Examining the impacts of state-wide reform on police attitudes and perceptions in New Jersey

Abstract New Jersey has enacted one of the most ambitious police use of force reduction initiatives, requiring all law enforcement officers to participate in de-escalation training and peer intervention training. To assess the impacts of the mandatory use of force training programs, we collected survey responses from officers before and after training, resulting in responses between N = 12,623 and N = 17,036 officers. Descriptive and bivariate analyses show several positive and significant changes. We find that officers are highly receptive to these mandated training programs. Further, we find that participation in the training results in significant shifts in officers’ attitudes and perceptions that align with each program’s tenets, suggesting these curricula can alter officers’ outlooks to support safe, effective interactions with community members. This study offers one of the few accounts of police officers’ receptivity to state-mandated use-of-force training, contributing to the growing evidence base on the impact of police training.