ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how an innovative police scheme to support management of protest events — dialogue policing — was established by the Swedish police. The scheme has become an integrated function in the new national tactic for crowd management and control. During the process, from creating and implementing the scheme, to its diffusion and implementation in the United Kingdom, research evidence has been crucial. Dialogue policing is a continual process where, in advance of rallies, the officers act as intermediaries between protesters and police commanders, aiming to get the best possible outcomes for both parties. The chapter describes the process of producing and utilising research evidence in order to establish a new tactic in policing is not necessarily a rational straightforward progression, as is assumed in the original Evidence-Based Policing model. Researchers highly value academic prowess and can be particularly sensitive about integrity and independence.
