John Eck is a professor at the University of Cincinnati and the originator of the SARA model of problem-oriented policing. We discuss his work around investigation management, the nonsense and unreliability of clearance rates, the true value of detective work, the failings of community policing, and what he learned about place management from a cemetery.

I catch up with Geoff Alpert, professor of criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, and a stalwart of the policing research field for over 30 years. We discuss how to get research into the hands of police officers, and what are the essential skills for a new policing researcher coming out of a graduate program.

In this episode of the Reducing Crime podcast, host Jerry Ratcliffe interviews Major Wendy Stiver, a commander in the Dayton Ohio Police Department and a practitioner in residence for the National Institute of Justice's LEADS scholar program. Stiver discusses the challenges of implementing evidence-based policing and overcoming resistance within police departments. She also talks about her research on infant mortality cases, patrol officer exposure to secondary trauma, and foot patrol evaluations. Stiver emphasizes the importance of bridging the gap between practitioners and researchers in order to advance public safety.

Jerry Ratcliffe interviews Tamara Herold, a researcher who worked on the award-winning PIVOT Project. The PIVOT Project, which stands for Place-Based Investigations of Violent Offender Territories, aimed to understand why violent crime hotspots persist and how to effectively reduce crime in these areas. The project involved investigating the networks of places and offenders in these hotspots and implementing a citywide violence reduction strategy. The project achieved impressive results, with a significant reduction in violence in the targeted locations. The success of the project was attributed to the collaboration between various city departments, the involvement of investigators, and the support of city leaders.

In this podcast episode, Jerry Ratcliffe interviews Kim Rossmo, a former detective and current professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Texas State University. Rossmo discusses his research on investigative failures and wrongful convictions. He explains that investigative failures often involve a cluster of factors, including personal biases, rush to judgment, and confirmation bias. He emphasizes the importance of evaluating the reliability of evidence and avoiding tunnel vision in investigations. Rossmo also suggests the use of devil's advocates and external reviews to identify weaknesses in investigations.

I discuss with Jakob Lindergaard-Bentzen (program manager with the Danish National Police) the challenges of promoting and supporting ILP, the complexity of the modern detective role, and how to staff and sustain an analysis unit. We even use the one word that you weren't allowed to use in the Danish police until a couple of years ago.

In this second episode of Reducing Crime, I talk with Detective Inspector Mike Newman of the Queensland Police Service in Australia. We chat about the development of evidence-based policing in their force, and how they have forged relationships with local academics. QPS have emerged as one of the most progressive police agencies developing new approaches to identifying best practice.

Police chief Tom Nestel discusses ongoing education, innovation in leadership, building trust, working in different departments, and evidence-based policing. He talks about embracing new technology in law enforcement, the importance of continuous education and problem-solving skills, trying new approaches and effective communication, the value of pilot programs and connecting with the community, learning from different experiences, and the differences between working in different areas.