Exploring Variation in Police Perceptions of De-Escalation: Do Officer Characteristics Matter?

White, Michael D.; Mora, Victor J.; Orosco, Carlena

doi:10.1093/police/paz062

Cited by 23 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The survey asked officers to rate the importance of specific de-escalation tactics, the frequency of use of identified tactics, as well as perceptions of de-escalation training (see Table 2; for a full description of survey items, see White et al , 2021). The tactics were drawn from the relevant prior literature on de-escalation, though the survey did not include specific definitions or descriptions of the various tactics.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The officers also described impediments to those tactics, such as the immediacy of the threat, time and citizen intoxication. White et al , 2021 surveyed officers in the Tempe (AZ) Police Department regarding their attitudes toward de-escalation prior to the delivery of a newly developed de-escalation training. Officers valued de-escalation and were open to de-escalation training, but they were skeptical of its effectiveness on citizen encounters.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the last two years, researchers have begun to fill this gap by studying officer perceptions of de-escalation (Todak and White, 2019; McLean et al , 2020; White et al , 2021; Engel et al , 2020a, b). This is an important first step, but few studies have explored the impact of actual training on officer attitudes about de-escalation, or how frequently they use those tactics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Moving the needle: can training alter officer perceptions and use of de-escalation?

White

Mora

Orosco

et al. 2021

PIJPSM

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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.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Moving the needle: can training alter officer perceptions and use of de-escalation?

White

Mora

Orosco

et al. 2021

PIJPSM

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“…Departmental demographics reflecting the community in terms of race and ethnicity have long been an issue of critique of law enforcement agencies since the 1960s. Some researchers find support that a more racially and ethnically police force can increase the resolution of conflict, mitigate group threat, and improve relations with minority communities (Legewie & Fagan, 2016; McElvain & Kposowa, 2014; Sun & Payne, 2004; White et al., 2019). When analyzing over 2 million 911 calls from two cities, Hoekstra and Sloan (2020) found White officers were more likely to use force, 60% more than Black officers, and use a gun twice as often.…”

Section: Overview Of Police Violence and The Importance Of Scholarly Activismmentioning

confidence: 99%

The racialized patterns of police violence: The critical importance of research as praxis

Durán

Shroulote-Durán

2021

Sociology Compass

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The tragic killing of George Floyd at the hands of the police resulted in hundreds of thousands of protestors marching in the streets demanding change. The call for change criticized the killing of Blacks by law enforcement and challenged White supremacy as an institution of social control and racial violence. A key component of the marches and protests was a message to the residents of the United States: “Black Lives Matter.” As society grapples with a reckoning, researchers studying police violence for the past 6 decades have been empirically and theoretically debating the reasons why use of force by law enforcement continues to have a higher proportion of Black and Brown victims compared to Whites. Although the research on fatal police killings was studied by only a small number of individuals prior to 2014, after the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri the research in different areas of the country increased rapidly as did the forms of analysis and research disciplines making their own contributions. The Washington Post and Guardian news agencies established that deaths at the hands of the police were occurring for at least 900 to 1100 individual deaths per year for which firearms resulted in the greatest cause of death. As US government agencies failed to produce a national data source on police involved killings, the media took a leading role in providing greater national understanding. The authors examine what role academic researchers contribute to the discussion for solutions, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. As protestors march, lawyers sue and defend, and politicians create new forms of legislation, researchers need to play a more important role initiating critical studies, making sense of the data, and providing a theoretical framework for which police violence can be understood. This article will provide an overview of the literature on racialized police violence, point out key patterns involving racial and ethnic disparities, and emphasize how researchers can play a more important role in advocating for change.

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“…Compromise is akin to relinquishing some police authority. Yet, emerging research on de-escalation highlights the importance of compromise for peacefully resolving encounters (Todak & White, 2019;White, Mora, & Orosco, 2019). Moreover, knowing when to walk away is traditionally perceived as retreat, which is shunned in police training.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Bennell

Alpert

Andersen

et al. 2021

Legal Criminol Psychol

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Leading police scholars and practitioners were asked to reflect on the most urgent issues that need to be addressed on the topic of use of force. Four themes emerged from their contributions: use of force and de-escalation training needs to improve and be evaluated; new ways of conceptualizing use of force encounters and better use of force response models need to be developed; the inequitable application of force, and how to remediate biases, needs to be more fully understood; and misconceptions

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Exploring Variation in Police Perceptions of De-Escalation: Do Officer Characteristics Matter?

Cited by 23 publications

References 27 publications

Moving the needle: can training alter officer perceptions and use of de-escalation?

Moving the needle: can training alter officer perceptions and use of de-escalation?

The racialized patterns of police violence: The critical importance of research as praxis

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

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