More Than Use of Force: Examining Alternative Outcomes for Police De-Escalation Training

Police de-escalation training in Tempe, Arizona was evaluated, which aimed to equip officers with enhanced interpersonal and tactical skills. The evaluation was done by providing some officers with training, but not others. By conducting phone surveys of community members who interacted with the police and analyzing body-worn camera (BWC) footage, the authors were able to examine how the training influenced officer behaviour during routine, non-force encounters. The phone surveys showed that officers who completed the training were more likely to use procedural justice, emotional regulation, and de-escalation; they were also more likely to leave community members satisfied with their treatment by officers and with the resolution of the encounter. Results from BWC footage analysis were mixed but useful for understanding the complexities of police-community member encounters. Given that use of force is a rare event in police-community encounters, it cannot be the only outcome assessed in evaluations of de-escalation training. A comprehensive assessment of deescalation training should consider several outcomes, and researchers should investigate training effects in routine encounters that do not involve the use of force