A Behavioral Economics Approach to Police Training

At the urging of Oeindrila Dube and her colleagues, the Chicago Police Department has adopted a new police training program called Situational Decision-making (or Sit-D). This training regimen, which includes simulations and realistic videos, integrates principles of behavioral economics to reduce cognitive bias when police officers make quick decisions in the field. Dube, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, explains how Sit-D changes the way that police officers process information and make decisions. The use of non- lethal force has declined by 23 percent and discretionary arrests have declined by 23 percent, while officer safety has improved. Other police departments have expressed interest in this new approach.