New Report Reveals How Police Handle Racial Bias, De-Escalation Training
NEW YORK (CBSNews/CBSNewYork) – As part of a year-long probe into policing in America, CBS News contacted more than 150 police departments across the country to learn more about their racial bias and de-escalation training.
The training teaches officers how to recognize and minimize the negative effects of unconscious biases we all have, including race.
The report was released Wednesday, ahead of the five-year anniversary of Michael Brown's death in Ferguson, Missouri.
What they 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.
Reports from Tri-State Area:
New York:
New York City
- 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.
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.
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.
Click here to read the full report.
