PurposeA narrative review of existing research literature was conducted to identify practices that are likely to improve the quality of de-escalation and use-of-force training for police officers.Design/methodology/approachPrevious reviews of de-escalation and use-of-force training literature were examined to identify promising training practices, and more targeted literature searches of various databases were undertaken to learn more about the potential impact of each practice on a trainee's ability to learn, retain, and transfer their training. Semi-structured interviews with five subject matter experts were also conducted to assess the degree to which they believed the identified practices were relevant to de-escalation and use-of-force training, and would enhance the quality of such training.FindingsTwenty practices emerged from the literature search. Each was deemed relevant and useful by the subject matter experts. These could be mapped on to four elements of training: (1) commitment to training (e.g. securing organizational support for training), (2) development of training (e.g. aligning training formats with learning objectives), (3) implementation of training (e.g. providing effective corrective feedback) and (4) evaluation and ongoing assessment of training (e.g. using multifaceted evaluation tools to monitor and modify training as necessary).Originality/valueThis review of training practices that may be relevant to de-escalation and use-of-force training is the broadest one conducted to date. The review should prompt more organized attempts to quantify the effectiveness of the training practices (e.g. through meta-analyses), and encourage more focused testing in a police training environment to determine their impact.

We conducted a narrative review of existing literature to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) necessary for officers who police in democratic societies to successfully manage potentially volatile police–public interactions. This review revealed 10 such KSAs that are frequently discussed in the literature. These KSAs include: (1) knowledge of policies and laws; (2) an understanding of mental health-related issues; (3) an ability to interact effectively with, and show respect for, individuals from diverse community groups; (4) awareness and management of stress effects; (5) communication skills; (6) decision-making and problem-solving skills; (7) perceptual skills; (8) motor skills related to use-of-force; (9) emotion and behavior regulation; and (10) an ability to treat people in a procedurally just manner. Following our review, we conducted semi-structured interviews (N = 7) with researchers who specialize in police training and adult education, interactions with individuals in crisis, and racialized policing, as well as two police trainers with expertise in de-escalation and use-of-force training. These interviews confirmed the importance of the 10 KSAs and highlighted two additional KSAs that are likely to be critical: understanding the role of policing in a free and democratic society and tactical knowledge and skills. To ensure that police–public interactions are managed effectively, police trainers may want to focus on the development and evaluation of these KSAs—something that is not always done currently.

Concerns surrounding the use of force by police officers appear to be growing, fuelled by perceptions that the police use force too frequently, research showing that force is applied disproportionately to members of certain groups, and the view held by some that the mechanisms for holding police responsible for unjustified force are inadequate. In this paper, we advocate for the creation of a national use-of-force database in Canada to gain a better understanding of these issues, adding our voice to those who have already been actively calling for this. We describe some of the potential benefits that would be associated with such a database, including the fact that it would enhance police transparency and accountability, while also increasing our understanding of when and why force is used and what strategies may be useful for reducing inappropriate applications of force. We also highlight some of the challenges we think would be encountered, including mandating nationwide participation, overcoming resistance from the police community, establishing sensible case inclusion criteria, and standardizing data collection. While these are significant challenges, we believe not only that they are possible to overcome but that doing so will provide real value to Canadian society.

Previous surveys have demonstrated that not all police professionals are open to the idea that research can play an important role in policing. To examine how Canadian police professionals view this issue, we conducted a survey of 598 civilian and sworn police professionals from seven Canadian police services. The survey responses allowed us to gauge receptivity towards research and determine what factors predict receptivity. We also examined factors that differentiate the most receptive police professionals from others. Compared with previous surveys, our respondents were more receptive to research. Furthermore, having higher education, holding a more senior rank, and being exposed to research (e.g., attending conferences) were associated with higher levels of receptivity to research. The results from this study can potentially be used to increase receptivity to research among police professionals, which may help police services become more efficient and effective.

Thin slice studies are studies that examine judgments based on brief exposure to expressive behaviours or still images. Only one previous study has examined the prediction of outcomes within a law enforcement context from thin slices of a police-public encounter, and it demonstrated that experienced officers outperformed less experienced officers in terms of the quality, appropriateness, and accuracy of their predictions . The present study extends this research by examining how a range of factors -including operational years of experience and training, familiarity with the encounter, confidence in the prediction, and thin slice length -impact prediction accuracy. Participants with varying levels of police experience and training were recruited. Participants viewed 16 randomly ordered videos (half of these were 10 seconds and half were 30 seconds in length) depicting a thin slice of a police-public encounter. After each video, the participant was asked to predict whether the subject would harm or attempt to harm the officer(s). My results demonstrated that higher levels of training, greater familiarity, and greater confidence in one's predictions was associated with greater odds of providing an accurate response; operational years of policing experience was not associated with this outcome. My results also demonstrated that most of these variables' relationships with prediction accuracy disappear when examining longer thin slices (i.e., 30-second videos), and have slightly larger effects when examining shorter thin slices (i.e., 10-second videos). Finally, specialized police training, years of experience, and familiarity were, in turn, found to predict greater confidence in one's predictions. These findings and their implications are discussed.