Anyone else a 'copaganda fascist'?

AI Summary: This article summarizes findings from Ratcliffe (2026), A Shortage of "Copaganda Fascists" and the Need for More Police Pracademics, published in Evidence Base. The paper argues that evidence-based policing faces growing challenges as universities become less supportive of policing scholarship and research funding becomes more uncertain. Rather than relying solely on external academics, police agencies should develop more pracademics—police professionals with scientific training who can translate research into operational practice, evaluate new initiatives, and strengthen evidence-informed decision-making.

If you've spent any time in modern policing, you've probably heard someone say that police agencies should be "evidence-based." It's an appealing phrase. But evidence doesn't implement itself. Someone has to understand the research, interpret what it means for local policing, separate strong evidence from weak evidence, and translate academic findings into operational decisions. That person is increasingly likely to be a pracademic.

This AI article summarizes findings from my 2026 essay, A Shortage of "Copaganda Fascists" and the Need for More Police Pracademics, published in Evidence Base. The paper examines why police agencies should invest more heavily in officers and civilian staff who combine operational experience with scientific training.

A Changing Relationship Between Police and Universities

Thirty years ago, police departments rarely collaborated with universities. Crime data were difficult to obtain, experimental policing research was uncommon, and evidence-based policing was still in its infancy. Over time, partnerships between researchers and police agencies transformed the profession. Randomized trials, crime analysis, hot spots policing, problem-oriented policing, and CompStat all demonstrated how research could improve police performance. These collaborations produced many of the policing strategies now considered standard practice.

The Problem: Fewer Trusted Research Partners

Today, police departments face a different challenge. While evidence-based policing has become more important, universities have become increasingly polarized around policing scholarship. At the same time, funding for policing research has become less reliable, reducing opportunities for long-term collaboration between researchers and police agencies. The result is a growing shortage of what British policing scholar Mike Weatheritt once called policing's "critical friends"—researchers willing to work alongside police while still providing independent, evidence-based criticism. Without those partnerships, departments lose access to expertise that can improve tactics, evaluate programs, and guide reform.

What Is a Pracademic?

A pracademic is a practitioner with scientific training. In policing, that means a current or former police employee who understands research methods well enough to evaluate evidence, conduct studies, and translate scientific findings into practical improvements. Unlike external academics, pracademics already understand how police organizations work. They know the operational environment. They understand the politics. And they can often move far more quickly than outside researchers because they already have access to people, data, and decision-makers.

Why Police Departments Need More Pracademics

The paper identifies three major advantages.

First, pracademics bridge two very different worlds.

They help academics understand operational policing while helping police leaders understand research.

Second, they increase research capacity inside police organizations.

Departments increasingly need people who can evaluate new initiatives, assess technology, interpret evidence, and synthesize research for executive decision-making.

Third, they work on police timelines.

Unlike grant-funded academic research that may take years, pracademics can often answer practical questions quickly because they already work inside the organization.

Building the Next Generation

Creating more pracademics requires action from several directions. Police departments need to value scientific expertise as a leadership competency. Governments need to continue supporting evidence-based policing initiatives and research funding. Professional organizations such as the Society of Evidence-Based Policing help build communities of practice. Universities also have an important role by creating graduate programs that combine criminological science with police leadership and organizational management.

The Bottom Line

Evidence-based policing has matured enormously over the last three decades. The next step is ensuring that research does not remain confined to journals and universities. Police agencies need leaders who can read research critically, evaluate new ideas objectively, and translate evidence into better policing. Those leaders are pracademics. If policing is serious about continual improvement, developing more of them may be one of the most important investments the profession can make.

Research at a Glance

Research question: Why are police pracademics becoming increasingly important to evidence-based policing?

Article type: Scholarly essay/commentary

Published in: Evidence Base (2026)

Primary argument: Police departments should expand the number of scientifically trained practitioners who can bridge research and operational policing.

Who should read it? Police executives, command staff, crime analysts, police educators, graduate students, and anyone interested in evidence-based policing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a police pracademic?

A police pracademic is a current or former police professional with formal training in scientific research who helps translate evidence into operational practice.

Why aren't universities enough?

The paper argues that academic policing research faces growing challenges, including ideological polarization and uncertain funding, making internal research capacity increasingly important.

Can police officers conduct research?

Yes. With appropriate methodological training, police officers and civilian staff can evaluate programs, analyze data, and collaborate with academic researchers.

How do pracademics improve policing?

They help departments evaluate innovations, interpret research, improve decision-making, and ensure reforms are grounded in evidence rather than anecdote.

Citation

Ratcliffe, J. H. (2026). A shortage of "copaganda fascists" and the need for more police pracademics. Evidence Base. https://doi.org/10.1080/30679125.2025.2602955