Publication

Author: National Policing Institute

Research in Brief: In-depth Training of Police Officers Results in Less Crime, Fewer Arrests, and Improved Community Views Towards Police in Crime Hot Spots

Publication Date: June 2022

What difference does it make if police officers are trained to consistently treat everyone in fair and respectful ways—to remain neutral, for example, be active listeners, and exhibit trustworthy behavior? Can training change the behaviors of police officers? If it can, will officers rely on and consistently use the new behaviors in high crime neighborhoods? If they do, will this focus on fair interactions (1) reduce crime or (2) have a positive influence on citizen evaluations of the police? Three police departments and 28 police officers in 120 crime hot spots participated in an experiment to explore these questions.

Topic(s):

Community Engagement; Training