The impact of a brief and immersive use-of-force training exercise on citizens’ attitudes toward police

Abstract

Purpose Citizens’ attitudes toward police (ATP) have declined dramatically in recent years, prompting many agencies to implement police–community relations programs designed to build back the community’s trust. Such programs are often time-intensive, requiring many hours to complete. The current study examined the impact of a brief (approximately 15 minutes) community relations intervention on citizens’ ATP and police use of force (UoF).Design/methodology/approach A sample of 104 citizens completed three UoF training exercises (i.e., the intervention) inside a video simulator at a municipal police department. Immediately before and after the intervention, citizens’ ATP and police UoF were recorded.Findings Despite having relatively favorable impressions of police at baseline, many attitudes grew to be more favorable following the intervention, including perceptions of job difficulty and the belief that police are treated too harshly by the media. While global impressions of the police did not change, citizens came to believe that greater UoF levels were warranted in specific types of encounters, such as when a suspect tries to strike an officer.Originality/value These findings suggest that providing citizens with an opportunity to experience UoF decision-making first-hand can positively impact certain ATP and police work. Law enforcement agencies may find that such brief, immersive interventions are useful tools for improving police–community relations.