Force Science is proud to announce the latest version of its successful Advanced Force Science Specialist course. This updated and expanded program includes additional subject matter experts and will be led by Dr. John Azar-Dickens. Dr. Azar-Dickens is a clinical psychologist, an active police officer, and frequent presenter for the Force Science Institute. The Advanced...Read More
Dr. Bill Lewinski, executive director of the Force Science Institute, sees clearly the “clinical” nature of law enforcement and the need for excellent decision-making: “The police world is just like other clinical professions. Officers must engage in educated assessments, decisions, and interventions.” Dr. Lewinski explained: “Before the police act, before any intervention, there is a...Read More
With their latest book, Deadly Force Encounters, Second Edition, Dr. Alexis Artwohl and Loren W. Christensen present the much-anticipated update to their groundbreaking 1997 publication. Still focused on preparing cops “to mentally and physically prepare for and survive a gunfight,” the authors’ second edition is thoughtfully expanded to include civilians who may suddenly find themselves...Read More
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and requests from host agencies, a handful of Force Science courses are being postponed over the next few months in order to do our part to help assure public health and to comply with city, state, and federal response guidelines. For the courses affected, each attendee will receive an email...Read More
(Part 2b) “The police officer should have recognized the situation, and instead of confronting the armed suspect, he should have taken the time to back away, be patient, and wait for additional officers.” The shooting review continued, “Instead of escalating the situation, the officer should have de-escalated.” Since officers routinely talk people into handcuffs, there...Read More
(Part 2a) After 30 years of crisis counseling, de-escalation, negotiation, and persuasion, I’m convinced few things require as much skill as talking dangerous people into handcuffs. But, regardless of an officer’s skill, when the risk of delay is too great, there may be no time for de-escalation. In those cases, if an officer uses force,...Read More
How can officers, courts, and communities recognize the difference between de-escalation and “realistic” de-escalation? It starts by admitting a few realities. First, officers have been successfully talking people out of fights and into handcuffs for generations. They are good at it. And, no matter what study is reviewed, force (even the threat of force) is...Read More
Editor’s Note: Knowing how hard an officer hit somebody with a baton and for how long can be critical questions in a use of force case. Join Dr. Geoffrey Desmoulin, a Certified Force Science Analyst and Principal of GTD Scientific Inc., as he describes how Force Science studies and GTD tactical baton research were applied...Read More
“The officer should have waited until he actually saw the suspect’s gun. If the suspect tried to shoot him, he could have shot first.” Anonymous The above quote didn’t come from an angry anti-police protestor or a biased civil rights attorney. It came from a police legal advisor. It came from an intelligent, civic-minded, pro-police...Read More
When faced with violence, the police are expected to quickly conduct accurate threat assessments and respond with decisive, measured, and effective use of force. The foundation of this consistent, high-level performance is the ability to operate at the optimal level of arousal; that place between too relaxed and too amped up. Now a growing body...Read More
