Debating policing research: a research council for crime and justice?

Abstract

Unfashionable as it is to claim, there are parallels between policing and medicine. Professional practice in medicine has been built upon foundations laid down in universities, led by practitioner-academics. In medicine, we owe a debt to Sir William Osler, who in the face of few effective treatments and great uncertainty about ‘what works’ demanded an invasion of hospitals by universities. High quality research helped protect science based medicine from political fad and fashion, albeit imperfectly. (It took eight years between the publication of evaluations which found, convincingly, that clot busting drugs administered after a heart attack reduce death rates, and widespread adoption.) University infiltration of medical practice prevented enormous harm and saved countless lives.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jonathan Shepherd

Jonathan Shepherd is Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Director, Violence Research Group at Cardiff University

Ken Pease

Ken Pease is a Chartered Forensic Psychologist and retired Professor of Criminology

Robert Reiner

Robert Reiner is Professor of Criminology, Law Department, London School of Economics and Political Science

Peter Squires

Peter Squires is Professor of Criminology and Public Policy and the University of Brighton

Louise Westmarland

Dr Louise Westmarland is Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the Open University