Implicit bias training for police: Evaluating impacts on enforcement disparities

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Social Psychology
• Public Policy

Background:

• Implicit bias influences decision-making in law enforcement.
• Reducing racial disparities in policing is a key policy objective.
• Implicit bias training is a common strategy to address these disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the behavioral impacts of implicit bias awareness and management training for police officers.
• To determine if training reduces racial and ethnic disparities in police stops, arrests, and use of force.

Main Methods:

• A cluster randomized controlled trial with a stepped wedge design involving 14,471 officers from the New York City Police Department.
• One-day training delivered to police commands, with outcomes measured via police records and officer surveys.
• Analysis estimated the likelihood of enforcement actions involving racial or ethnic minorities relative to White individuals, controlling for confounders.

Main Results:

• None of the estimated training effects reached statistical significance at the .05 level.
• The study detected only isolated and weak evidence of behavioral impacts from the training.
• No significant reduction in racial and ethnic disparities in police stops, arrests, or use of force was observed.

Conclusions:

• The implicit bias training demonstrated limited effectiveness in changing officer behavior.
• Several explanations for the null findings are considered, warranting further investigation.
• The study highlights the complexity of addressing implicit bias and its impact on law enforcement practices.