Research Highlight- Can You Build a Better Cop?

Dr. Emily Owens and colleagues recently published an article in Criminology & Public Policy that examined a police officer training based on the framework of procedural justice. Dr. Owens talks about her research on the podcast Criminal Injustice. Listen to the podcast or read the article.

 

Abstract:

By drawing from psychology and economics, we present an experimental evaluation of a procedural justice training program designed to “slow down” police officers’ thought processes during citizen encounters. We find that officers who were randomly assigned to participate in training were as engaged in the community as similarly situated officers, but they were less likely to resolve incidents with an arrest or to be involved in incidents where force was used. These changes were most evident among officers who worked in areas with a modest level of risk.