What Separates Experienced Officers from Recruits in Use-of-Force Decisions?

🚔 What Separates Experienced Officers from Recruits in Use-of-Force Decisions?

Why do experienced officers often use lower levels of force than less-experienced officers?

Research by Vivian Ta-Johnson, Isabella Swafford, Heather Veldhouse, Brian Lande, Joel Suss compared seasoned officers (identified as use-of-force experts) with recruits across tactical decision exercises based on real body-worn camera footage.

Key findings:

• Experienced officers were more likely to rely on verbal commands.

• Less-experienced officers were more likely to escalate quickly to less-lethal or lethal force.

• Three judgment factors largely explained these differences:

1️⃣ Availability of force mitigation opportunities (time, distance, cover)

2️⃣ Presence of nearby weapons

3️⃣ Likelihood of subject escape

Experienced officers appeared to apply more refined “mental models of reasonableness,” carefully weighing mitigation options and context before escalating. Less-experienced officers were more likely to interpret urgency and threat in ways that prompted faster escalation.

Why these findings matter:

The takeaway isn’t simply “get more experience.” Training can deliberately cultivate the cognitive architecture that underpins expert decision-making. Structured tactical decision exercises, especially those that make expert thinking visible (e.g., think-aloud reasoning), may help accelerate the development of sound judgment.

Essentially: Better mental models → Better force decisions → Stronger legitimacy.

Read the full brief for free: https://lnkd.in/g3Y_bCfn