De-Escalation: Strategies, Impacts, and Implications for Criminal Justice

Though de-escalation is considered a cornerstone of policing, there is little research on how it is defined, applications in the field, and the impact of de-escalation training on officer behavior. The Tempe (AZ) Smart Policing Initiative (SPI) project attempted to fill this gap through the development, delivery, and evaluation of a customized de-escalation training program for sworn field personnel. The curriculum, rooted heavily in the local expertise of peer-nominated Top De-escalators, addresses topics ranging from pre-shift health and wellness to scene management and post-incident debriefs. Evaluation findings highlight the positive effects of the training on officer perceptions and behaviors, as well as citizen satisfaction with police interactions. The study also highlights the value of body-worn camera footage as a nuanced tool to capture the impact of training on officer behavior. These results have implications for other law enforcement agencies looking to implement de-escalation training, policies, and use of force review processes, as well as the criminal justice field more broadly to include applications for detention and dispatch personnel, among others.

Speaker and Presenter Information

Commander Dane Sorensen has 20 years of law enforcement experience, joining Tempe Police Department in 2003. Since entering service with TPD, Commander Sorensen has served in a number of roles, such as the Training Unit, Special Events, and Patrol Lieutenant, as well as a Sergeant in Gangs, and Patrol. Prior to becoming a Supervisor, Commander Sorensen also served as an officer on both the Action Team, and the Bike Unit. He received a Lifesaving award in 2012 for resuscitating a drowning victim, as well as a Meritorious Service award in 2020 for his service on the De-Escalation project and other department training initiatives.

Carlena Orosco, M.A. is a Doctoral Candidate in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. Her dissertation research focuses on the strategies and techniques police dispatchers use to de-escalate callers and officers in the field. She is also employed full-time as the Research and Planning Supervisor in the Strategic Planning, Analysis & Research Center (SPARC) at Tempe Police Department. Prior to joining Tempe PD, she worked as a Senior Research Analyst for the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, Statistical Analysis Center.

Michael D. White, Ph.D. is a Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University, and is Associate Director of ASU’s Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety. Dr. White is Co-Director of Training and Technical Assistance for the US Department of Justice Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program. He received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Temple University in 1999.