Training

 This course is part of the Use of Force Risk Management series and is designed for the frontline officer. Use of Force Risk Management requires an understanding of many factors. Training for officers in Use of Force Risk Management is not provided in Basic Law Enforcement Training. . Understanding and applying the Four Elements of Reasonable Force (Knowledge, Skills, Decision Making, Documentation) are provided in this course. This allows officers to assess their current risk and know how to improve it. Skills in overcoming resistance from non-compliant persons and when to safely attempt, continue, or stop de-escalation skills are provided. Reasonable force knowledge and skills are not enough to minimize risk. Officers must be proficient in decision-making under threat. This course breaks down decision-making into a process that can be done quickly in rapidly evolving circumstances and does not need to be changed depending upon the level of threat. A duty to intervene to stop potential excessive force must also be trained and not merely a statement in policy. Force documentation continues to be a high-risk area for officers. This course provides a process for officers to assess their narratives and ensure it contains all relevant information and be able to confidently testify years later. 

There are Four Elements that must be present at a minimum level in order to have a use of force to be reasonable. This course provides instructor level knowledge in all four. Selected Supreme Court and Circuit Courts of Appeals cases are covered to provide a comprehensive understanding of use of force assessment and risk management. Applied use of force concepts reduce the likelihood of the "silo" effect between use of force areas (firearms, defensive tactics, communication, etc.). Understanding and being able to assess common physical skills used in law enforcement improves practical effectiveness and prevents training scars. 

Knowledge and Physical skills are not enough for officers to have the ability to use force reasonably. Research indicates our brains want to make decisions differently under stress than without it. All law enforcement decision-making models do not address this key factor. Also, current models are too broad and are not brought down to the process level. In other words, they are not practical for field use and fail under rapidly evolving circumstances. We have designed "Branched Force Decision Making" specifically for law enforcement. This is a binary decision-making process that works with the stress response. It improves decision-making speed while managing stress. It gives officers the ability to act reasonably, assess, and critically think in the moment. It is simple and does not need to be changed for different levels of threat. This process integrates de-escalation skills without compromising safety or the need to act immediately. It allows for improved recall of critical thinking and decision making for documentation. Since this is a process, it can be objectively evaluated and assessed. The final element skill that must be present is documentation and evaluation of force. For this element we have created the 5-Step Clarity/Detail Loop. This documentation process organizes the "who, what, where, when, why, and how" of a use of force in a logical, simple process. It provides a platform that prevents leading or corrupting questions by managers and subject matter experts. These "loops" provide easy locating points for ease of recall and testimony. This process is universal for officers, supervisors, Professional Standards, instructors, and Command Staff.

This course provides instructors the basis to evaluate training, curriculum, force policies, and procedures in order to identify instructor risks in use of force training and how to manage it.