This article updates the characteristics of the Evidence-Based Policing Matrix (the Matrix), which was developed by the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy to assist police agencies in visualizing, synthesizing, and translating to practice the evaluation research on police crime control strategies.
Since its creation in 2010, the Matrix and its associated projects have grown, both in the number of users and its scope. In 2011, the activities of the Matrix became known as the Matrix Demonstration Projects (MDP), which is supported by a grant from the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). In addition to updating the matrix each year with new studies, the MDP projects have focused on building collaborations with police agencies and organizations in developing free tools that officers, analysts, and researchers can use to translate research findings and institutionalize evidence-based practices into daily law enforcement efforts. Agencies can use the free interactive Matrix to view and assess policing studies related to crime prevention and control. A summary of each study describes interventions more specifically regarding what the research findings mean for law enforcement personnel. The Matrix has been updated with qualifying studies each year and currently houses just over 160 evaluations that have been vetted by a systematic review process. Future plans for the Matrix include expanding its visual translational tools to other policing outcomes, such as police legitimacy, citizen satisfaction, and technology use. Although BJA funding for the MDP has ended, efforts are underway to find new support that will maintain the Matrix and its demonstrations. 1 figure and 4 references