NCJ Number
143662
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 62 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1993) Pages: 17-21
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses several methods that police administrators can use to address police violence, including the preselection and selection processes; police academy, field officer, and inservice training; evaluations; community relations; and discipline.
Abstract
The department must provide the foundation for the program by establishing and enforcing clearly defined procedures, policies, and rules of conduct for all behavior, including the use of force. Academy training must focus on all areas of police behavior pertinent to the appropriate use of force. It should involve training in ethics, human behavior, stress management, conflict management, cultural awareness, and the use of firearms and combative techniques. Field officer training is important in preparing officers to apply behavioral and ethical principles to actual situations, and inservice training can provide updates and revisions on appropriate police procedures and behavior. An effective personnel evaluation program can inform administrators about officers' performance and combat officers' tendencies to use unnecessary force. Departments must also educate the public about policies for the police use of force, so the public is informed about how the police will behave and not behave in various interactions with citizens. Discipline procedures are also important in impressing upon officers what the department expects of them. 3 notes