The proposed research will increase knowledge on policing practices and enhance efforts to promote racial equity by evaluating the impact of a unique law enforcement training program, effective…

This $1,109,184 federal Project Grant award from the National Institute of Justice's Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants program (CFDA 16.560) will fund a study to evaluate the impact of a law enforcement training program, "Effective Youth Interactions," across 21 police departments in Contra Costa County, California. The key objectives are to: 1) Test the impact of the training on law enforcement stops, referrals, and racial/ethnic disproportionality; 2) Assess the training's effect on officer knowledge, attitudes, and confidence; and 3) Evaluate implementation features. The study will use a stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial design. Products will include written reports, conference presentations, and academic publications to inform policy and practice in juvenile justice and law enforcement on improving law enforcement-youth relations and addressing racial/ethnic disparities. The University of Pittsburgh, a major research university, is serving as the prime awardee on this multi-year project starting in January 2024.

The proposed research will increase knowledge on policing practices and enhance efforts to promote racial equity by evaluating the impact of a unique law enforcement training program, effective youth interactions, across 21 police departments in contra costa county, california. Effective youth interactions seeks to improve law enforcement officer-youth interactions, reduce youth entry into legal systems, and address racial and ethnic disproportionality in youth legal system involvement. The study will use a stepped-wedge cluster randomized controlled trial to test the impact of effective youth interactions on law enforcement stops and referrals (i.e., misdemeanor and felony referrals by officers to the probation department or district attorney) (aim 1), test the impact of effective youth interactions on officer knowledge, attitudes, and confidence (aim 2), and assess key features of implementation (aim 3). Particular attention is given to effective youth interactions impact on racial and ethnic disproportionality in youth stops and referrals and officer knowledge of and attitudes toward youth of color. Addressing these aims, the study will provide the first rigorous evaluation of a law enforcement training program that seeks to reduce youth legal system involvement and racial and ethnic disproportionality. Products from this research will include written reports, conference presentations, and academic publications. These products will speak to whether effective youth interactions works to reduce legal system involvement for youth of color. They will also provide law enforcement policy makers and administrators with an understanding of implementation features that should be considered in future attempts to integrate effective youth interactions and similar interventions into practice. Together, these outputs will provide much needed guidance to policy makers and practitioners in juvenile justice and law enforcement as they work to improve law enforcement-youth relations and address racial and ethnic disparities in youth legal system involvement.CA/NCF