Examining the relationship between officer attitudes and behaviour in a multi-site trial of procedural justice training

While reformers view police training as an important means for improving performance, the training evidence base has historically been weak. Little research has focussed on how training impacts both attitudes and behaviour in the field, and the extent to which changes in attitudes following a training program are linked to officer behaviour in the field. This paper uses data from a multi-site randomized trial of procedural justice training in hot spots to assess the attitude–behaviour link. We ask to what extent do officers’ attitudes about procedural justice impact their behaviour in the field? We find no support for officer baseline attitudes being predictive of their use of procedural justice with the public. But for trained officers, we do find evidence that attitudes following training are related to behaviour in observed interactions in the field. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for police training and training evaluation studies.