This paper describes an examination of how to achieve buy-in of early investigation system among sworn members of law enforcement agencies; it describes the research methodology, findings, and conclusions; and discusses factors that influence the level of buy-in among members, and implications for policy and training practices.
Early intervention systems (EISs) are becoming more prevalent in US law enforcement agencies. However, to date, scant empirical research has evaluated sworn members' perceptions of EISs and the degree of “buy-in” sworn members have for these systems. The current research conducts an initial exploration of how to best achieve buy-in, ultimately leading to greater acceptance of interventions by sworn members. Using sworn personnel survey data (n = 553) from five US police departments, this research uses regression analyses to explore sworn members' buy-in for EISs as predicted by their views of their department's EIS, including their familiarity with EISs and their views on whether the system is disciplinary or wellness-oriented. The authors’ analysis indicates that buy-in of EISs is influenced by members' familiarity with EIS and whether members believe that EIS is related to well-being (as opposed to discipline). They also find that the variables included in the model explain a substantial proportion of the variance in buy-in. This research provides important insights into the concept of buy-in for EISs, primarily that other factors can modulate buy-in. The authors discuss these findings in light of developing policy and training to foster the success of EISs within law enforcement agencies. (Published Abstract Provided)