What Motivates Police Officers to be Proactive and Evidence-Based? Analyzing Organizational and Individual Correlates

In recent years, proactivity has become an essential component of evidence-based policing. However, research indicates that the day-to-day practice of proactivity is limited, inconsistent, and variable. In this study, we examine individual and organizational factors that may account for this variability using survey responses from a large suburban police agency in the Northeast U.S. Specifically, we assess the relationship between officer perceptions of organizational, individual, and external characteristics and their self-reported frequency of proactivity. Our results speak strongly to the importance of the organizational and structural environment. Officers who report higher expectations to be proactive, report stronger reward structures for proactivity, and feel more prepared to handle a variety of situations report significantly higher levels of proactivity. These findings are particularly strong for non-traditional and evidence-based forms of proactivity. Our findings provide preliminary guidance to agencies seeking to increase the use of proactive policing strategies during officers’ discretionary time.