What if police training could reduce use of force by up to 11%—without increasing officer injuries? That is exactly what a large real-world study in England found when scenario-based police training replaced traditional refresher training.
‘The intervention was a scenario-based personal and public safety training programme developed by the UK College of Policing in collaboration with Professor Chris Cushion (Loughborough University), and drawing on practitioner experience; delivered with an applied delivery partner, Dynamis Training’.
In this podcast episode, I speak with the researcher, Professor Michael Sanders from King’s College London. About this study which is one of the strongest experimental evaluations of police training to date.
Using a pragmatic stepped-wedge randomized controlled trial involving over 1,800 officers, the study shows that well-designed scenario-based training helps officers de-escalate situations more effectively, leading to fewer uses of force and fewer civilians harmed—while keeping officers just as safe.
Beyond the headline results, the conversation explores why this type of training works, how it differs from traditional instruction, and why police organizations should treat training like any other intervention: something that must be tested, not assumed to work.
Scenario-Based Training (SBT)—which is not the same as simply running a scenario during a training day—resembles another popular training approach known as Ecological Dynamics or Constraints-Led training (CLA).
However, SBT originates from a fundamentally different theoretical framework, and it is important to recognize this. Not better, but different.
SBT places for example strong emphasis on the role of cognition and cognitive processes, in contrast to CLA. This theoretical difference has clear implications for how training is designed and delivered.
Description of the intervention and its origins
The intervention was a scenario-based personal and public safety training program developed by the UK College of Policing together with academic experts and experienced practitioners.
Fore more on this method see my conversation with Professor Chris Cushion here:
Instead of lectures or technique-focused drills, officers repeatedly worked through realistic, representative scenarios (such as public disorder or vulnerable persons). The level of resistance could be “dialed up or down,” forcing officers to assess context, recognize patterns, and choose proportionate responses. Each scenario was followed by reflection and debrief, allowing officers to learn what worked and why.
The origins of the method lie in a simple insight:
being told what to do does not prepare officers for decision-making under stress. Repeated exposure to realistic situations builds cognitive readiness, enabling officers to remain calm and de-escalate rather than react emotionally.
Topics
Introduction & professional background
Core message of the study
Why the study was conducted
Description of the intervention (Scenario-Based Training)
Theory behind scenario-based training
Research design
Measurement and outcomes
Results and scale of impact
Recommendations and evaluation philosophy