The Professional Response: The Art and Science of Policing

BANG! You just have been involved in a critical incident and now the bystander cameras are out and recording.  What is next?  Society will critique every action of law enforcement and we have to be right.  We train in many disciplines to survive on the street and in the courtroom, but we tend to neglect the one tool that we need to train: our brain!

This course is designed for all law enforcement and security personnel of all ranks and positions. It combines the concepts of use of force, crisis intervention, implicit bias, personal wellness, and de-escalation to provide the student with the tools to work through critical and stressful incidents. The course can be considered a precursor to hostage negotiations as it creates the mindset for future crisis intervention and event resolution. This class teaches the skills that a 21^st century police officer must employ to be successful.

The course will introduce the ARM’s Use of Force Model which has been proven to reduce use of force incidents. ARM’s (Arming the Officer with Tools within Reach) enhances the standard use of force continuum as it enables and empowers the officer to easily move along the continuum since use of force events are fluid. The model places the officer at the center of the use of force decision-making process while employing the OODA Loop model (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) so that all tools are available at any given moment.

The course will provide the officer with further tools and skills to apply critical tactical thinking and proper actions to most incidents while slowing down the response to explore alternatives other than force for a successful conclusion. The use of reasonable forces is a reality in enforcement activities and at times is necessity to de-escalate the event. This training provides the crucial attributes to avoid the "lawful, but awful" uses of forces. This refers to those times when, legally, the officer is justified to use force, but time permitted for alternative actions to avoid the higher levels of force.

The course will review several case studies including Don Moore’s 1996 critical use of force incident which was captured on audiotape. The officers will hear the actual incident unfold and apply the skills from this class to the event.

This course includes concepts of force de-escalation, L.E.A.D.S.(Law Enforcement Active Diffusion Strategies), ICAT (Integrating Communications, Assessments, and Tactics), and Human Terrain Mapping (human and environmental behavior).

OBJECTIVES

 1.  The student will explain what grants law enforcement officers the ability to make arrests and use reasonable force.

 2. The student will discuss and explain the importance of the ruling in City of Canton, Ohio v. Harris, 489 U.S. 378 (1989) as it applies to law enforcement training.

 3. The student will explain the difference between situational awareness and hypervigilance.

 4. The student will define and discuss “use of force” as it applies to the law enforcement environment and the distinction between police use of force and police violence

 5. The student will list the functions of the limbic system of the human brain

 6. The student will list the functions of the prefrontal cortex of the human brain

 7. The student will discuss the importance of mindset training to provide the prefrontal cortex with skills and tools to control the impulsive reaction of the limbic system.

 8. The student will define and discuss implicit bias and how it can manifest itself in the mindset.

 9.  The student will define what an echo chamber is and how it affects our thoughts, behaviors, and actions as it applies to implicit bias.

 10. The student will define what racial profiling is and discuss the appropriate laws governing racial profiling and law enforcement actions.

 11. The student will discuss how law enforcement actions must take into consideration cultural, racial, and diversity in the community and behaviors.

 12. The student will discuss how stressful events will activate the response of the limbic system.

 13. The student will define and discuss the “freeze, flight, or fight” syndrome as it applies to the limbic system.

 14. The student will define and discuss the “close enough” syndrome caused by stressful events

15. The student will define and discuss “slip and capture” concept caused by stressful events

16. The student will list and discuss steps in controlling the stress response

 17. The student will explain what the ego is and why it is important to control the ego in law enforcement

 18. The student will explain the “Left of Bang” concept and why it is important

 19. The student will explain the “W.I.N.” concept and why it is important

 20. The student will discuss and explain the difference between “reacting” and “responding”

 21. The student will define and discuss passive and active resistance

 22. The student will define and discuss imminent danger and immediate danger

 23. The student will define and discuss the “need to act versus the want to act” concept

 24. The student will explain the concept of “duty to intervene”

 25. The student will define and explain the concept of ground position and why it is important

 26. The student will discuss and explain the three elements in the ruling of Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, (1989)

 27. The student will discuss the ruling in Estate of Ronald Armstrong v. The Village of Pinehurst, No. 15-1191 (4th Cir. 2016)

 28. The student will discuss the ruling in Warren v. District of Columbia (444 A.2d. 1, D.C. Ct. of Ap. 1981)

 29. The student will identify, define, and discuss the Four Cs.

 30. The student will identify and discuss the components of the ARMs Use of Force Model

 31. The student will define and discuss the six attributes of human and environmental behavior analysis.

 32. The student will discuss realistic de-escalation and explain why verbal de-escalation is not always an option in crisis intervention.

 33. The student will discuss how the Beck Triad affects the communication processin crisis intervention.

 34. The student will define and discuss contaminated thought versus logical thought using the SIMS voice application or similar exercise in crisis intervention.

 35. The student will list the causes of contaminated thought in crisis intervention.

 36. The student will discuss the levels of the behavior influence stairway model

 37. The student will discuss the steps of the introductory stage

 38. The student will define active listening and reflective listening

 39. The student will explain and discuss how to redirect contaminated and aggressive behavior

 40. The student will define an agreement of communication

 41. The student will define the concept of teaming

 42. The student will define and demonstrate the Sullivan nod

 43.  The student will explain the difference between empathy and sympathy and discuss the importance of empathy

 44. The student will discuss how to create rapport and the importance of rapport in the communication process

 45. The student will discuss the elements of behavior change in the influence stage

46. The student will discuss the elements of professional service based on communication