Krunoslav Borovec

Short Resume

Krunoslav Borovec is a police officer in charge of the preparation and implementation of research projects at the Police Academy Zagreb, Croatia. He received his Ph.D. in prevention science at the Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation, University of Zagreb. Throughout his 30-year-long police career, he obtained many different leading positions within the police system, including the Dean of the Police College, Advisor of the Minister of the Interior, Assistant Director General, and Head of the Police Directorate. He was a member of the Community policing implementation Expert team. He has authored numerous scholarly publications in the field of policing and his scientific interest and research work are related to community policing, crime prevention, public perception and confidence in the police, police integrity, legitimacy and diversity.

Title of the presentation

Bridging the Gap between Police Science and Police Practice: Police Leaders’ Perspective

Abstract

Today, policing is shaped by a dynamic and changing security environment, new security threats, increasing demands of various stakeholders, technological innovations, and the development of tense police-community relations. These circumstances demand flexibility from police organizations, organizational changes, and new policing strategies and tactics that guarantee efficiency and public approval. The changes in the operation and organization of the police agencies should be based on an evidence-based approach to policing, incorporating the operationalization of police science in practice. However, the level of implementation and operationalization of scientific knowledge into operational and organizational changes within police agencies depends on numerous factors, including the level of understanding and acceptance of police research by police leaders. We wish to present the views of Croatian police leaders on police science and evidence-based policing, as well as their willingness to accept scientific knowledge and the degree to which it can be implemented.

Keywords

police science, police leaders, evidence-based policing, police practice, Croatia