From the Editor-in-Chief

The readers of Police Practice and Research: An International Journal are drawn from a wide range of fields, with roles in, but not limited to policing, academia, and policy-making arenas. Readers share an interest in new and innovative developments both in the field of policing and in policingrelated research. One of the great challenges for researchers, practitioners, managers and policymakers is how to take promising research findings and apply or implement them in specific policing organisations and practical contexts to improve outcomes for communities. This special issue aims to respond to this important question of how to translate criminological research into policy and practice.

This special issue was developed by a team of five guest editors based at George Mason University in the United States. The guest editorial team consists of Amber Scherer, Xiaoyun Wu, Madeline Sloan, Sean Wire, and Jordan Nichols, with the guidance of eminent policing scholar, Professor David Weisburd. The team has drawn together a collection of articles written by authors with rich experiences and a wealth of knowledge and ideas. Their work functions as a coherent whole to provide insights for readers on efforts to translate criminological research into policy and practice. This collection of articles takes us on a journey through the need for translational efforts, the barriers to and facilitators of success, practical steps that are likely to assist, and examples of instances where translation has been possible. The issue highlights the benefits of partnerships and collaborative efforts to achieve common goals, along with guidance on navigating the complexities along the way.

The special issue provides inspiration and food for thought for others who aim to translate research findings into policy and practice. As members of the editorial board, Xiaochen Hu and Loene Howes, along with Editor-in-Chief, Dilip Das, have had the pleasure of working with the guest editorial team to bring this issue to publication. We hope that reading on this topic encourages and inspires others in the international community to redouble their efforts in developing partnerships and converting research into policy and practice in their own contexts. We invite prospective authors from the international community to consider sharing examples of their own work on this important topic in future issues of Police Practice and Research. We commend to you the special issue and hope that you too find it thought provoking, action oriented, and a welcome contribution to what research can, should, and does mean in practice.