Throughout the past decade, the role of bias in police work has become a bigger topic, and that’s for the better. Each of these conversations is seemingly aimed at improving the quality of police work and preventing unnecessary conflicts. It’s no secret that bias is at the center of many of these conflicts, and eliminating them can yield many benefits.
However, things get more complicated when you consider the differences between departments and polices between cities and states. Police and policy reform don’t happen overnight, but a mandatory basic understanding of psychology can help.
The more police officers and policymakers understand psychology, the more we can enjoy a safe, unbiased society. Eliminating bias starts with behavioral insights, which can significantly improve policing throughout the country.
Follow along as we explore how behavioral insight can reduce bias in policing and policy.
Police officers must make quick assessments and decisions every day, and that’s quite stressful. These decisions can have significant effects on themselves, those they interact with, and the surrounding community. When communities fear law enforcement, it’s typically because they perceive biases that officers may not even realize they display.
This doesn’t mean the officer is evil, but it may indicate that they don’t understand their own subconscious biases. That goes hand in hand with a lack of behavioral understanding, which can hinder police officers. A strong understanding of behavior and psychology can help officers and communities in many ways, including:
Working in law enforcement comes with many unknowns, especially if you lack certain insights into human psychology. Police officers often don’t know what someone is thinking, what they’re hiding, and what their intentions are. Bias can influence these unknowns, making officers and citizens uncomfortable.
The more police officers know about behavioral and social psychology, the more easily they can defuse potentially explosive interactions. To de-escalate a situation, you must understand a lot about body language, and that includes your own. A police officer’s body language may make someone feel threatened, and they may mirror it.
This often leads to needless escalation, and it sometimes goes hand in hand with bias. With sufficient training, police officers can overcome their biases and learn how to respond effectively without escalating the situation. De-escalation training and implicit bias awareness education can prevent unnecessary altercations.
Bias and uncertainty go hand in hand, especially in policing and lawmaking. This goes both ways, however, as community members may also have preconceived notions about local law enforcement. Without any familiarity, people on both sides may feel uncomfortable and even fear one another.
The more a police department is involved with its community, the more comfortable everyone will feel. You can gain a great deal of behavioral insight from even the simplest community interactions. Stopping to talk to community members, attending community events, and listening to their needs can provide invaluable insight.
This insight can help the police understand those around them and naturally eliminate even the most subconscious biases. In some cities, police departments host community events to instill good faith and get to know people. Whether they’re mentoring the youth or helping with canned food drives, building community relationships can make a difference.
Objectivity in policing is nearly impossible if bias is present. Behavioral insight and psychology training can help police officers identify and shed biases to prioritize objectivity. Naturally, this requires some self-reflection and critical thinking, which are essential criminal justice skills.
However, some believe that policy changes are needed to ensure objectivity in law enforcement across the board. Changing certain protocols and policies can help hold everyone more accountable. For example, putting restrictions on how, when, why, and where officers can stop and search people can help ensure objectivity.
That’s because they will be held more accountable, so officers may think twice before letting bias guide them. Police-worn body cameras are supposed to improve objectivity and accountability, but time has shown they are sometimes ineffective. That said, prioritizing objectivity and bias awareness throughout training can make a big difference.
Psychologists have worked closely with law enforcement for years. That includes pre-employment evaluations and criminal profiling, among other instances. However, many people believe that psychologists should play a bigger role in police training.
After all, policing is a high-stress job, and it plays a role in the community’s physical and mental well-being. Psychologists can offer invaluable insight into subconscious bias and whether or not certain people are qualified for police work. They can also help teach officers how to de-escalate heated confrontations, which can prevent unnecessary violence.
If you’ve ever wondered, “What can I do with my psychology degree?”, look no further than law enforcement. Psychologists can help counsel officers, screen officers, and even help change police practices. Hopefully, psychology will play a bigger role in eliminating bias and improving community and police relations one day.
Communities with high rates of crime and incarceration can suffer for years without intervention. However, simply treating everyone in the community like a potential criminal is far removed from intervention. This type of behavior can leave communities scared and distrustful of police officers, and the effects can last for years.
Law enforcement can combat this by embracing psychology and changing training protocols to make officers and citizens more comfortable. When citizens trust officers instead of fearing them, basic stops and searches go much more easily. Conversely, officers may not rush to stop and search citizens when they identify and remove their biases.
A lack of bias can lead to more peaceful interactions, and citizens are more likely to mirror a docile officer’s behavior. This can also reduce confrontations and help officers de-escalate negative situations before they get out of hand. Behavioral insight is just as important as any other part of police training, and it can make a huge difference.
