Bill Overview
Title: Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022
Description: This act 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 act also directs DOJ to make grants to states for costs associated with providing the training to law enforcement officers or mental health professionals.
Sponsors: Sen. Cornyn, John [R-TX]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals encountering law enforcement
Estimated Size: 3000000
- This bill affects law enforcement officers who will receive the training.
- Indirectly, individuals encountering law enforcement officers may be affected as officers employ de-escalation techniques.
- Training aims to prepare officers for situations involving mental health crises, influencing both officers and affected individuals.
- Improved interactions can benefit general community safety.
Reasoning
- We need to ensure diverse representation in the simulated interviews, covering various demographics and stakeholders affected by the policy.
- The budget constraints will affect the size and scope of the training programs, causing variations in its reach to different communities.
- While the primary target for training is law enforcement officers, the benefits extend to community members who interact with them, particularly in crisis situations.
- Law enforcement training impacts community safety and trust, making it important to include perspectives from both officers and civilians.
- There's a need to include both immediate effects and long-term consequences on wellbeing.
Simulated Interviews
law enforcement officer (Chicago, IL)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think the training is much needed as we encounter more mental health issues on the job.
- De-escalation particularly will help in reducing incidents and improving officer safety.
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 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
mental health crisis counselor (Seattle, WA)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful that this training will lead to better cooperation between mental health professionals and law enforcement.
- It should result in fewer injuries that we see in crisis calls.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
retired teacher (Boston, MA)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this will make my community safer and help build trust between the officers and the community.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
college student (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 25 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is a step in the right direction but needs to be part of a broader reform.
- Training alone without systemic change may not be sufficient.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
corporate manager (Miami, FL)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think any measure that improves police training is positive and can improve business environments.
- I don't think the policy affects me directly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
police dispatcher (Houston, TX)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This training might make my job easier as officers will be better prepared for crisis calls.
- It could reduce the stress levels associated with high-pressure calls.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
freelance journalist (New York, NY)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I believe more transparency and accountability are needed, but this training is a positive start.
- I'm cautious about how much real change this can bring without more reform.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
social worker (Denver, CO)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Training like this will possibly make intervention safer for everyone involved, including social workers.
- It's a step towards acknowledging the mental health aspects in law enforcement practices.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
law enforcement officer (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 48 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful but also worried that the funds may not be sufficient for extensive policy reach in rural areas.
- De-escalation training is extremely important for officer and community safety.
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 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 6 |
community organizer (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 26 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This is beneficial but addressing systemic issues requires more than training.
- Training could be a vital tool in improving current police-community relationships.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $150000000 (Low: $120000000, High: $180000000)
Year 2: $140000000 (Low: $110000000, High: $170000000)
Year 3: $140000000 (Low: $110000000, High: $170000000)
Year 5: $140000000 (Low: $110000000, High: $170000000)
Year 10: $140000000 (Low: $110000000, High: $170000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Implementation success depends on state and local law enforcement bodies fully engaging with and adopting the DOJ's training curricula.
- The variability in local law enforcement cultures across the U.S. could affect the consistency of training deployment and effectiveness.
- Collaboration with mental health professionals is crucial as many scenarios involve mental or behavioral health crises.
- Monitoring and evaluation will be needed to track training outcomes and adjust curricula as necessary.