Pullman police open to de-escalation

The Pullman Police Department is hoping to partner with Washington State University to better understand how to prevent the dangerous escalation of interactions between police and civilians.

The police department this week will submit an application for a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to fund research into de-escalation techniques and use of force by officers.

The department is seeking to work with WSU associate professor David Makin and his Complex Social Interactions Lab. The lab would analyze body cameras worn by Pullman police officers in cases where the officer had to use force or other de-escalation tactics. Makin’s team also will interview the officers about those encounters.

Pullman Police Chief Gary Jenkins said there is a large emphasis on de-escalation tactics among police agencies nationwide, but there is little research available on what tactics are effective.

He said WSU’s research could help inform the police about what training the department should provide its officers and help it develop better use-of-force policies. He said the goal is to reduce the number of situations where force has to be used.

Jenkins said previous research from Makin’s team found situations where emotions are high are more likely to lead to the use of force. That could include any number of calls, including domestic disputes, civil disputes or dealing with someone that has a mental health issue, he said.

Makin said his team will watch the body camera footage and determine when each officer first interacts with the civilian and how quickly the officer resorted to using force. He said his lab will only provide objective data and will not assess whether the police officers acted appropriately.

Makin said this data will help the department better understand factors such what skills the officers are using, how they applied their training, how quickly they use force and if they show any bias in how they use force.

Even though police are trained on how to de-escalate situations, Makin said there is little research on what works best.

“Fundamentally, we don’t understand what de-escalation looks like,” Makin said.

He said WSU’s research could provide Pullman police with a foundation to improve interactions with civilians and understand the characteristics of de-escalation.

Makin praised the department for its willingness to analyze body camera footage. Of all the police agencies he’s worked with, Makin said Pullman has been the most open about “leveraging potential” from its body cameras.

The Pullman Police Department in the past has been sued over alleged excessive force. Settlements were reached in 2018 and 2019 in cases involving former WSU students who alleged police used excessive force against them.

Anthony Kuipers can be reached at (208) 883-4640, or by email to akuipers@dnews.com.