Despite widespread promotion and proliferation of police de-escalation training, does de-escalation training really work? Robin Engel, Ph.D. Engel, a prominent researcher at Ohio State University, shared her journey into police reform and de-escalation training, sparked by a fatal campus police shooting in 2015 and the Ferguson, Missouri incident.
She highlights the early challenges of defining de-escalation and addressing officers’ safety concerns, which led her to test and implement ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics) training.
This approach demonstrated measurable benefits, including reductions in the use of force (28%), citizen injuries (26%), and officer injuries (36%).
Engel emphasizes the critical role of experiential learning, involving scenario-based training and decision-making models, while advocating for partnerships with researchers to improve and evaluate training programs.
Finally, she shares a personal story about how a police officer’s intervention during her childhood profoundly shaped her life, underscoring the lasting impact of officers’ decisions.
Questions for Robin:
In the podcast, I asked Robin Engel about the fundamentals and effectiveness of de-escalation training, as well as her career and research on the topic.
I inquired about the challenges of implementing such programs, delved into the definition of de-escalation, and explored officers’ initial concerns and hesitations about adopting these methods.
I also sought her advice for police trainers on overcoming common obstacles, such as limited resources and resistance.
Lastly, I asked Robin about her personal inspiration for pursuing police research, which led her to reflect on how her childhood experiences shaped her passion for reform.
Quotes from the podcast
“The most critical part of the training is the hands-on experiential learning piece where they actually practice scenarios. So, the question now becomes, can you do that through VR training? Can you simulate these? Do you need actors for roleplay? How is the best way to give that experiential learning to practice the tools and resources and everything you’re learning on day one?”
“The decisions that officers make every single day impact lives, and they may not know for 40-50 years down the road what that really meant to someone. When I was very young, we had a very troubled home, and it was really the decisions of a brave officer that intervened and said, ‘This is no longer a private matter,’ and changed the course of my life and that of my mother and siblings.”
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