In this conversation with the Police Science Doctor, Susanne Knabe-Nicol explains why one of the biggest challenges in modern policing is not a lack of research, but the gap between research and real-world practice. Through videos, podcasts, training and weekly evidence snippets, she is trying to bring academic findings closer to police practitioners in ways that are practical, accessible and useful on the frontline.
The interview also explores the wider promise and limits of evidence-based policing. From hotspot policing and behavioral change to long-term unintended consequences in domestic abuse policy, Susanne reflects on what happens when policing relies on tradition, what happens when it listens to evidence, and why good research must be honest enough to revisit earlier conclusions. It is a thoughtful discussion about what policing can learn when science and practice work more closely together.
General: www.PoliceScienceDr.com
Magazine: www.PoliceScienceDr.com/mag1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
Police Science Snippet: https://www.youtube.com/live/
Key takeaways
- Susanne Knabe-Nicol says the Police Science Doctor was created to bridge the gap between academia and policing.
- A major theme is that research only helps if officers can actually use it in real situations.
- She argues that policing still does many things because they have always been done that way.
- The interview stresses that evidence-based policing must be practical, simple and easy to apply.
- Susanne says policing often lacks the infrastructure to keep officers regularly updated with new research.
- She highlights hotspot policing as one of the clearest examples of research improving police deployment.
- The conversation also warns that short-term evidence can miss important long-term harms.
- A big message is that policing and academia need better trust, access and communication with each other.
Chapters
00:48 – What problem is the Police Science Doctor solving?
03:33 – Why policing and academia still struggle to connect
05:31 – What makes research actually land with officers?
07:36 – Is policing really evidence-based?
09:47 – What evidence-based policing gets wrong
11:41 – What evidence-based policing gets right
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