This RCT will assess the impact of training police officers in communication skills.
| Status |
Complete
|
|---|---|
| Lead institution | |
| Principal researcher(s) |
Levin Wheller
|
| Police region |
West Midlands
|
| Collaboration and partnership |
Greater Manchester Police |
| Level of research |
Professional/work based
|
| Project start date |
|
| Date completed |
|
Hypothesis
The trial aimed to test the impact of communication skills training on officer attitudes, officer behaviour and victim satisfaction. The trial also provides useful insights on approaches to training.
Geographical area
Greater Manchester.
Target sample size
597.
Participants - inclusion criteria
Serving response and neighbourhood constables in Greater Manchester Police.
Interventions
Officers in the treatment group received communication skills training aimed at improving their interactions with victims of crime.
Study design
Two-group randomised controlled trial.
Summary of findings
Officer attitudes.
Officers in the treatment group were more likely to:
- hold positive views about delivering quality of service;
- recognise the value of building empathy and rapport with victims;
- report making decisions in a way that was consistent with procedural justice.
Officer behaviour
- Officers in the treatment group scored significantly higher than those in the control group on a ‘quality of interaction’ scale.
- A higher proportion of treatment group officers were rated ‘good or excellent’ in terms of their overall performance (48% compared to 22%).Victim perceptions
- The intervention was found to have had a significant positive effect on a ‘quality of interaction’ scale.
- Victims had, on average, better interactions with trained officers.
The Greater Manchester Police procedural justice training experiment: The impact of communication skills training on officers and victims of crime