Restructuring Law Enforcement Agencies to Support Prosocial Values: A Behavior-Scientific Model for Addressing Police Brutality

Abstract

Policing in the United States is irrefutably a component of systemic racism. The history of police brutality against the Black community can be found in our amendments, laws, and cultural practices-it is an infrastructure of oppression. Though police brutality is not a new development, it has reached a fever pitch with the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Recent calls to defund the police puts law enforcement agencies squarely, and rightly, in the spotlight of social justice movements and reform. Current issues operating within law enforcement agencies ensure the perpetuation of a system that reinforces the status quo and gives nothing back to the communities that have been victims of brutality. A philosophical restructuring of how law enforcement agencies interact with the communities they serve is paramount. The purpose of this paper is to propose a behavior scientific model aimed at both the individual and organizational levels of law enforcement agencies using elements of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) and Elinor Ostrom's core design principles (CDPs), called Prosocial. The Prosocial model promotes clarification of values within organizations and the communities they serve and reinforces valuesconsistent action. The model therefore has the potential to be a useful tool to combat systemic racism and police brutality within law enforcement agencies. The proposed model will be discussed in the context of those who created it (white academicians), who will be implementing it (law enforcement), and ultimately who should benefit from it above and beyond police brutality and without psychological or financial cost (Black communities).

“I'm just different–that's all–I'm so sorry … ”: Black men, ASD and the urgent need for DisCrit Theory in police encounters

“…Research suggests that law enforcement trainings can reinforce stereotypes. Ghezzi et al (2021) illustrated that implicit bias training that does not focus on changing behavior, or enacting new behavior, is not successful in shifting conduct in the long term. Sim et al.…”

“…Police trainings utilizing a DisCrit lens Research suggests that law enforcement trainings can reinforce stereotypes. Ghezzi et al (2021) illustrated that implicit bias training that does not focus on changing behavior, or enacting new behavior, is not successful in shifting conduct in the long term. Sim et al (2013) found that trainings can be presented in such a way that heightens bias among law enforcement who participate (Sim et al, 2013).…”

Contribuições da Análise do Comportamento para a Compreensão do Racismo

“…A literatura traz propostas de intervenção para o racismo presente em algumas instituições, como por exemplo: escolas (Orlandi & Reis, 2022), universidades (Najdowski et al 2021), delegacias de polícia (Parks & Kirby, 2022;Ghezzi et al, 2022) e unidades de saúde que oferecem serviços em Análise do Comportamento Aplicada -Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), em inglês (Čolić et al, 2022). Orlandi e Reis (2022), por exemplo, apresentam uma proposta de intervenção no nível cultural para enfrentar o racismo no contexto religioso nas escolas.…”

“…No contexto policial, Ghezzi et al (2022) apresentam uma proposta para intervenção no racismo individual com agentes que atuam na aplicação da lei, baseada no Treino de Aceitação e Compromisso (Acceptance and Commitment Training 9 -ACT, em inglês). Os autores partem da premissa que os policiais enfrentam diariamente alta carga de estresse, pressão por resultados e exposição a práticas institucionais racistas.…”

“…Quanto a um contexto de investigação das práticas coletivas concernentes ao racismo, um caminho de investigação poderia ser dentro de uma perspectiva cultural. Delineamentos culturais 10 (alguns exemplos Carrara et al, 2013;Ghezzi et al, 2022;Orlandi & Reis, 2022) são uma ferramenta importante de investigação de fenômenos sociais na Análise Experimental do Comportamento (ver Andery, 2011;Sampaio & Andery, 2010;Todorov & Moreira, 2004).…”