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As the education of new police constables moves to degree level, this paper explores the introduction of Evidence-Based Policing (EBP) as a pillar of the evolution of the police service as a profession.

Combining a review of key literature and explorations of practice, the current situation, challenges, and benefits of the adoption of EBP as philosophy are explored.

The benefits to the police service and individuals of wholeheartedly adopting EBP are huge; however, such adoption does not come without challenges.

This paper provides a contemporary snapshot in relation to the process of embedding EBP across the new educational routes to joining the police service. The opportunities provided by adopting EBP as philosophy across the service will assist in supporting and strengthening the sustainability of policing locally, nationally, and internationally.

The Symposium on “The Legacy of Ludwig Lachmann: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Institutions, Agency and Uncertainty” stood out also because of a plenary session organized as a roundtable discussion on “Reminiscences of Lachmann” with the participation of Martin Fransman, Peter Lewin, Jochen Runde and Christopher Torr, and Giampaolo Garzarelli as moderator. The text that follows reports the interesting views about Lachmann’s public as well as private persona that emerged from the roundtable.

As the government's strategy for the implementation of the ‘Big Society’ gains momentum within an increasingly difficult financial framework, this article discusses some of the major implications of this approach for partnership working in crime and disorder reduction. It considers whether the approach is a totally new one or merely an extension of previous government policy, while considering some of the advantages and disadvantages of extending the ‘Big Society’ ideology. While acknowledging the potential problems of implementing such an approach, the article also highlights the opportunities that may present themselves for enhanced community consultation in the delivery of partnership working.

Government plans for combating terrorism have been unveiled in their new strategic statement. Besides a focus on international and national activity, there are major implications for local partnerships that are expected to play a considerable part in the programme. In particular, the impact of preventative measures and the economic impact of this implied by the strategy will have major consequences for partnerships operating at a local level.

The recent announcement by the government of the introduction of local policing teams to deliver community safety and crime reduction begs the question of how these could be organised. This article considers a theoretical integrated mode of delivery. It also considers the role of the police constable within this structure.

Alley gating schemes have been given impetus by government funding. A simple causal relationship is assumed by the presence of the gates and a reduction in crime and disorder. The post‐implementation research discussed in this article shows that implementation and installation decisions may have unintended consequences for the displacement of problems and the creation of new signal crimes in areas subject to alley gating.

The police service in England and Wales is increasingly focusing upon crime detection with the result that the patrol function, including the vital aspect of order maintenance, is being neglected. This article explores the role of police community safety officers (PCSOs) and argues that it is necessary to equip them with sufficient legal powers to perform this task.

Crime reduction partnerships depend a great deal upon the input of the police and the manner in which the police implement their activities impacts upon the success or otherwise of initiatives. This article examines three of the main styles of policing that appear to be prevalent in the delivery of crime reduction programmes, examining their relative strengths and weaknesses.

The future of policing and crime reduction in England and Wales seems firmly set in the partnership arena. Reports of many successes in this area are frequently circulated and there is no doubt that properly organised partnerships can have a major effect in particular circumstances. However, relationships between partners can sometimes be less than cohesive, particularly at a functional level, leading to undesirable consequences. This paper considers the relationship between key partners in a particular local crime reduction partnership and examines the political problems that can sometimes occur and which frustrate policy makers and planning in this area.

The current drive for community engagement and the introduction of neighbourhood policing teams has highlighted the importance of gathering intelligence from communities. This article explores one initiative that seeks to do this, by discussing the method involved and the initial findings, which should inform crime reduction partnerships, the police and policy‐makers.