Bill Overview
Title: Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022
Description: This bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop scenario-based training curricula (or identify existing curricula) that includes topics such as alternatives to the use of force, de-escalation tactics, and safely responding to an individual experiencing a mental, behavioral health, or suicidal crisis. The bill also directs DOJ to make grants to states for costs associated with providing the training to law enforcement officers or mental health professionals.
Sponsors: Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37]
Target Audience
Population: Law enforcement officers and mental health professionals involved in training
Estimated Size: 1000000
- The bill aims to create training programs for law enforcement that focus on de-escalation and dealing with mental health crises.
- Law enforcement officers across the country will be directly impacted as they will receive new or additional training.
- Individuals with mental health issues will be indirectly impacted as interactions with law enforcement will have the potential to be less confrontational and more supportive.
- Communities at large will also benefit from this training as it could lead to safer police interactions.
- Extraneous parties such as mental health professionals involved in law enforcement training will also be impacted.
Reasoning
- The target population includes law enforcement officers and mental health professionals across the United States. The expected direct impact is training for 1 million individuals, improving their ability to de-escalate potentially dangerous situations.
- Indirectly, communities and individuals with mental health issues will benefit from the policy. They will experience improved interactions with law enforcement, likely leading to enhanced wellbeing due to reduced confrontation and a better support mechanism during crises.
- The budget constraints suggest a focus on impactful yet cost-effective training programs, likely prioritizing high-need areas and scalable training solutions, such as online modules or train-the-trainer models to maximize reach.
- Police officers, mental health professionals, and individuals with mental health challenges were considered to provide a well-rounded view of the potential policy impact. We aimed to include people from diverse geographic and socio-economic backgrounds to better simulate the wide-ranging effects of the policy.
Simulated Interviews
Police Officer (Chicago, IL)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think this training could be really beneficial, especially in high-stress areas like where I work. I've seen situations escalate quickly due to misunderstandings.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Mental Health Professional (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy reinforces the need for mental health professionals in law enforcement training. Our programs can better prepare officers for real-world situations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Police Sergeant (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 43 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improving our de-escalation competence is crucial. Current training doesn't adequately cover mental health crises.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Sheriff (Helena, MT)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- In rural areas, we often deal with understaffing, so better crisis response training could reduce resource strain.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Police Cadet (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 23 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful that the training will prepare us to handle crisis situations more effectively and empathetically.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Emergency Response Coordinator (New York, NY)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Unified training programs across departments will improve efficiency and outcomes during emergencies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Firefighter/EMT (Dallas, TX)
Age: 37 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy means better coordination in crisis situations, potentially saving more lives by calming tense scenarios.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Community Organizer (New Orleans, LA)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This training is overdue. It could reduce tensions between minority communities and police.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Social Worker (Detroit, MI)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's about time law enforcement gets training aligned with mental health protocols. This can bridge vital gaps.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Psychologist (Miami, FL)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Collaboration between mental health experts and police will improve with structured training, benefiting everyone involved.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $150000000 (Low: $125000000, High: $175000000)
Year 2: $100000000 (Low: $80000000, High: $120000000)
Year 3: $90000000 (Low: $75000000, High: $105000000)
Year 5: $80000000 (Low: $65000000, High: $95000000)
Year 10: $70000000 (Low: $55000000, High: $85000000)
Year 100: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Key Considerations
- The effectiveness of different curricula and their suitability across various jurisdictions will be crucial.
- State uptake and the specific allocation of federal grants will determine the overall impact and cost-effectiveness.
- The expertise and training of mental health professionals utilized in the training implementation phases will significantly influence outcomes.