Managing Bias Strategies for Law Enforcement (MB) is a training course designed for law enforcement, provided by CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation and funded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The Managing Bias Strategies training course offers practical, evidence-based strategies for law enforcement professionals that minimize harm and promote fairness, equity, and respect among officers and the communities they serve. This training introduces a series of tools and practices designed to enhance law enforcement’s professional capacity to reduce the impact of biases in their own lives, in their organization, and in their interactions with the community.
During the training, participants will deepen their understanding of relevant key terms and concepts; identify assumptions, perceptions, and perspectives related to identity, culture, and discrimination; and discuss how these concepts intersect with their policing practices. The training provides a conceptual framework and equips participants with tools to enhance interpersonal and community relationships.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The intended outcome for this course is for participants to demonstrate the ability to recognize and manage biases. Law enforcement professionals who participate in the Managing Bias Strategies training will be able to:
- Explain key concepts such as identity, culture, stereotyping, bias, and prejudice and their relevance to law enforcement practices.
- Understand how psychological and physiological processes can affect biases in thought and action and how to minimize the negative effect of cognitive processes.
- Discuss how individual and collective identity impacts law enforcement culture and community perceptions of law enforcement.
- Develop skills to mitigate biases and to minimize harm and promote fairness, equity, and respect.
COURSE OVERVIEW
MODULE | TOPICS |
MODULE 1: FOUNDATIONS OF BIAS | Opening Activities |
Importance of Bias Training for Law Enforcement | |
Identity Formation | |
Bias Definitions | |
MODULE 2: PSYCHOLOGY OF BIAS | Introduction Activity |
Cognitive Biases | |
Stress and Biases | |
Cognitive Biases Situation Practice | |
MODULE 3: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND BIASES | Organizational Culture |
Combatting Organizational Biases | |
Bias Mitigation Activity | |
MODULE 4: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND BIASES | Community Perceptions of Law Enforcement |
Community Strategies in Action | |
Personal Reflection and Action Planning |