Critical Review of Visual Models for Police Use of Force Decision-Making

Area of Science:

• Visual science
• Police training and practice
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Police reform necessitates re-evaluating use-of-force (UOF) training and practices.
• Visual models are crucial for police UOF decision-making training and public communication.
• Existing models lack empirical development and assessment in relevant scientific literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze the visual components of common police UOF decision-making models.
• To identify gaps and opportunities for improving visual model design.
• To provide evidence-based recommendations for effective visual model development.

Main Methods:

• Review and critical evaluation of three common police UOF decision-making model types (circular, cyclical, staircase).
• Analysis of visual features including shape, color, implied motion, text, and clarity.
• Synthesis of insights for visual scientists and implications for police practice.

Main Results:

• Most police UOF decision-making models are not empirically validated.
• Specific visual features (shape, color, motion, text, clarity) significantly impact model effectiveness.
• There are substantial opportunities for visual science to inform better model design.

Conclusions:

• Improved visual model design can enhance police training and public understanding of UOF.
• Visual scientists can contribute to safer police practices through model development.
• Evidence-based recommendations are provided for creating more effective UOF decision-making models.