Reducing the Use of Force: De-Escalation Training for Police Officers
Abstract
The use of force by police officers has captured the attention of society. Allegations of inappropriate or misapplied force happen with regularity. This thesis conducted a survey of the members of the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training to determine the number of training hours dedicated to firearms and force versus de-escalation topics. It analyzes the results through the framework of the Recognition-Primed Decision model, which asserts that in rapidly evolving, time-limited incidents, individuals make decisions based on prior experiences. This thesis hypothesizes that officers are primed to use force rather than de-escalation options due to an overemphasis on force during training sessions. The survey results showed an 8.9 to 1 ratio of training hours on force versus de-escalation. It recommends that police trainers strive to achieve parity in training hours dedicated to force and de-escalation topics. It also recommends that scenario-based training be emphasized to provide experiences to draw upon, and that the scenarios mirror real-world probabilities. Positioning Theory, Crisis Intervention Team principles, and de-escalation strategies of other countries are also examined for methods that could be implemented to reduce the occurrences of inappropriate use of force by police officers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1029731
Entities
People
- Eric H. Dayley
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School