The newfound ability to deliver information to police in rapid timeframes has resulted in Real-Time Crime Centers (RTCCs) across the United States. Despite their emergence, little is known collectively about them. This study appraised the nature of RTCCs through a national survey of 44 police agencies. Findings revealed that (1) RTCCs have recently begun to diffuse rapidly but are still in an early innovation/adoption phase, (2) there is no single model of their use, (3) most procure a wide variety of technologies and information sources, and (4) most allow for information to be shared with partners in real-time.
Perhaps never before has the need for collaboration between academic researchers and police agencies been more salient. Technological advances have brought advanced hardware systems into daily policing operations, and analytical software and information systems have assembled massive volumes of data repositories. To produce usable knowledge from these information troves, advanced analytical knowledge has become necessary. At the same time, the evidence-based policy movement requires that police agencies equip themselves with the ability to interpret and produce evaluations of new policing initiatives using sound scientific evaluation methods, something which also requires specialized and advanced knowledge not usually housed within policing organizations. In response to these demands, researcher–police collaborations have become more prevalent. Yet, the specific nature of these researcher–police relationships can take many forms. This article synthesizes previous literature and develops a taxonomy for classifying researcher–police partnerships and discusses the experiences of moving from an external research partner to an embedded criminological ‘unit’ within the Miami Police Department.
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