The road to evidence-based policing (EBP) is often difficult, and the Israeli experience has been no different. To overcome barriers and more effectively facilitate and ensure translation of research into practice, Sherman (1998) suggested the role of the “evidence cop.” The evidence cop, whether a sworn officer or an outside academic, is assigned responsibility for overseeing the implementation of EBP. Success in achieving the ambitious objectives of EBP is likely to vary considerably due to the likelihood that the officers will be perceived with suspicion, undermining their authority. Our analysis takes a historical perspective, focusing on two distinct attempts at strategic reform in the Israel Police (IP). The first took place in the mid-1990s under Commissioner Hefetz, while the first author was a senior figure in the IP and benefits from first-hand knowledge of the attempt to integrate EBP. The second attempt took place in the recent years under Commissioner Alsheich. The reason Alsheich was able to achieve considerable success in his substantial EBP reform in the police force, while Hefetz and many commissioners around the world were less successful, lies, in our opinion, in the fact that Alsheich himself was the “evidence cop”, leading the process as a “super evidence cop.”

Evidence-based policing requires not only the production of high-quality research but also the implementation of those research findings as part of a police organization’s work. To date, there has been relatively limited empirical assessment of how to best achieve successful implementation. This chapter presents findings from the process evaluation of the EMUN reform in the Israel Police. The reform institutionalized several evidence-based policing approaches and has been demonstrated as effective in reducing and preventing crime. Our qualitative analysis uncovered three themes associated with a heightened capability to practice evidence-based policing: the ability to analyze data and reflect on it, organizational flexibility, and local engagement with the reform. These themes resonate with the existing literature in the field and are of broad relevance.