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. FEB 23

    Investigative Checklists in Policing

    Send a text Checklists are intended to improve the efficiency of people who have to perform in a complex work environment.  Dr. Cory Haberman joins the podcast to discuss his research into the effectiveness of using checklists in policing.  He also talks about the use of virtual reality tools in policing research (including a mildly embarrassing story of learning to use VR goggles for the first time). Main Topics •Checklists demonstrated a significant improvement in evidence collection when used by streel officers when conducting a routine burglary investigation. •It is important to recognize when and were checklists can help in police work. •Virtual reality tools create an immersive environment for studying the police (and it can make research fun!). 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.

    36 min
  2. JAN 30

    Police Body-Worn Cameras and Mental Health Calls

    Send a text Police body-worn cameras (BWC) have been around for several years, and a large number of studies have examined their acceptance by officers and their impact on use-of-force incidents.  Recent research expands on more subtle aspects of the use of body cameras.  This week Dr. Vincent Mousseau discusses his recent research, looking at officer’s views of activating body cameras when engaged with a person experiencing a mental health event.  Main Topics Officers provided diverse opinions on the proper use of BWC when dealing with these calls for service.The research finds officers continue to show the need for discretion when their experiences conflict with policy.  Thus, developing a comprehensive policy is a complex endeavor for police leaders.Streaming the BWC images with mental health professions is an unexplored option.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.

    28 min
  3. JAN 23

    Human Trafficking: Identifying Victims

    Send a text Human trafficking is not the first thing you might think about as a policing issue, but it occurs everywhere.  In this episode Dr’s Gibbs and Strohacker from Penn State Harrisburg discuss their research that indicates training is imperative for street-level officers to recognize human trafficking.   Main Topics •While human trafficking is portrayed in a sensational manner in entertainment media, officers are really navigating more nuanced situations, ambiguous situations. •A survey of police officers from a large agency in Pennsylvania found that training, rather than experience handing or investigating human trafficking, was better for identifying victims. •They suggest that standardized training is needed for officers to identify human trafficking victims 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.

    28 min
  4. JAN 9

    Police De-Escalation

    Send a text Dr. Robin Engel takes a deep dive into police de-escalation, an approach that includes techniques to reduce the tension that can be part of any police-citizen interaction.  The tactics are designed to minimize the use of force by resolving incidents peacefully.   Main Topics Until recently, de-escalation research was non-existent and seen as potentially threating to the officers.Dr. Engel discusses how training contributed to substantial reductions in the use-of-force, as well as reductions in officer injuries.Still, de-escalation training must be combined with supervisor support and frequent reminders of it’s utility.Dr. Engel can be contacted at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University.  Her research can be found on Google Scholar. 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.

    28 min
  5. 12/17/2025

    Episode 14: When the Police Back Off

    Send 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
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.  

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