Intelligence-Led Policing: A Comparative Analysis of Organizational Factors Influencing Innovation Uptake

The capacity of police organizations to adopt innovative practices is poorly understood. This article compares and contrasts the uptake of one particular innovation: intelligence-led policing (ILP), in New Zealand, using a survey of 286 officers and 32 depth interviews to explore police attitudes and perceptions of the organizational factors influencing the adoption of ILP. We found that leadership and effective use of technology were critical to initiating and sustaining innovation. We conclude with a discussion of how police departments might best plan for and execute the adoption of new, innovative approaches to crime control.The capacity of police organizations to adopt innovative practices is poorly understood. This article compares and contrasts the uptake of one particular innovation: intelligence-led policing (ILP), in New Zealand, using a survey of 286 officers and 32 depth interviews to explore police attitudes and perceptions of the organizational factors influencing the adoption of ILP. We found that leadership and effective use of technology were critical to initiating and sustaining innovation. We conclude with a discussion of how police departments might best plan for and execute the adoption of new, innovative approaches to crime control.