What Works in American Policing

This seven-part series examines major policing strategies through a research-grounded lens, assessing each strategy against multiple criteria:

• Credible empirical support
• Measurable outcomes
• Operational realism (given current staffing constraints)
• Constitutional boundaries
• Fiscal accountability

Rather than treating policing approaches as interchangeable catchphrases, this series evaluates what the literature actually says about each strategy’s effectiveness and what it means for agencies trying to do more with less while maintaining public trust.

Part 1 – Introduction
Part 2 – Evidence-Based Policing
Part 3 – Hot Spots and Precision Policing
Part 4 – Problem-Oriented and Intelligence-Led Policing
Part 5 – Community-Oriented Policing
Part 6 – Predictive Policing
Part 7 – Conclusion