The Effect of Field Training Officers on Police Use of Force
Chandon Adger, Matthew B. Ross, CarlyWill Sloan
American Economic Review · 2026 · Volume 116 · Issue 5
Abstract
The influence of on-the-job training and supervisors, especially in high-stakes settings like policing, is poorly understood. Examining a central behavior in the debate surrounding police reform, we investigate the impact of a field training officer (FTO) on a recruit's use of force. Leveraging a setting with conditional as-good-as-random assignment, we demonstrate a causal link between FTO and recruit use of force. A 1 standard deviation increase in FTO force propensity leads to a 14 to 18 percent rise in recruit force, persisting for at least two years. This underscores field training's impact and reveals a promising avenue for reform.
Keywords
Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making, Human Capital, Skills, Occupational Choice, Labor Productivity, Public Sector Labor Markets, Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law, Personnel Economics: Training
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