Police In-Service Training

Scott Phillips

This podcast is dedicated to providing research evidence to street-level police officers and command staff alike.  The program is intended to provide research in a jargon-free manner that cuts through the noise, misinformation, and misperceptions about the police.  The discussions with policing experts will help the law enforcement community create better programs, understand challenging policies, and dispel myths of police officer behavior.  

  1. DEC 17

    Episode 14: When the Police Back Off

    Send us a text There have been many questions about police proactive behavior and its impact on crime.  In 2020 two events caused police officers to “back off” on their street activity.  Dr. Jessica Huff explains the research into de-policing and how a reduction in proactive behavior lead to an increase in some types of crime. Main Topics Police officers backed off on their proactive behavior as the result of both department policy during COVID, as well as the social pressure after the death of George Floyd.Street-level officers demonstrated a significant reduction in some behavior.Backing off on proactive behavior was associated with an increase in some types of violent and property crime.If you are interested in the de-policing research discussed today, you can find the article using the following citation: Nix, J., Huff, J., Wolfe, S. E., Pyrooz, D. C., & Mourtgos, S. M. (2024). When police pull back: Neighborhood‐level effects of de‐policing on violent and property crime, a research note. Criminology, 62(1), 156-171. Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share. Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review. Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: policeinservicetrainingpodcast@gmail.com You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and guests, and are not authorized by and do not necessarily reflect those of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services or the State of New York.

    27 min
  2. APR 3

    Episode 13: High-Stress and Officer Recall

    Send us a text A police officer’s body camera can record the objective reality of an event, but the officer’s recall of the event will often be inaccurate.  Dr. Louise Porter from Griffith University joins the podcast to discuss her research exploring the memory and recall of police officers who are exposed to high-stress events. Main Topics -Dr. Porter discussed the perceptual distortions as they related to high stress events.  -We cover the differences in asking officers to document an incident as soon as possible or providing them with a waiting period before they are interviewed. -Finally, Dr. Porter will review the findings of her research on how an interview should be conducted to allow an officer the best opportunity to document an incident as accurately as possible. Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share. Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review. Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: policeinservicetrainingpodcast@gmail.com You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and guests, and are not authorized by and do not necessarily reflect those of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services or the State of New York.

    37 min
  3. MAR 14

    Episode 12: Policing Deaths during Active Shooter Events

    Send us a text Police officers are trained to use deadly physical force as a last resort.  They are also trained to reduce their own risk of death.  Active shooter events, however, require a different behavior formula.  Officers are trained to move toward danger, and there is an expectation that they should “kill the killer” (as stated by a Florida Sheriff after the active shooting incident at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School).  These behaviors may contribute to the deaths of police officers.  Dr. Pete Blair, from Texas State University, joins us to break down these events and what might increase the survivability of police officers who respond to an active shooter event. Main Topics •Dr. Blair will discuss Normal Accidents and Resilience Engineering and their relation to officer behavior during these events. •He’ll examine the common conditions that lead to officer deaths. •Finally, Dr. Blair will discuss the changes to training that may be needed for responding to an active shooter event. If you are interested in discussion your agency's participation in the research project I mentioned in the leadup to the podcast episode, feel free to contact me at my Buffalo State email address: phillisw@buffalostate.edu If you are interested in the data discussed by Dr. Blair, use the link below: https://tacticalscience.substack.com/p/updated-data-on-the-most-dangerous Chain Survival: Responding to an Active Attack, by Dr. Blair and Dr. Martaindale, is available at Amazon (check the link below):  https://www.amazon.com/Chain-Survival-Responding-Active-Attack/dp/B0DFS3K8P8/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1 Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share. Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review. Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: policeinservicetrainingpodcast@gmail.com You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and guests, and are not authorized by and do not necessarily reflect those of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services or the State of New York.

    33 min
  4. MAR 7

    Episode 11: Contagious Fire

    Send us a text Whenever a police officer fires their weapon at another person it is important to understand why.  What were the conditions that lead to the shooting?  Explaining why a single officer shoots two or three times is important but explaining why three or four officers empty their clips seems to be a completely different question.  To better understand the idea of something called “contagious fire” we are joined today by Eric Dlugolenski from Central Connecticut State University. Main Topics •We’ll discuss the importance of studying contagious fire even if it’s a rare event. •Eric will explain the use of video simulators to study officer shooting behavior. •I also ask Eric to clarify the difference between shooting “errors” and justifications. Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share. Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review. Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: policeinservicetrainingpodcast@gmail.com You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and guests, and are not authorized by and do not necessarily reflect those of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services or the State of New York.

    31 min
  5. FEB 21

    Episode 9: Police Mental Health and Wellness

    Send us a text Studies show that a police officer experiences as many traumatic events in 6 months as the average person does across their entire lifetime.  These stressful experiences can build up within an officer and lead to any number of personal and professional problems.  For several decades there has been some recognition by policing to the impact of stress, and this has increased their willingness to do something about it.  This episode will explore some of the current research into the mental health services available to the police. Main Topics •What are the views of police officers with respect to accessing mental health services? •What are the perceptions of sworn officers and civilian personnel about the current state of mental health in law enforcement  •[What are some of the policy implications for police leaders regarding getting mental health services into the agency. Dr. Padilla can be contacted at kepadil@txstate.edu Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share. Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review. Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: policeinservicetrainingpodcast@gmail.com You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and guests, and are not authorized by and do not necessarily reflect those of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services or the State of New York.

    30 min
  6. FEB 7

    Episode 8: Academy Training

    Send us a text In recent years there has been a small shift in how the police should frame their goals, and how police academies should train new recruits.  The “guardian” approach to policing emphasizes community service, democracy, procedural justice, and de-escalation. Shifting from a warrior training framework to a guardian framework may be a false dichotomy choice.  Both frameworks are like the opposite sides of a coin: both are necessary to make the coin.  It may be media "copiganda" that forces the warrior perspective on the police and the public. Joining us on the podcast to discuss a shifting focus for the police training academy is Dr. Beck Strah, who is an Assistant Professor in the School of Justice Studies at Roger Williams University.  He serves as the primary investigator on a statewide evaluation of Rhode Island’s Crisis Intervention Teams training programs.  Dr. Strah is a 2020 graduate of Northeastern University. Beck also hosts a podcast called Prison Breakdown where we discuss prison news, issues, and history.  Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share. Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review. Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: policeinservicetrainingpodcast@gmail.com You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and guests, and are not authorized by and do not necessarily reflect those of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services or the State of New York.

    27 min
  7. JAN 31

    Episode 7: Artificial Intelligence in Policing

    Send us a text Technological advancements have always found their way into policing, and Artificial Intelligence is no exception.   Dr. Ian Adams joins the podcast today to discuss some of the seminal research exploring AI in policing.  Ian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina.  Ian is also a 2023 National Institute of Justice LEADS (Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science) Academic, and he is the Managing Editor for Police Practice & Research: An International Journal.  In a prior life Ian was a police officer who worked in Utah. Beyond simple questions of "does AI work to make policing more efficient?," Ian explains that AI can accidentally do a better job in some parts of policing, but this may open the door to legal questions about the development of suspicion.   Don't forget to like, FOLLOW, and share. Sharing this podcast or an episode is one of the best complements I can receive, which will help grow the show. And don't forget to provide a review. Giving five stars is never a bad idea. Feel free to email me your comments using the "send us a text" option (above), or at the following email address: policeinservicetrainingpodcast@gmail.com You can also contact me at: Bluesky: @policeinservice.bsky.social The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the author and guests, and are not authorized by and do not necessarily reflect those of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services or the State of New York.

    32 min
4.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

This podcast is dedicated to providing research evidence to street-level police officers and command staff alike.  The program is intended to provide research in a jargon-free manner that cuts through the noise, misinformation, and misperceptions about the police.  The discussions with policing experts will help the law enforcement community create better programs, understand challenging policies, and dispel myths of police officer behavior.