@article{ref1,
title="Can police shootings be reduced by requiring officers to document when they point firearms at citizens?",
journal="Injury prevention",
year="2021",
author="White, Michael D. and Shjarback, John A. and Bishopp, Stephen A.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of a novel firearm 'pointing' policy that requires officers to document when they directly point their guns at citizens. <br><br>METHODS:  Sixteen years (2003-2018) of narrative officer-involved shooting (OIS) reports from  the Dallas Police Department were qualitatively coded to explore both the total  frequency and specific characteristics of OIS before and after the policy change in  2013. <br><br>RESULTS: χ(2) tests found that the firearm pointing policy was associated with  a reduction in the proportion of 'threat perception failure' shootings (ie, those  where an officer mistakes an item for a gun). Auto Regressive Integrated Moving  Average analysis found that the policy change was associated with a gradual,  permanent reduction in total OIS; however, that impact was not immediate. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Firearm pointing policies have the potential to alter organisational  behaviour, particularly in highly discretionary shootings. It is unclear whether the  specific mechanisms for the changes include more accountability through constrained  discretion, reduced options to handle situations once officers' guns are drawn and  pointed, or an effect on officers' timing and vision during ambiguous scenarios. POLICY IMPLICATIONS: Although organisational change may be a long and complex  process, reductions in OIS can prevent serious injuries and death. The policy change  did not lead to an increase in the proportion of officers injured during OIS  incidents.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1353-8047",
doi="10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043932",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2020-043932"
}