To Understand What Works, We Must Know What Exists: A Content Analysis of EIS Policies

• In Event: The Evolution Accountability: EIS, Police Reform, and Incident Characteristics

Abstract

Many prominent bodies have recommended the implementation of Early Intervention Systems (EIS) in response to increased calls for police reform and improved police accountability, resulting in EIS being considered a “best practice” in law enforcement today. However, differences in EIS approaches across law enforcement are rarely accounted for in EIS literature, limiting the ability to generalize findings on effectiveness and determine the most beneficial system components. The present research employed a content analysis of 36 EIS policies from a sample of agencies with 500+ sworn personnel across the U.S. Policies were coded for information that is critical to the operation of an EIS, including the purpose of the EIS, the identification process and criteria, the review process, the interventions available, and elements of organizational justice reflected in the policy. The analysis of EIS policies supports our overall hypothesis that EIS programs, as understood through agency policies, suffer from a lack of standardization. Variation exists in all aspects of the EIS process, from where the systems are housed within agencies and what their intended purposes are, to how involved immediate supervisors are in the process and how identified officers are monitored post-intervention. Implications for police practice and research are also discussed.

Authors

• Benjamin Carleton, CNA Corporation

• Thomas Christoff, CNA Corporation

• Quin Patterson, CNA Corporation

• Margarita Parker, CNA Corporation