PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how evidence-based policing (EBP) is understood by police officers and citizens in Taiwan and the influence of police education on police recruit's receptivity to research evidence in policing.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a cross-sectional design that includes Taiwanese police officers (n = 671) and a control group of Taiwanese criminology undergraduate students (n = 85). A research instrument covering five themes is developed, and after a pilot test the final scale remains 14 items.FindingsThe analysis suggests that police officers in Taiwan generally hold a positive view towards the role of research and researchers in policing, more so than is often observed in similar studies conducted in Western countries. Receptivity to research was found to be significantly higher among the non-police sample compared to the police sample. Moreover, time spent in police education was significantly associated with lower levels of receptivity to research.Originality/valueThe paper makes two original contributions to the literature on police officer receptivity to research. It is the first paper to (1) empirically examine police officers' openness to, and use of research in an Asian setting and (2) to compare police officers' receptivity to research with those of a relevant non-police group.
Objectives
To investigate the effects of selection and group socialisation on support of human rights, moral reasoning and prejudice in police officers in Taiwan.
Methods
We used a longitudinal quasi-experimental design to track three cohorts of police officers (n = 585) and a comparison group of criminology undergraduates (n = 43).
Results
There were no statistically significant differences in measures of human rights, moral reasoning and prejudice between new police recruits and the control group. However, time in police education was associated with a statistically significant reduction in police officer support of human rights, moral reasoning and an increase in prejudice. In the control group, the reverse was true.
Conclusions
Exposure to police education in Taiwan resulted in police officers being significantly more prejudiced and significantly less adherent to the principles of human rights and moral reasoning. These results appear to be attributable to police socialisation rather than selection effects.
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