Role of Police Psychology in Controlling Excessive Force in 50 Large Cities in the United States, 1992

As part of the development of an information base for subsequent policy initiatives, the National Institute of Justice sponsored a nationwide survey of police psychologists to learn more about the characteristics of officers who abuse force, the types of measures police psychologists recommend to control police violence and the role of police psychologists in preventing and identifying individual police officers at risk for use of excessive force. Police personnel divisions in 50 large cities were contacted for names and addresses of the police psychologists who provided services to their departments. Data were collected using a telephone interview protocol that included 61 questions. In this study, excessive force was defined as a violation of a police department's use-of-force policy by an incumbent officer that was serious enough to warrant a referral to the police psychologist. Background information collected on respondents included years with the department, years as a police psychologist, if the position was salaried or consultant, and how often the psychologist met with the police chief. A battery of questions pertaining to screening was asked, including whether the psychologist performed pre-employment psychological screening and what methods were used to identify job candidates with a propensity to use excessive force. Questions regarding monitoring procedures asked if and how police officer behavior was monitored and if incumbent officers were tested for propensity to use excessive force. Items concerning police training included which officers the psychologist trained, what types of training covering excessive force were conducted, and what modules should be included in training to reduce excessive force. Information about mental health services was elicited, with questions on whether the psychologist counseled officers charged with excessive force, what models were used, how the psychologist knew if the intervention had been successful, what factors limited the effectiveness of counseling police officers, characteristics of officers prone to use excessive force, how these officers are best identified, and who or what has the most influence on these officers. General opinion questions asked about factors that increase excessive force behavior and what services could be utilized to reduce excessive force.

                                            [
  "011:21"
]
                                        

                                            {
  "fn": "Open Data Office of Justice Programs (USDOJ)",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:opendata@usdoj.gov"
}
                                        

                                            false
                                        

                                            [
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Role of Police Psychology in Controlling Excessive Force in 50 Large Cities in the United States, 1992",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06402.v1"
  }
]
                                        

                                            "3369"
                                        

                                            [
  "police officers",
  "police training",
  "police use of force",
  "psychological evaluation",
  "violence"
]
                                        

                                            [
  "eng"
]
                                        

                                            [
  "011:060"
]
                                        

                                            {
  "name": "National Institute of Justice",
  "@type": "org:Organization",
  "subOrganizationOf": {
    "id": 22,
    "name": "Office of Justice Programs",
    "acronym": "OJP",
    "parentOrganization": {
      "id": 10,
      "name": "Department of Justice",
      "acronym": "DOJ"
    },
    "parentOrganizationID": 10
  }
}