Present but not Prevalent: Identifying the Organizational Correlates of Researcher-Practitioner Partnerships in U.S. Law Enforcement

• NCJ Number: 254019
• Date Published: 2019
• Length: 15 pages
• Author(s): Jeff Rojek; John A. Shjarback; John A. Hansen; Geoffrey P. Alpert
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Grant Number(s): 2009-IJ-CX-0204
• Award: Building Bridges between Police Researchers and Practitioners: Agents of Change in a Complex World

Annotation

Using a nationally representative sample of U.S. law enforcement agencies, this study examined participation in what is called "'rigorous partnerships," which the authors define as "more formal, long-term relationships between researchers and practitioners with increased opportunity for interactive knowledge exchange."

Abstract

Federal funding streams, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and policing executives and scholars have advocated for more researcher-practitioner partnerships in American law enforcement. Although a few studies have explored the growth and prevalence of research partnerships in policing, less attention has been given to the organizational correlates of such collaborative relationships. The current study discusses policy implications and directions for future research, focusing on the barriers and impediments that both researchers and practitioners face in their efforts to develop effective collaborative efforts and research translation. (publisher abstract modified)