ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the conversation that a long-term research project into rape investigations invoked inside the police. It describes how such a unique eight-year internal research inquiry into rape allegations was able to take place inside a police organisation. The chapter also considers the perhaps problematic relationship that academic scholarship has previously had with police organisations when bearing bad news about police practice. It also offers some reflection on why step change in the investigation of rape allegations has not been entirely successful and considers this as a lesson in the current thirst for evidence based policing (EBP). EBP needs to understand police actions, behaviour and decision making during investigations of sexual violence to fully understand how to change the attrition levels when it comes to a crime such as sexual violence. The chapter concludes by offering some learning in relation to the required principles of EBP using the people reflection as researchers inside a police service.
