Fair and Impartial Policing: The Supervisor’s Role

Intro

All people, even well-intentioned people have biases.

We’ll discuss various biases. We’ll explore what social science research

has taught us (implicit bias). Need to recognize our unconscious biases,

so we can implement UNbiased behavior

Fair and Impartial Police Officers are more likely to Be effective at solving crimes and handling

disorder problems Stay safe and go home at the end of the shift. Enhance/promote trust on the part of the people

they serve.

Effective First Line Supervisors Are: Role Models Mentors Representatives of the Department Authorities on Policy and Practice Professional Coaches Disciplinarians

[NS] Understanding the science of bias is critical to you as you fulfill your role as a supervisor …..

This training will help you to “supervise to promote fair and impartial policing” in yourself and in your subordinates

Goals of the Training

Recognize our own human biases Understand how implicit biases can affect

perceptions and behavior Understand how biased policing impacts

community members and the department Reflect on the role effective supervisors have

in promoting fair and impartial policing

During this training

Relax: Leave your preconceived notions about “bias” training at the door. Our approach is different from

traditional training.

During this training

Reflect: Think about what it means to be an effective supervisor.…what you expect of yourself and

your officers.

During this training

Recognize your expertise.You bring experience and expertise

to the discussions.

During this training

Stretch your imagination and apply your skills.This training requires active participation in all

of the discussions and exercises.

Understanding Human Bias

Susan Boyle – Britain’s Got Talent

Fundamental Concepts of Human Bias Bias is a normal human attribute—even well-

intentioned people have biases Biases are often unconscious or “implicit” Implicit biases are sometimes incompatible with

our chosen beliefs and values Implicit biases can influence our actions Understanding how implicit bias can affect our

behavior is the first step to “overriding” implicit bias

To Understand Implicit Bias, We Need to Understand…. Whom we are most likely to pre-judge What determines the characteristics we

assign to them Whether we know when we are prejudging

people

To understand implicit bias:

Whom do we pre judge?We prejudge “ambiguous stimuli”

What determines the characteristics we attribute to them?Group stereotypes/biases

Do we know when we are doing this?Not always.

What are bases on which people may be stereotyped (and treated differentially)? Income English language abilities Gender Age Religious affiliation Profession Sexual orientation, identity etc.

Key Point of Role Play

Policing based on stereotypes is unsafe.

Key Points of the “Blink” Response Recognize the “blink” response Replace it with objective (bias free)

judgments

“Money Train”

Woody Harrelson is an undercover officer.

Note: The use of the copyrighted material falls under fair use laws with no intended copyright violation.

Stereotyping and Human Bias

When we don’t know an individual, we assign a group characteristic to them

Often we do not know when we are impacted by biases (they can be unconscious or “implicit” biases)

Recognizing our biases allows us to override them—to engage in unbiased behavior.

Mad World Video – Gary Jules

Key Point:

Policing based on stereotypes is unsafe, ineffective, and unjust.

Race-Crime Association Studies

The “Bump” Study

Study: Experiencing an ambiguous “bump” from a stranger How did people interpret the bump by African

Americans versus the bump by Whites? Result: The “bump” was perceived as more

threatening when performed by an African American. Replicated to show this was true for both White and

non-White “victims”/subjects.

The Visual Perception Study

Subjects were “primed” with Black male faces, White male faces, or no faces

Completed object recognition task Eberhardt, Goff, Purdie, & Davies (2004).

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Levels of Degradation

Frame 1Frame 25Frame 41

Crime Object

Crime Object

Other Object: Crime Irrelevant

Hypotheses

If the Black-crime association impacts our visual perception, then: Participants primed with Black male faces

should be faster to identify crime-relevant objects than those primed with White male faces.

There should be no effect of prime for crime-irrelevant objects.

Object Identification

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Flashing WhiteFaces

No Faces(Control)

Flashing Black Faces

Fra

me

nu

mb

er

Crime-Relevant

Crime-Irrelevant

________________________________

Visual Perception Study: Conclusions

Exposure to Black male faces facilitated the identification of crime-relevant objects.

Exposure to White male faces inhibited the identification of crime-relevant objects.

Be a research participant!

We will see slides of backgrounds and then a person will appear—very quickly—with something in his hands.

Shout “Threat” if you see a threat [Silent if no threat]

Correll Results: Race Made a Difference

Speed: Participants shot a White armed man slower than a Black armed man

Errors: Participants were more likely to shoot an unarmed Black man than an

unarmed White man

The Turban Effect Study

Research volunteers played a computer game that showed apartment balconies on which different people appeared, some wearing Muslim-style turbans and others bare-headed.

They were told to shoot at the people carrying guns and spare those who were unarmed.

The Turban Effect Results

Subjects were much more likely to shoot Muslim-looking people, even if they were carrying an “innocent item” instead of a weapon.

They also found a gender effect: Subjects were more likely to shoot men than women (even when harmless)

Unkelbach, Forgas and Denson (2008). J. of

Experimental Social Psychology.

Due to implicit bias, officers may: Increase scrutiny of people of color Interpret ambiguous behavior on the part

of people of color as more aggressive Respond to people of color more

aggressively Under-respond to Whites, Asians, etc. And so forth.

Biases are Based, at Least in Part, on Fact

Economic Status, Race and Crime A= Lower income people are

disproportionately represented among people who commit street crimes

B= People of color are disproportionately represented in lower income levels

A+B=C People of color are disproportionately represented among the people who commit street crimes.

Crash Scene: The Streets of Los AngelesUsage of the copyrighted material falls under fair use laws with no intended copyright violation.

First-Line Supervisors Help Their Officers To: Effectively perform their duties and solve crimes Identify the right suspect and make good cases Keep safe and go home at the end of the day

Policing based on biases/stereotypes impedes achievement of these

objectives!

Implicit Bias Manifests in Non-Prejudiced People

Addressing Our Implicit Biases

Contact Theory: Reducing Implicit Bias Positive contact between members of

groups improves inter-group attitudes and reduces both explicit and implicit biases.

Personal Contacts and Implicit Biases in Officers Peruche and Plant (2005) Measured implicit

bias on the part of officers Shoot/don’t shoot simulator to measure implicit

bias. Surveys too

Police too manifest the blink responseBut the blink response is weaker in officers who

report positive attitudes and positive interpersonal contacts with racial/ethnic minorities

Unlinking Stereotypes: Correll Study Number 2 Speed: Both police and civilians exhibited racial

bias Errors: Bias was less likely to manifest itself in

police errors.Bottom Line: Police made correct decisions.

Interpretation: High quality, role play use-of-force training helps police “unlink” race & crime for split-second use-of-force decisions.

Implementing “Controlled (unbiased) Behavior”

We can implement “controlled behaviors” that override our (natural) implicit biases.

Fundamental Concepts of Human Bias Bias is a normal human attribute—even well-

intentioned people have biases Biases are often unconscious or “implicit” Implicit biases are sometimes incompatible with

our chosen beliefs and values Implicit biases can influence our actions Understanding how implicit bias can affect our

behavior is the first step to “override” implicit bias

MODULE 2

The Impact of Biased Policing on Community Members and the Department

Biased Actions Impact:

Community members Your law enforcement agency

FAIR AND IMPARTIAL POLICING ENGENDERS COMMUNITY RESPECT AND COOPERATION

Research Demonstrates

Police cannot be effective without support/cooperation of the community

Community members who perceive the police as being fair see them as a legitimate authority

Supervisor’s Role in Engendering Police Legitimacy

Police Legitimacy Impacts the Public’s Willingness To:

Obey societal laws Cooperate with the police Assist with crime prevention efforts Assist with valuable information during

criminal investigations Support criminal prosecutions

Fair and Impartial Policing Results In…. Community trust and cooperation Legitimacy of police among community

members Safe policing Effective policing “Good” policing

MODULE 3

Supervising for Fair, Impartial, and Effective Policing

[NS] Previous module

Supervisors’ roleYou are many things……

One of your most challenging tasks…One aspect: You must supervise to promote

fair and impartial policing And with your decisions/actions…

In This Session

How to identify bias in your direct reports How to intervene when you suspect bias How to assess your own potential for

biased decisions How to speak to individuals, community

forums and media about bias and biased policing

The power of the police supervisor to set standards/expectations

How you respond to concerns of bias is very important.

“Crash”

[NS] Crash Points

Think about what the LT should have done Think about the message Think about the culture

Identifying Biased Policing in Your Direct Reports

[NS] Identifying biased behavior Bias can manifest in well-intentioned, ill-

intentioned YOUR job: To identify when biased policing is

occurring What are you looking for?

Picture officer…… sees crime in young Latino males. [What might he do more of…..]

Picture officer …. well-to-do are law abiding, honest, worthy of respect. [What might he do…]

[NS] What sources of information would be helpful in detecting biased behavior?

EIS, limits of These sources: Might lead to concerns or confirm/refute

concerns.

[NS] It is difficult to identify bias!

Not visible behavior like force, it’s what the officer is thinking

This is why we can’t rely on dept’s complaint system

But this does not mean “throw up your hands”….Must understand and deal with less than clear

information/evidence.

Intervening to Thwart Biased Behavior

Discussed:How bias might manifestWhat information sources are useful

Now the Q: What do you do if you think a subordinate is engaged in biased behavior?

EX: Gary sees crime in all young, Latino males.

You believe he makes traffic stops to ask questions, look in the car, etc.

Much more aggressive with these individualsNo specific crime reports in area to support this

aggressive interventionHe is otherwise a good cop …wants to serve

communityHas commendations, etc……

What do you do, as a supervisor, about Gary?

Addressing Bias with Direct Reports Recognize ambiguous nature of the “evidence”

of biased behavior Approach:

Share your observations Ask why this might be occurring Use non-accusatory tone Structure concerns in terms of officer safety and

effectiveness Discuss how/why behavior might be biased and

unacceptable

Possible reactions

[NS] Roll call as a teaching moment Preventative measure Opportunity to discuss department’s

commitment Easier…relaxed group setting Opportunity for hypotheticals or questions to

reinforce key points for this training(all this easier if you have had recruit training in

your agency on FIP)

Supervisors are Human Too!

Be aware that your decisions may be influenced by your own biases.External and internal

Be aware that some directions that you give could:Produce perceptions of biases, racial tension.Be interpreted through the biases of your

officers [Lorie example]

Departmental Policies

[NS] Department policies

There is not ONE definition of biased policing

Policies define biased policingTells officers………can/can’tMany focus just on race/ethnicity, some broader

You need to know/understand policy to supervise to promote FIP

In groups:

When is it appropriate for police to take race/ethnicity into consideration when making law enforcement decisions (e.g., decisions to stop, arrest, request consent to search)?

The Suspect-Specific Policy Model Officers may not consider the race or

ethnicity of a person in the course of any law enforcement action unless the officer is seeking to detain, apprehend, or otherwise be on the lookout for a specific suspect sought in connection with a specific crime who has been identified or described in part by race or ethnicity.

The PERF Policy

Officers shall not consider or otherwise be influenced by race/ethnicity in carrying out law enforcement activities except when credible, locally relevant information links a person or people of a specific race/ethnicity to an unlawful incident, unlawful incidents, criminal patterns, or schemes.

 

[NS] Again: Policy Importance

In supervising to promote fair and impartial policing

Agency policy defines what it is.

This is relevant to next exercises…..

[NS] Scenarios: Supervising for fair, impartial and effective policing

Talking with the Community and the Media about Bias

Talking with community, individuals For example: Citizen concerns of bias,

community meetings, mediaPalo Alto

Have you had to deal with an individual or group with concerns about bias?What did you do? Were you good? Bad?

[NS] Individual community member ….. Alleging biased behavior Can be tense Let’s start with this: How do you want your

subordinates to respond to accusations of biased behavior made against them? …

A Suggested Response to an Accusation of Biased Behavior“I am sorry that you feel that way. I stopped

you [or whatever the officer did to intervene with the community member] because you _____ [officer explains the violation or other reason for the intervention].”

[NS] Why this language?

Officer’s denial will not be effectiveWon’t change motorist’s mind

And besides: The motorist might be right!! (What have learned?)

Our suggested language: AcknowledgeBack to business.

[NS] Now you are called to the scene What do you do/say? What do you not do/say?

What To Do

[Objectives: Reduce tension but not undermine your officer]

Listen to the concerns of community members

Inform community members of their right to file a complaint and the process for doing so.

What NOT To Do

Adjudicate on the spot

You do not KNOW whether bias occurred. Could debrief with officer.

[NS] Speaking to community groups about bias BEFORE the crisis Do your agencies hold community

meetings? Use these to talk about bias

More constructive “before the storm”

Fair and Impartial Policing Messages Fairness and impartiality are the values of the

agency Agency does not tolerate biased policing We understand, however, that humans have

biases and so… The agency has instituted policies and

procedures to promote fair and impartial policing, including…

[NS] Speaking to an angry community after an incident (where bias is alleged) Objectives:

Reduce anger, tensionRelay factual information (about incident)…

The Crisis Communication Message The agency does not tolerate biased

policingThe agency is committed to fair and impartial

policing The agency will conduct a comprehensive

and transparent investigation The agency will openly communicate the

findings and results of the investigation

[NS] Sure-fire way to increase tension and anger

Declare: “No biased policing occurs in this agency.”

The Media Message

[Establish the positive relationship BEFORE the crisis]

Use the crisis communication Describe what the agency is doing to

promote fair and impartial policing

[More on media]

They may run the “bias” story… BUT, they may also write about your

agency’s science-based approach to FIP

Summary of Key Points: Module 1 All people, even well-intentioned people

have biasesThey can be “implicit” (unconscious)Susan Boyle:

We prejudge, We fill them in, Often we don’t know

[Sum, Module 1 Cont.]

Even though stereotypes might be based in part on fact (remember Sandra Bullock)…..

Policing based on biases can be unsafe, ineffective and unjustShoot don’t shoot (not shooting white…..) $ Train Treating homelessMan/woman with gun and DV role plays

Summary of Key Points: Module 2 Biased policing has negative

consequences for community members and the departmentBiased policing erodes community trustCommunity trust is essential for cooperation

and support of officers and the departmentCommunity trust is essential for police

legitimacy

Module 3: Supervisors’ Responsibilities Be role models, mentors, representatives of

the department, authorities on departmental policy, and disciplinarians

Identify possible manifestations of bias Prevent biased behavior and intervene when

indicated Discuss biased policing with subordinates and

community…..

Supervisors are Human Too!

Your decisions may be impacted by human biasesYour biases may impact your treatment of

direct reportsYour biases may impact your policing

decisions

We hope this training…

Better understanding science of human bias Renewed your appreciation of negative

impact You learned skills ….will serve you

In your role as effective supervisor … Will help you supervise to promote FIP Thank you!!

Assignments of Module(s) 3 segments to teams

Practice Teach of Modules 1 and 2 with debrief

THANK YOU!