IACP Center for Police Research and Policy
Evaluating what works, what doesn’t, and what’s emerging in policing.
The mission of the Center for Police Research and Policy is to provide police leaders and policymakers with timely, actionable findings that lead to the implementation of data-driven, evidence-based policies and practices.
The Role of Evidence-Based Policing
The Center for Police Research and Policy works to advance evidence-based policing (EBP) by conducting original research and translating evidence into actionable findings for you. Watch the video to learn more about the EBP approach and how our work can help you.
Research
Research helps to identify effective policies and practices in policing. The research team engages in rigorous research to find evidence-based explanations, recommendations, and solutions for everyday challenges in policing through rigorous and meaningful research.
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There is currently a gap between research and practice that the research team seeks to close. Often times existing research does not provide actionable recommendations that can be easily translated into practical policies and practices that could enhance policing. Moreover, academic researchers often do not have access to all the data that police departments have, yet this data is necessary to conduct rigorous and meaningful research on police practices. The goal of the research team is to provide a path for law enforcement and researchers to work together on studies that will drive future practices and policies.
For more information or with any questions about IACP's research efforts, please contact the research team at [email protected].
2024 Recruitment & Retention Survey Results
Focus Where it Matters: How Strategic Policing Reduces Serious Crime
Police Agency Benchmarking Dashboards
Featured Projects & Resources
Program Evaluation Series
Program evaluations are a key part of implementing a new program or policy, allowing agencies to gauge the initiative's overall success or benefits. By measuring outcomes, identifying strengths, and discovering areas for improvement, program evaluations empower agencies to make evidence-backed decisions. The Center for Police Research and Policy has developed a series of infographics that highlight important components of program evaluations, which can be explored below.
RAPID: Resident and Police Insights and Data
Policing needs to generate real-time insights that inform smarter policing strategies, build public trust, and identify urgent trends as they emerge. To support your work, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) proudly introduces RAPID: Resident and Police Insights and Data. The goal is simple but powerful: gather timely, targeted input from both police professionals and community members. Whether you’re a community member, frontline officer, or police executive, your voice will help shape the future of policing.
Learn more about the RAPID survey and how to help shape the future of the policing profession here.
Evidence to Action
IACP’s Evidence to Action Hub is your go-to resource for fast, accessible, and actionable summaries of research that matters to policing leaders.
Each document translates complex studies into concise, 1-page briefs designed for immediate use by police executives, command staff, and practitioners. Whether you’re preparing a crime strategy, looking for an evidence-based approach to programing, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, these briefs put research into your hands – minus the academic jargon.
Access the Evidence to Action Hub here.
Artificial Intelligence Primers
Artificial intelligence (AI) usage is spreading quickly, with there being a variety of uses for AI in policing. While these developments can streamline certain police operations, there are also limitations to consider.
The AI Primers found below provide you with an overview of two common forms of AI in policing - Predictive and Generative AI. Explore both documents to learn about their possible uses, benefits, and associated threats.
License Plate Reader Reports
License Plate Reader (LPR) Systems are increasingly being used by police agencies to identify vehicles tied to suspicious and criminal activity. This technology allows officers to specifically focus on vehicles related to crime but also raises privacy concerns.
To learn more about how LPR systems are being used by agencies, read our LPR survey results here, and identified use cases here.
Alternatives to Arrest
Alternatives to arrest are programs and strategies that provide routes of action outside of arrest, in turn diverting and deflecting individuals from the criminal justice system. Visit here to read more about why rethinking arrests can be beneficial to both agencies and the community.
Reports and Products
The Center for Police Research is committed to being responsive to the needs of the field and providing a path for law enforcement and researchers to work together in order to drive policy and practice. More resources to guide law enforcement in closing the gap between research and practice can be found here.
Policy
Policies are crucial for police departments as they provide a clear framework for officers to follow, ensuring consistency, accountability, and transparency in their actions. Well-defined policies can aid in maintaining public trust, guiding officers in handling various situations ethically and legally, and protecting both the community and the officers themselves.
The Topic Directory includes of a filterable list of all available IACP Policy guidance.
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In 1987, the International Associations of Chiefs of Police established the IACP Policy Center. The objective of the center was to assist police agencies across the country in the critical and difficult task of developing and refining police policy. In 2025, the IACP Policy Center merged with the IACP Center for Police Research, reflecting the importance of evidence-based practices in its deliverables.
Alongside a broad-based advisory board of recognized police professionals, the policy team has carried out its mission through the development of in-depth policy guidance on a wide variety of topics. Each policy document incorporates research findings, the input of leading subject experts, and the professional judgment of advisory board members who have combined this information with their extensive practical field and management experience. The end product is some of the best contemporary thinking in the field.
For more information or with any questions about IACP's policy guidance, please contact the policy team at [email protected].
The policy team offers four types of resources:
- Model Policy: Concrete guidance and directives that describe the manner in which actions, tasks, and operations are to be performed.
- Considerations Document: More flexible guidance and context on items for agencies to take into account when developing their own policies on a topic, recognizing that expectations and capabilities vary by agency.
- Concepts and Issues: More in-depth background information on policy topics to support Model Policy and Considerations documents.
- Need to Know: A one-page overview of key points for a policy topic.
Policy Resources
The Policy Topic Checklist outlines all policy areas for which the IACP provides guidance. It is designed to help agencies identify the status of their current policies and determine where policies may need to be updated, added, organized, or consolidated.
IACP's Police Chiefs Desk Reference has all the information a new police chief needs to run an effective, evidence-based department. With the most up-to-date information on leadership, police philosophy, staffing, operations, community engagement, and more.
The Glossary provides a list of terms and definitions used within IACP's policy guidance. Specific definitions may vary by agency, jurisdiction, or local statute.
Featured Policy Guidance
Implications Associated with Police Use of Artificial Intelligence
Vehicular Pursuits
Acute Behavioral Emergency
Automated License Plate Readers
Law enforcement agencies are encouraged to use IACP Policy documents, with attribution to the IACP, to establish one customized to their agency and jurisdiction. However, no material can be downloaded or used, in any form, for commercial purposes. All content provided by the IACP Center for Police Research & Policy or on this website is copyrighted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. All rights reserved under both international and Pan-American copyright conventions. Further dissemination of this material is prohibited without prior written consent of the copyright holder.
To request permission to use a Policy document, please email [email protected].
Copyright infringement is a violation of United States Federal Law subject to criminal and civil penalties. The IACP logo is a registered service mark of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 200, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, USA, https://www.theIACP.org.
Every effort has been made by the IACP Policy staff and advisory board to ensure that these documents incorporate the most current information and contemporary judgment on these issues. However, police administrators should be cautioned that no model policy can meet all the needs of any given police agency. In addition, the formulation of specific agency policies must take into account local political and community perspectives and customs, prerogatives, and demands; often divergent police strategies and philosophies; and the impact of varied agency resource capabilities, among other factors. Readers outside of the United States should note that, while these documents promote procedures reflective of a democratic society, their legal basis follows United States Supreme Court rulings and other federal laws and statutes. Police administrators should be cautioned that each police agency operates in a unique environment of court rulings, state laws, local ordinances, regulations, judicial and administrative decisions, and collective bargaining agreements that must be considered and should, therefore, consult their agency's legal advisor before implementing any policy.
The IACP Policy documents are periodically updated, and the most current versions are published to this website. To minimize confusion and to help ensure reference to the most recent documents available, the IACP Center for Police Research & Policy does not distribute prior versions of any documents that have since been updated.
Check out the Artificial Intelligence Resource Hub!
With AI usage rapidly growing, the IACP is here to help agencies stay informed on AI developments in policing. The hub is home to everything AI: research initiatives, relevant policy guidance, ways to get involved, and more. Visit the link below to explore the evidence-based resources available.
Volunteer as a Potential IACP Research Site
By volunteering as an IACP research site, your agency could be considered for evaluations important policing topics such as:
Public Trust
Recruiting and Retention
De-escalation and Use of Force
Co-Response and Alternative Response
And more...
Meet the team!
Jerry Ratcliffe, PhD
Scientific Advisor
David T. Snively, PhD
Assistant Director
Megan Stoltz, PhD
Senior Program Manager
