A Behavioral Analysis of Two Strategies to Eliminate Racial Bias in Police Use of Force
Body-cams and bias classes have not shrunk racial gaps in police force—behavior analysts must step in with measurement and reinforcement-based fixes.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Machado and his team read every paper they could find on two popular police reforms: body-worn cameras and implicit-bias training.
They looked for hard data on whether these tools cut racial disparities in police use of force.
After sorting the evidence they wrote a plain-language story about what works, what doesn’t, and where behavior analysts could help.
What they found
Body-cam studies show mixed results. Some cities see fewer force incidents; others see no change.
Implicit-bias training fares even worse. Short workshops rarely change street-level behavior.
The authors conclude that both reforms lack solid proof and urge behavior analysts to design data-driven fixes.
How this fits with other research
Strydom et al. (2020) ran a gold-standard RCT on staff training and also found no real-world benefit. Their null result mirrors the weak effects Machado saw for bias workshops, underscoring that training alone rarely changes adult behavior.
Veenman et al. (2018) tell the opposite story in schools. Their meta-analysis of 19 RCTs shows small but steady gains when teachers use group contingencies. The contrast hints that tightly controlled reinforcement systems can work, but only when consequences are immediate and certain—something current police programs lack.
Boudreau et al. (2015) remind us why feedback often flops: without clear, contingent reinforcement tied to specific behavior, change fizzles. Machado’s review echoes this point, noting that most bias training gives officers information, not consequences.
Why it matters
If you supervise or train adults, take heed: information alone is not intervention. Use brief, repeated practice with clear, immediate consequences. Track use-of-force data by officer, shift, and neighborhood. Share the graphs weekly and tie small incentives to downward trends. Behavior analysts have the tools—now we need the data.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Structural racism is rooted in American social systems that were supposedly designed to promote citizens’ right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Social systems like policing, for example, are built on a foundation of discriminatory practices designed to disenfranchise Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). One of the most recent visible examples of racially biased policing is the excessive use of force by officers toward BIPOC. In response, advocates, policy makers, and researchers have sought solutions. Police use-of-force reforms such as body-worn cameras (BWCs) and implicit bias training (IBT) have become popular and are currently being applied in many police departments across the country. However, evidence supporting the effectiveness of these reform strategies to reduce the use of force is mixed, and further evaluations are needed to understand why these strategies are purported to be an effective solution. The purpose of the current review is to ignite future empirical evaluations of use-of-force reform. Following a summary of the research conducted to date on BWCs and IBT, we will conclude with a brief discussion of how behavior analysts might improve and foster strategies that are efficacious. Our ultimate goal is to leave the reader with an understanding of where the data have taken us thus far and how behavior analysts and others can contribute to the reduction and eradication of the discriminatory practices present in policing and other social systems.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s40617-021-00551-1