 85 - 106
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ariel, B., & Sherman, L. W. (2012). Protocol: Mandatory arrest for misdemeanor domestic violence effects on repeat offending. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8(1), 1–30.Google Scholar
Belur, J., Agnew-Pauley, W., McGinley, B., & Tompson, L. (2020). A systematic review of police recruit training programmes. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 14(1), 76–90.Google Scholar
Blais, E., & Dupont, B. (2005). Assessing the capability of intensive police programmes to prevent severe road accidents. British Journal of Criminology, 45(6), 914–937.Google Scholar
Bowers, K., Johnson, S., Guerette, R. T., Summers, L., & Poynton, S. (2011). Spatial displacement and diffusion of benefits among geographically focused policing interventions. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 7(1), 1–144.Google Scholar
Braga, A. A. (2007). The effects of hot spots policing on crime. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 3(1), 1–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braga, A. A., Papachristos, A. V., & Hureau, D. M. (2012). Hot spots policing effects on crime. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8(1), 1–96.Google Scholar
Braga, A. A., Turchan, B., Papachristos, A. V., & Hureau, D. M. (2019a). Hot spots policing of small geographic areas effects on crime. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(3), e1046.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Braga, A. A., & Weisburd, D. L. (2012). The effects of “pulling levers” focused deterrence strategies on crime. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8(1), 1–90.Google Scholar
Braga, A. A., &Weisburd, D. L. (2022). Does hot spots policing have meaningful impacts on crime? Findings from an alternative approach to estimating effect sizes from place-based program evaluations. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 38(1), 1–22.Google Scholar
Braga, A. A., Weisburd, D., & Turchan, B. (2019b). Focused deterrence strategies effects on crime: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(3), e1051.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Braga, A. A., Welsh, B. C., &Schnell, C. (2015). Can policing disorder reduce crime? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 52(4), 567–588.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braga, A. A., Welsh, B. C., &Schnell, C. (2019). Disorder policing to reduce crime: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 15(3), 1–38.Google Scholar
Caputi, T. L., & McLellan, A. T. (2017). Truth and D.A.R.E.: Is D.A.R.E.’s new Keepin’ it REAL curriculum suitable for American nationwide implementation? Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 24(1), 49–57.Google Scholar
Chalfin, A., & McCrary, J. (2018). Are U.S. cities underpoliced? Theory and evidence. Review of Economics and Statistics, 100(1), 167–186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Da Silva, F. C., Hernandez, S. S. S., Gonçalves, E., Arancibia, B. A. V., Castro, T. L. D. S., & Da Silva, R. (2014). Anthropometric indicators of obesity in policemen: A systematic review of observational studies. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 27(6), 891–901.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, R. C., Weisburd, D., & Taylor, B. (2008). Effects of second responder programs on repeat incidents of family abuse. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 4(1), 1–38.Google Scholar
Dewa, C. S., Loong, D., Trujillo, A., & Bonato, S. (2018). Evidence for the effectiveness of police-based pre-booking diversion programs in decriminalizing mental illness: A systematic literature review. Plos One, 13(6), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199368Google Scholar
Engel, R. S., McManus, H. D., & Herold, T. D. (2020). Does de‐escalation training work? A systematic review and call for evidence in police use‐of‐force reform. Criminology & Public Policy, 19(3), 721–759.Google Scholar
Farrington, D. P., & Petrosino, A. (2000). Systematic reviews of criminological interventions: The Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Group. International Annals of Criminology, 38(1–2), 49–66.Google Scholar
Farrington, D. P., Weisburd, D., & Gill, C. E. (2011). The Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Group: A decade of progress. In Smith, C. J., Zhang, S. X. & Barberet, R. (Eds.), Routledge handbook of international criminology (pp. 53–63). Routledge.Google Scholar
Fisher, B. W., & Hennessy, E. A. (2016). School resource officers and exclusionary discipline in US high schools: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Adolescent Research Review, 1(3), 217–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flynn, A. B., Falco, M., & Hocini, S. (2015). Independent evaluation of middle school–based drug prevention curricula: a systematic review. JAMA Pediatrics, 169(11), 1046–1052.Google Scholar
Gill, C. E., Weisburd, D., Telep, C. W., Bennett, T., & Vitter, Z. (2014). Community-oriented policing to reduce crime, disorder, and fear and increase legitimacy and citizen satisfaction in neighborhoods. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 10(4), 399–428.Google Scholar
Goss, C. W, Van Bramer, L. D, Gliner, J. A, Porter, T. R, Roberts, I. G, & DiGuiseppi, C. (2008). Increased police patrols for preventing alcohol-impaired driving. Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, (4), DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005242.pub2.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gottfredson, D. C., Cook, T. D., Gardner, F. E., Gorman-Smith, D., Howe, G. W., Sandler, I. N., & Zafft, K. M. (2015). Standards of evidence for efficacy, effectiveness, and scale-up research in prevention science: Next generation. Prevention Science, 16(7), 893–926.Google Scholar
Haugen, P. T., Evces, M., & Weiss, D. S. (2012). Treating posttraumatic stress disorder in first responders: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(5), 370–380.Google Scholar
Higginson, A., Benier, K., Shenderovich, Y., Bedford, L., Mazerolle, L., & Murray, J. (2015). Preventive interventions to reduce youth involvement in gangs and gang crime in low‐and middle‐income countries: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 11(1), 1–176.Google Scholar
Higginson, A., Eggins, E., Mazerolle, L., & Stanko, E. (2014). The Global Policing Database [Database and Protocol]. www.gpd.uq.edu.au/Google Scholar
Hinkle, J. C., Weisburd, D., Telep, C. W., & Petersen, K. (2020). Problem-oriented policing for reducing crime and disorder: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 16(2), 1–86.Google Scholar
Huey, L. (2018). What do we know about in-service police training? Results of a failed systematic review. University of Western Ontario.Google Scholar
Husain, S., & Eisenberg, M. (2013). Police AED programs: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Resuscitation, 84(9), 1184–1191.Google Scholar
Kane, E., Evans, E., & Shokraneh, F. (2018). Effectiveness of current policing‐related mental health interventions: A systematic review. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 28(2), 108–119.Google Scholar
Koper, C. S., & Mayo-Wilson, E. (2012). Police strategies to reduce illegal possession and carrying of firearms: Effects on gun crime. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8(1), 1–53.Google Scholar
Lee, Y., Eck, J. E., & Corsaro, N. (2016). Conclusions from the history of research into the effects of police force size on crime – 1968 through 2013: A historical systematic review. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 12(3), 431–451.Google Scholar
Lees, T., Elliott, J. L., Gunning, S., Newton, P. J., Rai, T., & Lal, S. (2019). A systematic review of the current evidence regarding interventions for anxiety, PTSD, sleepiness and fatigue in the law enforcement workplace. Industrial Health, 57(6), 655–667.Google Scholar
Litmanovitz, Y., & Montgomery, P. (2016). Protocol: Police training interventions to improve the democratic policing of protests. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 12(1), 1–39.Google Scholar
Littell, J. H., Corcoran, J., & Pillai, V. (2008). Systematic review and meta-analysis. Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lum, C., Koper, C. S., Gill, C., Hibdon, J., Telep, C., & Robinson, L. (2016). An evidence-assessment of the recommendations of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing: Implementation and research priorities. International Association of Chiefs of Police.Google Scholar
Lum, C., Koper, C. S., Wilson, D. B., Stoltz, M., Goodier, M., Eggins, E., Higginson, A., & Mazerolle, L. (2020). Research on body‐worn cameras: What we know, what we need to know. Campbell Systematic Review, 16(3), 93–118.Google Scholar
Mazerolle, L., Bennett, S., Davis, J., Sargeant, E., & Manning, M. (2013). Legitimacy in policing: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 9(1), 1–147.Google Scholar
Mazerolle, L., Cherney, A., Eggins, E., Higginson, A., Hine, L., & Belton, E. (2020d). Police programs that seek to increase community connectedness for reducing violent extremism behaviour, attitudes and beliefs. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 16(1), e1111.Google Scholar
Mazerolle, L., Cherney, A., Eggins, E., Higginson, A., Hine, L., & Belton, E. (2020b). Protocol: Multiagency programmes with police as a partner for reducing radicalisation to violence. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 16(1), e1110.Google Scholar
Mazerolle, L., Cherney, A., Eggins, E., Higginson, A., Hine, L., & Belton, E. (2020c). Protocol: Police programs that seek to increase community connectedness for reducing violent extremism behaviour, attitudes and beliefs. Campbell Systematic Reviews, e1076.Google Scholar
Mazerolle, L., Eggins, E., & Higginson, A. (2016). Protocol: Third party policing for reducing crime and disorder: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 12(1), 1–77.Google Scholar
Mazerolle, L., Eggins, E., & Higginson, A. (2020a). Street-level drug law enforcement: An updated systematic review. Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 599 16(1), 1–20.Google Scholar
Mazerolle, L., Eggins, E., Hine, L., & Higginson, A. (this volume). The Role of Randomized Experiments in Developing the Evidence for Evidence-Based Policing. In Weisburd, D., Jonathan, T., Perry, G. & Hasisi, B., (Eds.), The Future of Evidence-Based Policing. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Mazerolle, L., Soole, D. W., & Rombouts, S. (2007). Street-level drug law enforcement: A meta-analytic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 3(1), 1–47.Google Scholar
McGinley, B., Agnew-Pauley, W., Tompson, L., & Belur, J. (2020). Police recruit training programmes: A systematic map of research literature. Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 14(1), 52–75.Google Scholar
Meissner, C. A., Redlich, A. D. Bhatt, S., & Brandon, S. (2012). Interview and interrogation methods and their effects on true and false confessions. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8(1),1–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mohan, D., Tiwari, G., Varghese, M., Bhalla, K., John, D., Saran, A., & White, H. (2020). Protocol: Effectiveness of road safety interventions: An evidence and gap map. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 16(1), 1–20.Google Scholar
Nagin, D. S., & Telep, C. W. (2020). Procedural justice and legal compliance: A revisionist perspective. Criminology & Public Policy, 19(3), 761–786.Google Scholar
Patterson, G. T., Chung, I. W., & Swan, P. G. (2012). The effects of stress management interventions among police officers and recruits. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 8(1), 1–54.Google Scholar
Peñalba, V., McGuire, H., & Leite, J. R. (2008). Psychosocial interventions for prevention of psychological disorders in law enforcement officers. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3). DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005601.pub2Google Scholar
Peterson, J., & Densley, J. (2018). Is Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training evidence-based practice? A systematic review. Journal of Crime and Justice, 41(5), 521–534.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petrosino, A., Boruch, R. F., Soydan, H., Duggan, L., & Sanchez-Meca, J. (2001). Meeting the challenges of evidence-based policy: The Campbell Collaboration. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 578(1), 14–34.Google Scholar
Petrosino, A., Guckenburg, S., & Fronius, T. (2012). Policing schools” strategies: A review of the evaluation evidence. Journal of Multidisciplinary Evaluation, 8(17), 80–101.Google Scholar
President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. (2015). Final report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice.Google Scholar
Puntis, S., Perfect, D., Kirubarajan, A., Bolton, S., Davies, F., Hayes, A., Harriss, E., & Molodynski, A. (2018). A systematic review of co-responder models of police mental health ‘street’ triage. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 256.Google Scholar
Rothstein, H. R., Sutton, A. J., & Borenstein, M. (Eds.) (2005). Publication bias in meta-analysis: Prevention, assessment and adjustments. Wiley.Google Scholar
Spoth, R., Rohrbach, L. A., Greenberg, M., Leaf, P., Brown, C. H., Fagan, A., Catalano, R. F., Pentz, M. A., Sloboda, Z., & Hawkins, J. D. (2013). Addressing core challenges for the next generation of type 2 translation research and systems: The translation science to population impact (TSci Impact) framework. Prevention Science, 14(4), 319–351.Google Scholar
Stanley, I. H., Hom, M. A., & Joiner, T. E. (2016). A systematic review of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among police officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics. Clinical Psychology Review, 44(1), 25–44.Google Scholar
Strang, H., Sherman, L. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., Woods, D., & Ariel, B. (2013). Restorative justice conferencing (RJC) using face-to-face meetings of offenders and victims: Effects on offender recidivism and victim satisfaction. A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 9(1), 1–59.Google Scholar
Taheri, S. A. (2016). Do crisis intervention teams reduce arrests and improve officer safety? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 27(1), 76–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Telep, C. W. (2016). Expanding the scope of evidence-based policing. Criminology and Public Policy, 15(1), 243–252.Google Scholar
Telep, C. W. (2018). Not just what works, but how it works: Mechanisms and context in the effectiveness of place-based policing. In Weisburd, D. & Eck, J. E. (Eds.), Unraveling the crime-place connection: New directions in theory and practice. Advances in Criminological Theory, vol. 22 (pp. 237–259). Routledge.Google Scholar
Telep, C. W., & Weisburd, D. (2016). Policing. In Farrington, D. P., Weisburd, D., & Gill, C. E. (Eds.), What works in crime prevention and rehabilitation: Lessons from systematic reviews (pp. 137–168). Springer.Google Scholar
Telep, C. W., Weisburd, D., Gill, C. E., Teichman, D., & Vitter, Z. (2014). Displacement of crime and diffusion of crime control benefits in large-scale geographic areas: A systematic review. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 10(4), 515–548.Google Scholar
Telep, C. W., Weisburd, D., Wire, S., & Farrington, D. (2016). Protocol: Increased police patrol presence effects on crime and disorder. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 12(1), 1–35.Google Scholar
Weisburd, D., Farrington, D. P., & Gill, C. (2016). Introduction: What works in crime prevention? In Weisburd, D., Farrington, D. P., & Gill, C. (Eds.), What works in crime prevention and rehabilitation (pp. 1–13). Springer.Google Scholar
Weisburd, D., Farrington, D. P., & Gill, C. (2017). What works in crime prevention and rehabilitation: An assessment of systematic reviews. Criminology & Public Policy, 16(2), 415–449.Google Scholar
Weisburd, D., & Telep, C. W. (2014). Hot spots policing: What we know and what we need to know. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 30(2), 200–220.Google Scholar
Weisburd, D., Telep, C. W., Hinkle, J. C., & Eck, J. E. (2008). Effects of problem-oriented policing on crime and disorder. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 4(1), 1–87.Google Scholar
West, S. L., & O’Neal, K. K. (2004). Project DARE outcome effectiveness revisited. American Journal of Public Health, 94(6), 1027–1029.Google Scholar
Wilson, D. B. (2009). Missing a critical piece of the pie: simple document search strategies inadequate for systematic reviews. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 5(4), 429–440.Google Scholar
Wilson, D. (2022). The relative incident rate ratio effect size for count-based impact evaluations: When an odds ratio is not an odds ratio. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 38(2), 323–341.Google Scholar
Wilson, D. B., Brennan, I., & Olaghere, A. (2018). Police‐initiated diversion for youth to prevent future delinquent behavior: a systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 14(1), 1–88.Google Scholar
Wilson, D. B., Gill, C., Olaghere, A., & McClure, D. (2016). Juvenile curfew effects on criminal behavior and victimization: a systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 12(1), 1–97.Google Scholar
Wilson, D. B., Weisburd, D., & McClure, D. (2011). Use of DNA testing in police investigative work for increasing offender identification, arrest, conviction and case clearance. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 7(1), 1–53.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×