Research can take much of the trial-and-error costs out of policing. Research on the implementation and effects of various law enforcement policies and practices can help police agencies avoid failure and increase the chances of success in addressing specific problems and situations. A concept that bears upon the use of research in policing is called "evidence-based policing" (EBP), which was proposed by criminologist Larry Sherman in 1998. Under the EBP model, when confronted with an issue or problem, an agency determines best practices in addressing the problem as determined by the findings of a literature review of relevant research. Sources of information on police-related research include a volume of effective crime-prevention strategies compiled by researchers at the University of Maryland and the National Criminal Justice Reference Service's electronic library. These and other sources of information on police research are available free on the Internet. Once best practices are determined from the literature, an agency must adapt them to the specific circumstances of local laws, agency policies, and distinctive community contexts. Once a program adapts best-practices guidelines to the design and implementation of a particular agency project, this must be followed by monitoring and evaluation to determine whether it is achieving its intended effects and how it may be improved. This article suggests how the use of the EBP model by a police agency can be enhanced by involving the expertise of appropriate researchers in a community's academic institutions and by taking a course offered by the FBI National Academy on the use of the EBP model.