Op-Ed: Implicit bias puts lives in jeopardy. Can mandatory training reduce the risk?

The California State Assembly is preparing to vote on three bills to require mandatory training on implicit bias for law enforcement officers, medical professionals, judges and trial lawyers.

The legislation singles out those professions because they are roles in which unconscious biases might put the lives of others in jeopardy. But the truth is, we all carry around unconscious stereotypes that can lead to differences in how we think about and treat others.

Research has shown that women are more likely to survive a heart attack when seen by female physicians; prosecutors are more likely to charge black suspects than white suspects in similar cases; and blacks and Latinos are more likely to be searched by police during traffic stops, even when searches of white motorists are more likely to turn up contraband.

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): Los Angeles Times