LEADS Scholars Believe the Future is Evidence-Based

Researchers and practitioners have promoted “evidence-based policing” for decades. Many organizations, like the National Policing Institute (NPI) and National Institute of Justice (NIJ), also support the philosophy and its framework because using science and data in policing improves community safety.

While evidence-based policing is well known, some are surprised to learn it still isn’t fully integrated into all aspects of policing. Recognizing this, NIJ established the Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) Scholars Program in 2014. Now celebrating its tenth anniversary, the program offers police leaders the opportunity to advance their research skills to better integrate evidence-based policing into their agencies and, as a result, the broader profession. These Scholars are trailblazers who know and understand the value of evidence-based policing. But sometimes, convincing their peers and colleagues can be a hurdle.

We sat down with four current or former NIJ LEADS Scholars to learn how they understand, implement, and practice evidence-based policing. What we found, however, is that their practical experience and scientific knowledge are unmatched. Let us show you how they are putting implementation into action.

Using Effective Strategies to Improve Community Safety at Home—Chief Cecilia Ashe, Milford Police Department, Delaware

Chief Cecilia Ashe has impacted many communities, even beyond those she’s served. She is currently police chief of the Milford Police Department in Delaware, a 37-officer department. Before this role, she served in the Wilmington Police Department, a larger agency of 300 officers. Her journey in evidence-based policing began in Wilmington when she implemented Group Violence Intervention (GVI).

Chief Ashe understands the impacts of police on communities—especially when it comes to an agency’s actions and community trust, which is why she emphasized identifying solutions that worked without causing more harm than good. In Wilmington, Chief Ashe analyzed a local problem of rising violent crime and homicides. She searched for a solution that involved partnering with community members and other stakeholders rather than pursuing a “zero tolerance” approach—a concept she knew was unpopular with her community.

From the onset, she had an evidence-based mentality.

“Let's try to implement things that are working in other areas and see if there is a way that we can curtail this to make it work in our area.” 

She then learned of Dr. David Kennedy’s evidence-based GVI strategy and worked on getting buy-in from fellow officers and the community. Chief Ashe acknowledges there was skepticism at the start. In fact, it took a year to convince her colleagues of the strategy's success. However, they got on board when crime started to decrease, internal morale was boosted, and trust became more evident in the community—even reducing citizen complaints in Wilmington by 22%.

Chief Ashe continued to explore evidence-based policing by participating in the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute. She was then encouraged to apply for the LEADS program. Through these experiences and her success in Wilmington, Chief Ashe brought her knowledge to the Milford Police Department, where she again implemented the GVI.

“I've never looked at myself as somebody that was into research and science. I just knew I wanted to do it [implement violence reduction strategies] a better way and with a more approved method or a tested path before implementing anything into our communities.” 

Participating in the LEADS program allowed her to meet other like-minded colleagues who also believed in the importance of science and research’s role in policing. The story of Chief Ashe’s success with GVI soon spread throughout Delaware—influencing other agencies and communities in which Chief Ashe herself didn’t have a direct role.

While the journey to implementing the evidence-based strategy had its obstacles, Chief Ashe’s perseverance to make her community safer—without compromising the community’s trust—was consistent and intentional.

She now utilizes the knowledge and resources gained through the LEADS program to implement officer health and wellness initiatives and, to no one's surprise, is still looking for ways to do more.

Embedding Evidence-Based Policing into Operations—Assistant Chief Tarrick McGuire, Arlington Police Department, Texas

Arlington Police Department’s Assistant Chief Tarrick McGuire, DPA learned about LEADS through a colleague at his agency who was part of the first-ever LEADS cohort.

At the time, Assistant Chief McGuire had implemented a violent crime reduction strategy, including a youth mentoring component specifically tailored to address areas with high concentrations of juvenile delinquency. Assistant Chief McGuire recognized the value of integrating science into practice, which, coupled with his interest in networking, ultimately led him to apply for and be accepted into the LEADS program.

The Arlington Police Department is committed to employee development, which made Assistant Chief McGuire’s involvement in the LEADS program a perfect fit. Command staff supported his participation in the program because it aligned with the organization’s objectives, strengthened the department’s credibility, and, at the same time, helped the assistant chief’s career.

Assistant Chief McGuire credits his LEADS experience with getting him to where he is today. As the assistant chief, he is responsible for public policy decisions, communicating operational directives, and guiding the agency into the future. 

“As police leaders, we must ask ourselves, ‘What is working and what is not working?’ It is essential to have a framework that helps us understand the impacts and outcomes of our actions in everything we do in our profession.”

Assistant Chief McGuire’s LEADS experience encouraged the implementation of evidence-based policing under his command in the Investigations Bureau at the Arlington Police Department. This includes researching best practices before implementing new strategies, using data to direct resources, using community surveys to evaluate impacts, and evaluating the impact of implemented strategies.

The agency’s chief, Al Jones, even created the Police Chief Employee Advisory Committee to further integrate evidence-based concepts into operations. The committee directs officers to assess data trends and administers employee workforce surveys that inform policy and change.

LEADS also inspired the chief to leverage researchers to determine the effectiveness of agency initiatives, including their Aviation Unit and its Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS). Although early in its lifecycle, research indicates that the system reduces response times, 911 call wait times, and patrol officer call volume for low-priority calls for service, all takeaways resulting from research and evidence.

“Ultimately, without the support of the police chief, supervisors, and rank-and-file officers, evidence-based policing remains merely a philosophy. Recognizing its value through actionable implementation allows agencies to grow and improve public safety in their communities.”

Creating an Agency Culture that Values Evidence-Based Policing—Chief Jason Potts, Director of Public Safety, Las Vegas, Nevada

Implementing evidence-based policing can be challenging at times. Often, more capacity is needed, and occasionally, agency values, area politics, and department culture influence efforts. This is usually because leaders must do more to tell a compelling story or provide a vision of why evidence-based policing is essential. It is crucial to build relationships with researchers and a coalition of credible messengers with a research and science background to create translation. That’s why partnering with the LEADS network is valuable.

While attending the University of California, Irvine, Chief Jason Potts learned about and applied for the NIJ LEADS Scholars Program. In his studies, he examined the work of notable criminologists such as Lawrence Sherman, David Weisburd, Jerry Ratcliffe, and Cynthia Lum, to name a few, and was inspired to learn more.

Now serving as chief at the Department of Public Safety in Las Vegas, Chief Potts acknowledges he didn’t always have agency buy-in for his involvement in the program while employed at a department in Northern California. However, his reputation for getting things done, vast experience in highly tactical components, and credibility with those in his agency allowed him to achieve small successes and persuade those around him of the effectiveness of evidence-based policing strategies.  

Gaining buy-in from command staff and patrol officers of all ranks required continual communication. He articulated the “why” to his colleagues and celebrated incremental wins with leaders within the agency and local government. Chief Potts also analyzed how changes would be received and how much his agency could handle over time. Finding the perfect recipe wasn’t easy, but he achieved it at times. He found that focusing on one’s intuition to ascertain the right amount of change—and at what rate employees are willing to absorb it—is critical. 

Today, Chief Potts attributes the current trajectory of his career to the NIJ LEADS Scholars Program. He was exposed to evidence-based decision making and best practices and now implements proven strategies in his community, like Problem-Oriented Policing (POP). He has also spearheaded other research projects in hopes of advancing the policing profession as a whole. 

Many first-line supervisors and middle managers now understand the concept of evidence-based decision making. It’s been integrated into the agency’s performance assessments and strategic planning process, laying the groundwork for a lasting legacy of an evidence-to-practice mentality. 

“As many know, the challenge for implementing a sustainable approach is agency capacity, bandwidth, agency politics, and area law enforcement values and cultures. Most importantly, police associations/unions play a significant role in that implementation, and the judiciary, city managers, and prosecutors' influence on sustainability are occasionally ignored.”

Although not a fully sustainable model yet, the Department of Public Safety in Las Vegas has the tools and leaders in place to create it. 

“Our commitment to data-driven and evidence-based decision-making is unwavering, and we believe it will help guide us.”

Data and Problem-Solving as Evidence-Based Policing—Chief Eve Stephens, University of Texas at Austin, Texas

Chief Eve Stephens began her policing career in 1999 and has worked across countless divisions, including patrol, internal affairs, financial crimes, organized crime, administration, and more.

Before serving as chief of police and assistant vice president of campus security at the University of Texas at Austin, Chief Stephens served in the Austin Police Department which is where she first learned about the LEADS program and evidence-based policing.

In 2020, she was accepted into the LEADS program, and in 2023, she earned her master’s degree in public safety. Both of these milestones helped her earn her role as chief.

"Research, journal articles, science, and policing were all passions of mine. I discovered all of these things came together in the LEADS program."

Chief Stephens was one of 69 other lieutenants when she first applied. It was initially difficult to get leadership buy-in, but once command staff recognized the value of evidence-based policing and the access Chief Stephens would have to notable researchers, criminologists, and police leaders, they approved her participation.

"When I initially joined [the LEADS program], what I hoped to gain was knowledge about how I could help make policing better. You always want to leave something better than you found it." 

Leveraging her experience through LEADS, Chief Stephens now approaches challenges with a data-driven and evidence-based mindset. She asks questions and requests data before identifying solutions and ways to track progress. Chief Stephens also recognizes opportunities to contribute to policing research. Her team knows she wants to investigate and conduct a study if there is something new to discover. 

"My LEADS Scholars experience has completely changed how I approach problem-solving. When I was a young officer, problem-solving usually involved asking what another agency was doing or taking a wild guess at what would work and then hoping for the best. Now that I have some knowledge about evidence-based practices, problem-solving is completely different."

Chief Stephens believes evidence-based policing is successful and sustainable when supported by leadership and embedded into agency culture.

"If you are trying to create an evidence-based policing model for your agency and you are not in a command staff position, you really have to find a champion or advocate at that level to help you. When you find that person, latch on! Then, continue building your family of advocates with education and relationships."

The National Policing Institute recognizes and celebrates the important contributions made by LEADS Scholars to advance the profession nationwide. To learn more about the National Institute of Justice’s LEADS Scholars Program, visit this link.