Routledge Twenty-one Mental Models That Can Change Policing: A Framework for Using Data and Research for Overcoming Cognitive Bias (Routledge Series on Practical and Evidence-Based Policing)

This book goes beyond other police leadership books to teach practitioners how to think about policing in a structured way that synthesizes criminological theory, statistics, research design, applied research, and what works and what doesn’t in policing into Mental Models. A Mental Model is a representation of how something works. Using a Mental Model framework to simplify complex concepts, readers will take away an in-depth understanding of how cognitive biases affect our ability to understand and interpret data, how crime manifests itself in society, what empirical research says about effective police interventions, how statistical data should be used in management meetings, and how to evaluate interventions for efficiency and effectiveness. While evidence-based practice is critical to advancing the police profession, it is limited in scope, and is only part of what is necessary to support sustainable change in policing. Policing requires a scientifically based framework to understand and interpret data in a way that minimizes cognitive bias to allow for better responses to complex problems. Data and research have advanced so rapidly in the last several decades that it is difficult for even the most ambitious of police leaders to keep pace. The twenty-one Mental Models were synthesized to create a framework for any police, public, or community leader to better understand how cognitive bias contributes to misunderstanding data and how to overcome those biases to better serve your communities by reducing harm to your communities. The book is intended for a wide range of audiences, including law enforcement and community leaders; scholars and policy experts who specialize in policing; students of criminal justice, organizations, and management; reporters and journalists; individuals who aspire to police careers; and citizen consumers of information about policing. Anyone who is going to make decisions about their communities based on data, has a responsibility to be numerate. Twenty-one Mental Models That Can Change Policing will help you become just that. Review "Complexity, wicked problems, big–data, and a growing body of police research are examples of what chief executives must understand in today’s contemporary policing environment to be successful. Mental models can aid in the decomposition of these complexities. Dr. Mitchell’s book is the first to amalgamate the concept of mental models and police decision-making by providing a critical thinking framework for police leaders to follow in a pragmatic, easy to follow format. Dr. Mitchell’s teachings will challenge the readers’ assumptions on how they make decisions. As police leaders, it is time we move the needle forward and examine how we make policy decisions in society’s name. This book is a bold step forward." Commander Chris G. Vallejo, Austin (TX) Police Department "Dr. Renee Mitchell does an outstanding job of discussing her unique approach to utilizing mental modeling to incorporate the use of data and research in the most important areas of the policing realm – making it easily digestible for every reader. As police administrators, we must ensure we are well-educated in the use of data in day-to-day decision-making. Renee outlines this process – utilizing her twenty-one mental models to help strengthen police leadership – in a simple yet progressive way. This is a must-read for every police leader!" Chief Ken Clary, Bellevue Nebraska Police Department "If there is one book on policing you should read it is this. It’s a well-worn phrase but seriously, all police leaders and commissioners SHOULD read this. Renee has taken the content of hundreds of insightful papers and books and distilled it into a relevant and page turning guide to policing. She highlight pitfalls and opportunities, all with the intention of improving the service we deliver. The problem with the Atlantic difference between the US and Europe means the continued reference