According to the Law Enforcement Epidemiology Project at the University of Illinois Chicago, more than 1 million civilians experience police threats or use of force annually, resulting in 75,000 non-fatal injuries requiring hospital treatment and an estimated 600-1,000 deaths. Research also finds that Black and brown Americans are twice as likely to experience the threat of or use of force during police-initiated contact. An often-cited intervention that has the potential to create safer encounters between police and communities is de-escalation training.
During this webinar, panelists discussed a new report by the R Street Institute that examines the current landscape of de-escalation training in law enforcement, its uses and effectiveness, and the availability and impact of federal grants. Further, they discussed the overall importance of de-escalation training and the current implementation status of the Law Enforcement De-Escalation and Training Act, which Congress enacted in 2022 to address funding and training gaps on this issue.
View the presentation slideshow here.
Thank you to the panelists Sarah Anderson, Jillian Snider, and Richard Hahn.
About The Joyce Foundation
Joyce is a nonpartisan, private foundation that invests in evidence-informed public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region.