The Design, Delivery, and Evaluation of Police De-escalation Training

De-escalation training has emerged as a strategy that many believe can reduce the use of unlawful and unnecessary force by police officers. Despite de-escalation’s rapid adoption in policing, its evidence base is both limited and mixed. As a result, key questions about its impact remain unanswered. In 2017, the Tempe, Arizona Police Department (TPD) and researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) received funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) to design, deliver, and evaluate a de-escalation training program.