The Greater Manchester Police Procedural Justice Experiment: The Impact of Communication Skills Training

• In Event: Police and Procedural Justice

Abstract

This paper summarises the results of a recent Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) carried out in collaboration between the UK College of Policing and Greater Manchester Police which sought to address a gap in the evidence around procedural justice. While Tyler’s procedural justice model shows that procedurally fair treatment of the public by officers can enhance police legitimacy and, in turn, public cooperation and compliance, there is limited empirical evidence on what interventions are effective at improving public perceptions of police contact. The RCT tested the impact of an innovative training program that sought to develop the practical communication skills of police officers with a view to improving the way they interacted with crime victims. In total, 339 officers were assigned to the treatment and 237 to the control. The impact of training program was assessed via: a) a survey of officers which measured their attitudes and self-reported behaviour; b) blind-coded role-play scenarios which measured officer behaviour; and c) a telephone survey of crime victims which measured their perceptions of police contact. The training program was found to have had a positive effect on officer attitudes and behaviour, and on the experience of victims.

Authors

• Levin Wheller, UK College of Policing

• Paul Quinton, College of Policing