Our new study found that de-escalation training improved how officers communicate with citizens, but didn't reduce use of force incidents. Here's what that means for police reform.
**Objectives**: The importance of peer relations is rooted in decades of policing research; however, scholars have largely overlooked the role of peers in officers’ use-of-force behaviors. The current study investigates the “connected” nature of …
BACKGROUND: WHAT DRIVES OFFICERS TO USE FORCE TOGETHER? Police use of force tends to involve groups of officers rather than individuals acting alone. The impact of individual acts of police use of force is evident, but the way in which groups of abusive officers emerge within police forces is still not fully understood.
As an MA student in 2014, I watched protesters advocate for police reform to address racial/ethnic disparities after the death of Michael Brown at the hands of the police in Ferguson, Missouri.
**Research Summary**: In this study, we investigate how a police officer's exposure to peers accused of misconduct shapes his or her involvement in excessive use of force. By drawing from 8,642 Chicago police officers named in multiple complaints, we …