PurposeDe-escalation training for police has received widespread attention as a method for reducing unnecessary and excessive use of force. There is virtually no research on de-escalation, and as a result, there is little understanding about what it is, what it includes and whether it is effective. The current study compares attitudes about the importance and use of de-escalation among officers who were randomly assigned to participate (or not) in de-escalation training.Design/methodology/approachThe current study draws from a larger randomized controlled trial of de-escalation training in the Tempe, Arizona Police Department (TPD). Approximately 100 officers completed a survey in June–July 2019 and again in June–July 2020. TPD delivered the de-escalation training to half the patrol force in February–March 2020. The authors compare treatment and control officers' attitudes about the importance of specific de-escalation tactics, how often they use those tactics and their sentiments de-escalation training. The authors employ an econometric random-effects model to examine between-group differences post-training while controlling for relevant officer attributes including age, race, sex, prior training and squad-level pretraining attitudes about de-escalation.FindingsTreatment and control officers reported positive perceptions of de-escalation tactics, frequent use of those tactics and favorable attitudes toward de-escalation before and after the training. After receiving the training, treatment officers placed greater importance on compromise, and reported more frequent use of several important tactics including compromise, knowing when to walk away and maintaining officer safety.Originality/valueOnly a few prior studies have has examined whether de-escalation training changes officer attitudes. The results from the current study represent an initial piece of evidence suggesting de-escalation training may lead to greater use of those tactics by officers during encounters with citizens.

Though de-escalation has become popular in policing, there is very little research on the topic. We know virtually nothing about what it is, whether it works, or even how officers perceive de-escalation. The authors surveyed over 100 officers in the Tempe (AZ) Police Department regarding their perceptions of de-escalation, including tactics used to peacefully resolve potentially violent encounters, the frequency of use, and their perceptions of de-escalation training. We examine perceptions overall, as well as by officer race/ethnicity and sex. Findings suggest that officers view de-escalation through a lens defined by their authority and officer safety. They use certain tactics multiple times each shift. Officers are open to de-escalation training but are skeptical about its impact on citizen encounters. Lastly, minority and female officers use certain tactics more often than white male officers. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications for the larger debate on de-escalation in policing.

Street gangs are prevalent throughout the United States. Recently, law enforcement agencies estimated there are approximately 30,000 gangs and 850,000 gang members across the United States. Gang members commit assaults, street-level drug trafficking, robberies, and threats and intimidation. However, they most commonly commit low-level property crime and marijuana use. Rival gang members or law-abiding citizens are often the targets of these crimes. Other than crime, the influence of gangs can disrupt the socializing power of schools, families, and communities. These institutions help socialize young people to learn and follow the appropriate rules of a law-abiding society. The presence of gangs and gang-related activity induces fear in the local community and great concern among citizens, impacting the quality of life of neighborhoods and cities. To confront these concerns, law enforcement is often considered the first line of defense. Despite the tenuous relationship between law enforcement and gangs, police officers have special knowledge and access to gang members and at-risk youth, which puts law enforcement in a unique position to reduce juvenile gang violence through prevention, intervention, and suppression efforts. There are several ways in which law enforcement responds to gang violence. In its efforts to prevent gang violence, law enforcement plays a crucial role in regulating gang activity and in preventing those at risk of joining gangs. Primary prevention is broad in scope as the programs and strategies focus on the entire community. Primary prevention programs, such as the Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program, target a wide population and attempt to teach youths the skills to resist peer pressure to join a gang. Secondary prevention programs narrow their focus by identifying and reaching out to youths at risk for joining gangs. Secondary prevention programs, such as Los Angeles’s GRYD Secondary Prevention Program, offer psychological and substance abuse counseling, tutoring, and employment training, among other services. Law enforcement can also reduce gang violence through intervention by implementing strategies that provide alternatives to gang membership and strategies that prevent gang activity. Gang alternative programs, such as the Gang Employment Program (GEP), aim to get individuals to leave their gangs, but also provide opportunities to prevent the individual from rejoining the gang. Gang activity prevention strategies, such as the Dallas Anti-Gang Initiative’s enforcement of curfew and truancy laws, focus on specific activities, places, or behaviors associated with gang activity. These strategies typically include special laws, mediation, and situational crime prevention strategies. As a last resort, law enforcement responds to gang violence through suppression strategies. Suppression strategies are deterrence-based strategies. Although the effectiveness of these aforementioned programs varies, law enforcement is better utilized in a prevention capacity rather than an enforcement one. Moreover, law enforcement should not tackle gang violence alone, but in partnership with other community organizations and stakeholders such as Boston’s Operation Ceasefire or Chicago’s Project Safe Neighborhoods. These partnerships with community organizations and visible commitment to combating gang violence through prevention and suppression efforts can build trust and increase police legitimacy in at-risk communities.

This chapter illustrates how Ohio State University has been using GIS to help with strategic and tactical decisions in student recruitment at its Columbus campus.NEW In a highly competitive and unpredictable environment, colleges and universities must use technology to develop effective tools to meet demands to improve student recruitment and retention profiles while saving costs. There is increased marketing sophistication in public colleges and more reliance upon technology to conduct computer-based analysis throughout the student recruitment process. One such technology is geographic information systems (GIS). The Ohio State University's Undergraduate Admissions Office began to incorporate the use of GIS into its operations several years ago (Mora, Granados, and Marble, 1997).Undergraduate Admissions has been challenged to achieve goals set forth by the university administration. These goals involve three general areas: quantity (number of students to be matriculated), quality (on the basis of academic ability), and diversity (race and ethnicity, geographic location, academic area, gender, and so on). The scope of this chapter is limited to the new population of first-year students.The Ohio State University has been using GIS technology to support decisions in the areas of planning and implementation of recruitment strategies and tactics. At the planning level, GIS has been useful in evaluating current (and selecting potential) geographic markets for new freshman recruitment. At the implementation level, the university has been making decisions on where and how to deploy its limited resources to achieve its recruitment goals and strategies. Research shows that areas most likely to produce the targeted number of enrollees with the desired spectrum of attributes (with respect to quality and diversity, for example) are similar to the