Community police academies: Assessing the effect of education on public perceptions of police

Abstract

Citizens often have misconceptions about law enforcement. This misinformation may contribute to distrust and heightened concerns about force and misconduct. Agencies attempt to address this by promoting procedural justice and providing community education on police practices. Thus far, past research has not been clear on the actual utility of community education on changing public perceptions. Recent funding has allowed one department to host 14 one-day community police academies (CPAs) to educate residents about policing topics to enhance trust and improve public perceptions of the department. The current project analyzes data collected CPA events to determine the effects on citizen knowledge of police procedures and the effect of this knowledge on attitudes toward the police. Results indicate that while CPAs were effective at educating citizens about practices and improving trust in law enforcement, the increased knowledge was not associated with improvements to public trust. The knowledge obtained at the CPA was, however, predictive of lower concerns about use of force. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Advancing police use of force research and practice: urgent issues and prospects

“…Some anecdotal evidence suggests that exposing people to use of force training can improve knowledge about the use of force (e.g., Nicholson, 2018), but it is unclear if such an intervention can be scaled up. Citizen academies are also used in some jurisdictions to educate the public about policing issues, including the use of force, but to date there have been few evaluations of their impact (however, see Perez, Nguyen, & Vogel, 2020). Our own work in this area has shown lengthy interventions (e.g., lectures on the use of force) can enhance knowledge and change attitudes about police use of force in a student sample, but questions remain about whether these results generalize to the wider public, remain stable over time, can be found for shorter interventions, or predict other outcomes, such as increased trust in the police.…”

The lasting effect of community police academies: Results of a 6-month follow-up

“…One approach that law enforcement agencies use to educate the public are community police academies (CPAs). Past research has indicated that CPA events, which aim to improve public education on police practices and enhance police-community relationships, can be effective (Bonello and Schafer 2002; Breen and Johnson, 2007; Brewster et al ., 2005; Perez et al ., 2020a). This research, however, often takes place directly following participation in CPA events.…”

“…Police departments throughout the United States have adopted various strategies to improve the relationship between citizens and law enforcement (for a more thorough review of these initiatives, see: Perez et al ., 2020a; 2020b). These strategies involve the community policing principle that highlights the value of building partnerships with the community as a method to combat crime and other social problems (Cohn, 1996; McCandless, 2018, Trojanowicz and Bucqueroux, 1990).…”

“…Since then, CPAs have been used as a community policing effort to strengthen community police relations (Lee, 2016). CPAs often involve a citizen curriculum covering various techniques of public engagement and education, but the core elements of the academies focus on encouraging positive interactions between the police and the community (Bonello and Schafer 2002; Breen and Johnson 2007; Brewster et al ., 2005; Lee, 2016; Perez et al ., 2020a; Pope et al ., 2007; Schafer and Bonello, 2001). Common activities in CPAs may include ride-alongs, lectures, and simulated or live action scenarios (Lee, 2016).…”

“…A recent evaluation of 14 CPA events with over 300 community participants found that participation in the CPA was associated with a better knowledge of police practices and policies and stronger trust in law enforcement officers (Perez et al ., 2020a). Comparing pre-test and post-test data, CPA attendees performed better on knowledge-based quiz items and were more likely to believe officers were honest/trustworthy and held accountable for their actions after participation.…”