Excessive Force: An Analysis of Policy Alternatives Ashley Lofton – PA6622

Policy Alternative #1  Education Levels of Officer o Terrill & Rydberg Study o DOJ Report found the Seattle PD to have more than a 3rd of it’s officers with 3 or less years of experience. o Research to support correlation between college education and the use of less excessive force. o Other variables at play?

Alternative # 2  Mental Health Training o DeKalb County Police Department o Officers who are aware of what to look for will be more likely to handle situation differently. o Optimistic about results o Newer concept, not much research

Alternative #3  Cultural Awareness/Diversity Training o Some Departments have implemented. o Community distrust and fear can be improved. o Added to initial officer training to save on cost. o May be difficult to find a willing member of community to help. o Research shows that a diverse force will not fix the problem.

Evaluative Criteria  Effectiveness  Cost  Political Feasibility

Assessing Alternatives EffectivenessCostPolitical Feasibility Education level of officers - alt #1311 Mental health training alt - #2222 Cultural awareness/Diversity training alt - #3133 A score of 3 indicates the best rank, while a 1 is the worst

Alternative Selection  Alt #1, Officer Education vs. Alt #2. Mental Health/Illness Training  Alt #2, Mental Health/Mental Illness Training vs. Alt, #3 Cultural awareness and Diversity Training Mental Health/Mental Illness Training

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