How is it possible that forty-two officers responding to the same training scenario would show almost no consistent planning or execution? That’s what researchers from Force Science, East Carolina University, and Montclair State University found as they analyzed data from their 2023 police response study.1 Readers familiar with Force Science News will remember that the...Read More
Following the release of President Obama’s 21st Century Policing Report, body cameras were increasingly touted as a deterrent to unnecessary use of force by police.1 Discussions surrounding the role of police video often ignored video’s most intuitive benefit, that is, capturing evidence of disorderly, resistive, and criminal conduct within the community. Instead, video technology was...Read More
The new hybrid Force Science Certification Course expertly blends online and in-person learning. This cutting-edge course aligns advanced educational methods, top national instructors, and the latest scientifically grounded law enforcement training. Foundational topics (e.g., basic anatomy and physiology), and necessary background research (e.g., unintended discharges and shell casing ejection studies) are now covered online. This...Read More
This Force Science News continues the summary of Dr. Bill Lewinski’s presentation to the Police Psychological Services Section at the 2023 International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in San Diego. In Part 1 of this article, Accelerated Heart Rates and Elite Performance, we explored the myth that high arousal levels will always impair performance....Read More
This Force Science News is a summary report of Dr. Bill Lewinski’s presentation to the Police Psychological Services Section at the 2023 International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference in San Diego. The presentation covered: The myth that high levels of arousal will always impair performance; How attentional and cognitive workspace can affect performance under...Read More
Editor’s Note: Dr. Geoff Desmoulin and his team at GTD Scientific continue to provide the highest caliber injury biomechanics and reconstruction expertise for force investigators and courts. Dr. Desmoulin recently presented at the Romanian Forensic Scientists Association Conference and has been selected as a keynote speaker for the 2023 Daigle Use of Force Summit. This...Read More
Heart rates are frequently used to measure stress levels in actual and simulated police operations.1 Understanding that increased heart rates can result from elevated stress, the question has long been whether elevated heart rates mean that decision-making and performance will suffer. By now, regular readers of Force Science News know the answer to this question....Read More
“Common sense dictates that in situations where a law enforcement officer has a suspect in their rifle sight, the officer could pull the trigger before any suspect could move a gun toward the officer or another, aim and fire.”1 Pulled from a recent legal filing, the above quote is probably a fair characterization of “common...Read More
At Force Science, we periodically hear that perception and reaction time might apply to drivers, athletes, and pilots, but it does not apply to highly trained police officers when facing lethal threats. The theory, as I understand it, is that police officers have undergone specialized training that allows them to intensely focus on an armed...Read More
When police experts develop training, create policy, or testify in court, their opinions are expected to reflect law enforcement’s generally accepted customs and practices. Although contemporary police training and practices are often based on scientific literature, experts are not limited to peer-reviewed scientific studies when forming their opinions. Instead, experts may consider information from any...Read More
