EP38 “Are Tactical Officers Primed to Use Force?” with Bryce Jenkins

Summary

Bryce Jenkins, a PhD student in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University, discusses his research on the deployment of SWAT or tactical teams and the associated risks. He challenges the notion of the militarization of police and the belief that the deployment of tactical teams increases the risk to the public. Bryce's research focuses on understanding the context and nature of calls that tactical officers respond to, and he found that the primary response of tactical officers is to high-risk calls. He also highlights the importance of considering relevant environmental factors and the limitations of relying solely on the initial call type to assess risk. The conversation explores the use of tactical officers in law enforcement and their potential impact on public safety. The guest, Bryce Jenkins, discusses the effectiveness of using tactical officers to augment patrol and the value of their specialized resources. He also addresses the concern that tactical officers are predisposed to use force, highlighting research that shows they actually reduce the likelihood and severity of force. The conversation delves into the concept of naturalistic decision making and how the expertise and training of tactical officers contribute to their superior decision-making abilities. The importance of debriefing and continuous learning in improving decision making is emphasized. Overall, the conversation challenges the notion that tactical officers pose an increased risk to the public and highlights the benefits they bring to law enforcement.

Takeaways

There is no evidence that the deployment of SWAT or tactical teams increases the risk to the public.

Tactical officers primarily respond to high-risk calls, but they also provide support and backup to frontline officers in lower-risk situations.

The initial call type alone is not sufficient to assess the level of risk in an incident; relevant context and environmental factors must be considered.

Policy and operational practices should be informed by research findings to ensure effective and appropriate deployment of tactical teams. Using tactical officers to augment patrol can be an effective use of specialized resources.

Research shows that tactical officers actually reduce the likelihood and severity of force.

Tactical officers' expertise and training contribute to their superior decision-making abilities.

Debriefing and continuous learning are critical for improving decision making in law enforcement.

The notion that tactical officers pose an increased risk to the public is challenged.