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Use of force

De-escalation Training: What Works, Implementation Lessons, and Taking It to Scale; Plenary at the 2023 NIJ Research Conference

August 2023

Police use of force, while infrequently used, is a tremendous concern to public safety in the United States when officers employ it excessively or inappropriately, causing injury or death and eroding public trust in law enforcement. This plenary from the 2023 NIJ Research Conference describes the Integrating, Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) de-escalation training program developed by the Police Executive Research Forum to guide officers in defusing critical incidents.

NIJ FY23 Research and Evaluation on Policing Practices, Accountability Mechanisms, and Alternatives

Closing Date
Grants.gov Deadline
Application JustGrants Deadline
With this solicitation, NIJ seeks rigorous, applied research and evaluation projects examining the impact of: (1) police accountability practices; (2) the shifting and sharing of police functions; (3) police training; and (4) police officer health and wellness programs on an array of police performance outcomes (e.g., officer intervening and reporting of misconduct, excessive or unnecessary use of force, civilian complaints, officer and civilian injuries, police...

Research and Evaluation on Policing, Fiscal Year 2021

Closing Date
With this solicitation, NIJ seeks proposals for rigorous research and evaluation projects that address (1) re-allocation of resources and police operations and functions; (2) police use of force and de-escalations tactics and strategies; and (3) tactics and strategies that strengthen police-community relationships. These contemporary issues in policing are also reflected in the strategic priorities and objectives identified in NIJ’s Policing Strategic Research Plan, 2017-2022. Among...

Scott Mourtgos

Title
Deputy Chief; 2020 NIJ LEADS Law Enforcement Officer

National Institute of Justice’s Strategic Research Plans

Thank you Kevin [Chair Kevin Bowling] for the introduction, and Tracy [Tracy Trautman, BJA] for your continued support of the Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative.

Many of you are familiar with the National Institute of Justice, and our role as the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. NIJ provides objective and independent knowledge and tools to inform the decision-making of...

NIJ LEADS Program Increases Research Capabilities of Law Enforcement Officers

October 2019

This video, produced for IACPTV, provides an overview of the NIJ Law Enforcement Advancing Data and Science (LEADS) program. NIJ LEADS Scholars from Dayton and Newark police departments provide an overview of the LEADS program as they describe their projects and experiences working in the program.

Hear from LEADS scholars Major Wendy Stiver, Dayton Police Department, and Captain Ivonne Roman, Newark Police Department.

Protecting Against Stress & Trauma: Research Lessons for Law Enforcement – Research & Practice

October 2019
At this Research for the Real World seminar, NIJ brought together law enforcement practitioners and leading researchers in the field of stress to discuss the current research evidence and practical benefits of targeted stress-management interventions and how they can promote officer mental wellness. In addition, this gathering provided an exploration into what additional research is needed to best support officer health and wellness, potentially highlighting priority areas for future research.