U.S.

We asked 155 police departments about their racial bias training. Here's what they told us.

August 7, 2019 / 7:32 AM EDT / CBS News

Mesa, Arizona police officers rip racial bias training: "It kills morale"

CBS News contacted more than 150 police departments in big cities across the country to learn more about their implicit racial bias training as part of a year-long look into policing in America.

The 155 police departments contacted include the largest three cities in each state, based on the 2010 census, as well as the District of Columbia, Ferguson and five additional cities that ranked in their state's top three in the 2018 census estimate. Together, these departments police about a fifth of the U.S. population.

What we found:

At least 69% reported they do have implicit racial bias training and 57% of those departments said it was added in the five years since Michael Brown was shot to death by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking months of protests nationwide.
About 59% of the agencies that responded to follow-up questions say they do not have a way to measure the success or failure of those programs.
More than 70% of the departments we contacted completed our survey and 75% of departments who responded told us that they changed their training practices after controversial use-of-force incidents.
Of the departments that reported having implicit bias training, 90% say they make it mandatory.

Below is a state-by-state breakdown of what the departments we contacted said about their implicit racial bias and de-escalation training including the average length of training sessions, frequency of training and when they began offering it.

Alabama

Birmingham

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 16 hours more than once per year.
De-escalation training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once every 2-5 years.

Montgomery

Declined to participate

Huntsville

Implicit racial bias training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

Mobile

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2009. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.

Alaska

Anchorage

Declined to participate.

Fairbanks

Declined to participate.

Juneau

Declined to participate.

Arizona

Phoenix

Implicit racial bias training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 11 hours once per year.

Tucson

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: Number of hours varies but occurs annually.

Mesa

Implicit racial bias training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 10 once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 10 hours once per year.

Arkansas

Little Rock

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.

Fort Smith

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

Fayetteville

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 1 hour once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 1 hour more than once per year.

California

Los Angeles

Declined to participate.

San Diego

Unconscious bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 3 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Continuous and part of overall training process.

San Jose

Unconscious bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Number of hours varies, but training occurs more than once per year.

Colorado

Denver

Implicit racial bias training since 2008. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once every 2-5 years.

Colorado Springs

Declined to participate.

Aurora

Implicit racial bias training since 2010. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2-4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2010. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2-8 hours more than once per year.

Connecticut

Bridgeport

Declined to participate.

New Haven

Did not respond to survey after multiple follow-ups.

Stamford

Unsure if they offer implicit racial bias training.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.

Hartford

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 6 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours at various frequencies.

Delaware

Wilmington

Did not respond to survey after multiple follow-ups.

Dover

Unconscious bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: One hour once per year.
De-escalation training since 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: More than two hours once per year.

Newark

Implicit racial bias training since 2012. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours (skipped question regarding frequency of training session).
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours (skipped question regarding frequency of training session).

District of Columbia

Washington

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 12 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours more than once per year.

Florida

Jacksonville

Declined to participate.

Miami

Declined to participate.

Tampa

Implicit racial bias training since July 2014. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4-6 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: No class dedicated to de-escalation; rather, it's included in other training on subjects like use of force and decision making.

Georgia

Atlanta

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours for new recruits, and 2 hours for sworn personnel. Occurs once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.

Augusta

Implicit racial bias training since 2012. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2012. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours more than once per year.

Columbus

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.

Hawaii

Honolulu

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Half an hour once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Varies in length but occurs once per year.

Idaho

Boise

Implicit racial bias training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4-12 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2012. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 24-hour course during police academy, and a 40-hour course after police academy. Occurs at various frequencies.

Meridian

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2010. Mandatory. Training frequency: Number of hours varies but occurs more than once per year. Implemented in all of scenario training.

Nampa

Implicit racial bias training since 2008. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 40 hours once every 2-5 years.

Illinois

Chicago

Declined to participate

Aurora

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours more than once per year.

Naperville

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2010. Mandatory. Training frequency: More than 40 hours more than once per year.

Rockford

Implicit racial bias training since 2011. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.

Indiana

Indianapolis

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: Interwoven into firearms curriculum, which is 16 hours per year.

Fort Wayne

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 1 hour more than once per year.

Evansville

Declined to participate

Iowa

Des Moines

Implicit racial bias training since 2016, supplemented by annual diversity training. Academy recruits train longer. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year. Academy training is 40 hours.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours at various frequencies.

Cedar Rapids

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours more than once per year.

Davenport

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 6 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2012. Mandatory. Training frequency: 3 hours once per year.

Kansas

Wichita

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: More than 4 hours once per year.

Overland Park

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Number of hours varies but training occurs once per year.
De-escalation training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: Number of hours and frequency varies.

Kansas City

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once every 2-5 years.

Kentucky

Louisville

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 16 hours once per year.

Lexington

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours minimum at various frequencies, and 24 hours through police training academy.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 40 hours at various frequencies.

Bowling Green

Declined to participate.

Louisiana

New Orleans

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: Incorporated into use of force classes which occur once per year.

Baton Rouge

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours with varying frequency.
De-escalation training since 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.

Shreveport

Implicit racial bias training since 2018. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2018. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 12 hours once per year.

Maine

Portland

Implicit racial bias training since 2013. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2-3 hours at various frequencies.

Lewiston

Declined to participate

Bangor

Declined to participate.

Maryland

Baltimore

Implicit racial bias training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: In 2018 officers received 2 hours of training. In 2019 officers will receive 32 hours of training.
De-escalation training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: First training sessions are 16 hours. Two-hour refresher courses are given as a follow-up each year.

Frederick

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: Several hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Length of training sessions varies, but occurs more than once per year.

Gaithersburg

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 1 hour once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2010. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8-10 hours more than once per year.

Rockville

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 1-3 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.

Massachusetts

Boston

Declined to participate

Worcester

Declined to participate

Springfield

Implicit racial bias training since 1998. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2-3 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2014, before Aug. 9. Mandatory. Training frequency: More than one hour of training once per year.

Michigan

Detroit

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Included with training (40 hours), which occurs once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Included with training (40 hours), which occurs once per year.

Grand Rapids

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours more than once per year.

Warren

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Hours and frequency varies.
De-escalation training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

Minnesota

Minneapolis

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours more than once per year.

St. Paul

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency depends on the program. Most are 4 hours, more than once per year.
De-escalation training since 2012. Mandatory. Training frequency: 40 hours once per year.

Rochester

Implicit racial bias since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Between 4 and 40 hours at various frequencies.

Mississippi

Jackson

Implicit racial bias since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.

Gulfport

Declined to participate

Southhaven

Declined to participate

Missouri

Kansas City

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 1-2 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Recruit basic training is continual. In-service training varies, but is more than 4 hours on average each year.

St. Louis

Implicit racial bias training since October 2014. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since October 2014. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

Springfield

Declined to participate

Ferguson

Implicit racial bias training since 2012. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.

Montana

Billings

Declined to participate

Missoula

Declined to participate

Great Falls

Declined to participate

Nebraska

Omaha

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.

Lincoln

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 1-8 hours more than once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 1-8 hours more than once per year.

Bellevue

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 4-8 hour classes at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: On average, 2-4 hour classes once per year.

Nevada

Las Vegas

Implicit racial bias training since 2013. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2011. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2-4 hours more than once per year.

Henderson

Declined to participate.

Reno

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Varies in length, but occurs more than once per year.

New Hampshire

Manchester

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Varies in length but occurs once per year as part of use of force training.

Nashua

Declined to participate

Concord

Began, but did not complete survey.

New Jersey

Newark

Implicit racial bias training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

Jersey City

Declined to participate

Paterson

Implicit racial bias training since 2013. Mandatory. Training frequency: 3 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 30 minutes - 1 hour more than once per year.

New Mexico

Albuquerque

Confirmed that implicit racial bias training occurs.
Confirmed that de-escalation training occurs.

Las Cruces

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 15 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 40 hours in crisis intervention training and 16 hours in verbal judo through their academy. Frequency varies.

Rio Rancho

Implicit racial bias training since 2010. Mandatory. Training frequency: 1 to 2 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2010. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

New York

New York

Implicit racial bias training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at varying frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2015. Mandatory. Training: 32 hours. Did not answer question of how frequently training takes place.

Buffalo

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 1 hour once per year.
De-escalation training since 2018. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 1 hour once per year.

Rochester

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8.25 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once every 2-5 years.

North Carolina

Charlotte

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.

Raleigh

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.

Greensboro

Implicit racial bias training since 2012. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2006. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.

North Dakota

Fargo

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.

Bismarck

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.

Grand Forks

No Implicit racial bias training.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Varies.

Ohio

Columbus

Declined to participate

Cleveland

Declined to participate

Cincinnati

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours at various frequencies.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

Tulsa

Implicit racial bias training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Occurs once per year for a varying number of hours.

Norman

Implicit racial bias and de-escalation training occurs but they declined to participate in our survey beyond that.

Oregon

Portland

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2012. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours more than once per year.

Salem

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2011. Mandatory. Training frequency: 1 hour more than once per year.

Eugene

Implicit racial bias training since 2008. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2014. Mandatory. Training frequency: Session lengths vary but occur more than once per year.

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once every 2-5 years.

Pittsburgh

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.

Allentown

Declined participation.

Rhode Island

Providence

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2016. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 4-8 hours at various frequencies.

Cranston

Declined participation

Warwick

No unconscious bias training.
De-escalation training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

South Carolina

Charleston

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2014. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

North Charleston

Declined participation

Columbia

Implicit racial bias training since 2010. Mandatory. Training frequency: 1 hour once per year.
De-escalation training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.

South Dakota

Sioux Falls

No implicit racial bias training.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

Rapid City

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4-8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4-8 hours at various frequencies.

Aberdeen

Did not respond to survey after multiple follow-ups.

Tennessee

Nashville

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: More than one hour of training once per year.

Memphis

Declined to participate

Knoxville

Declined to participate

Texas

Houston

Implicit racial bias training since 2006. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2009. Mandatory. Training frequency varies, but normally 8 hours more than once per year.

San Antonio

Began, but did not complete survey.

Dallas

Implicit racial bias training since 2015. Mandatory. Training frequency: 7 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once every 2-5 years.

Utah

Salt Lake City

Implicit racial bias training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 5-10 hours once per year.
De-escalation training since 2016. Mandatory. Training frequency: 2-4 hours once per year.

West Valley City

Declined to participate

Provo

Implicit racial bias training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: Crisis intervention training course is 40 hours and occurs once every 2-5 years.

Vermont

Burlington

Declined to participate

South Burlington

Implicit racial bias training since 2018. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2018. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.

Rutland

Implicit racial bias training since 2013. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once per year.
De-escalation training offered but did not specify when it began. Not mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.

Virginia

Virginia Beach

Implicit racial bias training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours at various frequencies.
De-escalation training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: More than one hour more than once per year.

Norfolk

Implicit racial bias training since 2013. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2012. Mandatory. Training frequency: 8 hours once every 2-5 years.

Chesapeake

Implicit racial bias training since July 2014. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since 2017. Mandatory. Training frequency: More than one hour once every 2-5 years.

Washington

Seattle

Implicit racial bias training since 2009. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4-8 hours once every 2-5 years.
De-escalation training since before 2005. Mandatory. Training frequency: 4-8 hours more than once per year.

Spokane

Declined to participate.

Tacoma

Declined to participate.

West Virginia