Implementing Science in Police Agencies: The Embedded Research Model

Embedded criminologists enhance the capacity of police departments to understand the nature of recurring crime problems through their knowledge of criminological research and high-powered analytical models and methods. In contrast to more traditional academic-practitioner research partnerships, becoming embedded within a police department involves taking the step from external partner to internal resource. Through their participation in internal strategy meetings and ad hoc research projects, embedded criminologists provide scientific evidence germane to problems, policies, and programmes that can be considered by police executives as they decide how to address pressing matters. Importantly, embedded criminologists assist police departments in determining whether implemented programmes generated the desired impacts through their training in rigorous programme evaluation methods. This article describes the experiences of the authors implementing the embedded research model in the Boston Police Department.