‘Guys, get your guns out!’ – An autobiographical account of a US community corrections training academy

This article addresses community corrections training from the perspective of a former practitioner. Though CC training has received modest consideration, academies’ roles in reinforcing occupational cultures are nearly absent from the literature. This article addresses this gap with an autobiographical account of an academy experience and shows that not only did the profession appear to attract candidates with public safety orientations, but also that the academy reinforced those orientations through a disproportionate focus on use of force and officer safety. The article considers challenges policymakers and managers face when attempting to implement reform in public safety cultures.

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

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.

An Interview With Chief Kennedy of the Chula Vista, CA Police Department

Chief Kennedy, of the Chula Vista Police Department in California, is interviewed about her experiences as a police chief. She provides her unique perspective about her approach to policing and the path she took to her current position. She discusses educational and training requirements to become an officer in her department and how she works to recruit and retain officers. She describes different officer wellness initiatives and philosophies. She provides information about what it is like to be a female officer as well as a female administrator in law enforcement. Further, the interview includes a discussion of recent technological and innovative initiatives. Specifically, she describes a cutting-edge drone program designed to improve officer safety and effectiveness, which is serving as a model of other departments nationwide. Chief Kennedy also discusses the unique experience of policing near the US-Mexico border.

An Exploration of Correctional Officer Victimization

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the often-overlooked victimization experienced by correctional staff, specifically corrections officers. Corrections officers are particularly vulnerable to on-the-job victimization as they interact daily with potentially dangerous offenders in often crowded conditions. This chapter examines the types of victimization experienced by corrections officers, the personal characteristics of those victimized, the effect of prison context on correctional officer victimization, and the toll of victimization on COs. Lastly, it provides several policy implications to promote correctional officer safety.

Optimizing Scenario-Based Training for Law Enforcement

In order to optimize public and officer safety, law enforcement training needs to adequately prepare officers for the complex tasks they will experience in the field. The incorporation of carefully-designed scenario-based training (SBT) into pre- and in-service training is essential for the development of effective decision making during dynamic, potentially volatile interactions with the public. This chapter provides an overview of various frameworks that should be adopted when developing SBT before identifying some issues to consider throughout this process. Finally, this chapter provides practical examples of how the development process can be completed. Given the very challenging task that curriculum designers and police trainers have to develop skilled police officers, this chapter seeks to provide valuable guidance to those seeking to optimize limited resources to improve police training.

Embedding procedural justice in policing

This chapter considers approaches to embedding principles of procedural justice in policing. Leadership, with strong support from middle managers is clearly essential. One dimension to this is to convey to the workforce the practical benefits that flow from the approach: cooperation and compliance from the public, greater officer safety, fewer complaints from the public. Another important dimension to for leaders to ensure that the ethos within the force is consistent with principles of organisational justice. There must be organisational fairness within police organisations. Organisational fairness is also closely correlated with officers’ sense of self-legitimacy, or their confidence in wielding authority – and self-legitimacy is another precondition for getting the workforce to adopt principles of procedural justice. Training is another strand in the change strategy, and the results of evaluations are positive. Finally the trend towards police professionalisation may prove complementary to, and supportive of, procedural justice approaches to policing.

Armed and (potentially) dangerous: exploring sheriffs' perspectives of police militarization

PurposeDomestic law enforcement increasingly utilizes military tools and techniques in traditional policing activities. An increased militaristic approach is not without controversy, given the many high-profile incidents involving such tactics that have resulted in tragedy. We seek to assess specific views of policymakers who implement such strategies by measuring the attitudes of Texas sheriffs on these measures.Design/methodology/approachIn late 2019 and early 2020, a census was completed with Texas sheriffs to better understand their attitudes about the use of military tactics. A robust return rate captured the views of 142 (56%) respondents from a diverse set of rural and urban counties. Opinions on the appropriateness, effectiveness and necessity of military techniques were measured.FindingsResults indicate Texas sheriffs strongly support the use of military tools and techniques, believe they protect officer safety and should continue to be taught and utilized by law enforcement when appropriate.Practical implicationsSecondary consequences of police militarization may counteract its desired positive outcomes and lead to significant risks for officers and citizens alike. Strong police support makes the reduction in use of these tactics unlikely, but these results give opportunity for consideration of such policy to all law enforcement agencies.Originality/valueIt is the first study to examine county sheriffs' perceptions of militarization since the events of Ferguson, Missouri and provides a very recent assessment of views from a population of leaders both integrated into policy decisions and intimately accountable for policy implementation.

The Challenges and Limitations of Body-Worn Cameras

This chapter addresses the challenges and limitations of the BWC technology. For each perceived concern (privacy, officer safety, officer proactivity, cost, etc.), the authors concisely review the evidence and offer an assessment of the veracity of the claim. Based on the weight of the evidence, what can we conclude about the impact of BWCs on citizen privacy? What can we conclude about the impact of BWCs on officer proactivity? In this chapter, the authors answer these questions.