Multiagency programs with police as a partner for reducing radicalisation to violence

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Public Policy
• Sociology

Background:

• Multiagency collaborations involving police, government, and community organizations are crucial for addressing complex issues like radicalization.
• The complexities of radicalization necessitate a coordinated, multi-faceted approach, as no single agency can effectively tackle the problem alone.
• Police-led partnerships aim to disrupt pathways from radicalization to violence by addressing multiple risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of police-involved multiagency interventions in reducing radicalization and improving multiagency collaboration.
• To qualitatively explore the mechanisms, context, implementation factors, and economic considerations of these interventions.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search of databases and relevant literature was conducted for published and unpublished evaluations from 2002-2018.
• Eligible studies included police partnerships addressing terrorism, violent extremism, or radicalization, with a focus on impact evaluations.
• Data were synthesized narratively for mechanisms, moderators, implementation, and economic factors, with risk of bias assessed using established checklists.

Main Results:

• Only one study evaluated impact on vulnerability to radicalization, showing small to medium effects favoring the intervention.
• Four studies examined multiagency collaboration, yielding mixed findings regarding alignment with guidelines, partnerships, and grant influences.
• A significant limitation across all included studies was a high risk of bias and methodological issues, reducing confidence in the findings.

Conclusions:

• There is a limited evidence base on the effectiveness of police-involved multiagency interventions for radicalization, with no studies evaluating impact on at-risk or radicalized individuals.
• Further investment in robust evaluations of a broader range of interventions is needed.
• Effective collaboration is facilitated by building trust, establishing shared goals, managing administrative burdens, ensuring strong privacy for intelligence sharing, and providing ongoing support and training.