What is the core aim of evidence-based policing?

• A. To focus on traditional patrols with no evaluation
• B. To use research and data to guide strategies, measure effectiveness, and reduce crime
• C. To rely on personal experience alone
• D. To increase arrests regardless of outcomes

Answer: (B)

Evidence-based policing means using research and data to guide what strategies are used, to measure whether those strategies actually work, and to reduce crime and disorder. In practice, this involves collecting and analyzing crime data and outcomes, testing interventions, and adjusting tactics based on what the evidence shows about effectiveness. This approach keeps policing grounded in facts rather than intuition or tradition, and it helps allocate resources where they have proven impact. Choices that rely on traditional patrols with no evaluation, personal experience alone, or pursuing more arrests without regard to outcomes don’t align with this evidence-led method, which is why the data-driven approach described here is the correct one.