Racial Bias and Lethal Force Errors Among Canadian Police Officers

Scientific examination of racial disparities in police shootings shows conflicting evidence of anti-Black, anti-White, or no racial bias. Experimental studies that attempt to control for extraneous factors often lack ecological validity and have inconsistent approaches for measuring racial bias. Given the mounting outcry for police reform, including recommendations for racial bias screening and training, clarifying the relationship between observable lethal force behaviors and implicit racial bias is an urgent matter. Building on limited extant literature, the present study examined racial disparities in shoot/no-shoot decision-making among Canadian police officers (n = 187) during their service's annual recertification assessment that manipulated suspect race (Black or White) in otherwise identical scenarios. Lethal force errors were compared to implicit racial bias scores on the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and other demographic variables including officer sex, age, years of experience, and race. We found no statistically significant difference in error rates for simulations featuring a Black or White suspect for shoot (2.5%, 3.1%, respectively) or no-shoot scenarios (4.6%, 3.0%, respectively). Lethal force errors were not predicted by suspect race, extent of autonomic arousal, or IAT scores. However, the absolute frequencies of lethal force errors were greater in scenarios featuring Black suspects. The current findings suggest that widespread reform to police training is urgently needed to reduce racial disparities in use of force (UOF) and lethal force errors overall. L'examen scientifique des disparités raciales dans les fusillades policières montre des preuves contradictoires de préjugés anti-noirs, anti-blancs ou d'absence de préjugés raciaux. Les études expérimentales qui tentent de contrôler des facteurs extérieurs manquent souvent de validité écologique et ont des approches incohérentes pour mesurer les préjugés raciaux. Compte tenu du tollé croissant en faveur d'une réforme de la police, y compris les recommandations en matière de dépistage des préjugés raciaux et de formation, il est urgent de clarifier la relation entre les comportements observables en matière de force létale et les préjugés raciaux implicites. S'appuyant sur la littérature existante limitée, la présente étude a examiné les disparités raciales dans la prise de décision de tirer ou de ne pas tirer chez les policiers canadiens (n = 187) lors de l'évaluation annuelle de recert