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
How fast can someone point, shoot, and turn to run? In 2000, Force Science began to answer these questions when they published a summary of their research into the speed at which people can shoot and turn from various positions.1 This legacy Force Science research continues to provide some of the most influential human performance...Read More
In 2000, Force Science published Why is the Subject Shot in the Back?, a research summary detailing the speed at which people can shoot, turn, and move from various positions.1 For over 20 years, this Force Science research informed our understanding of deadly force encounters and that of police, communities, and courts worldwide. Advances in...Read More
Originally published at Law Officer. Republished here with permission. With 30 years in law enforcement (and as a voracious advocate for training), there isn’t much I haven’t seen. Unfortunately, through the years, I have walked away disappointed from highly touted training courses more times than I care to count. So, when the opportunity came to...Read More
Ideally, police reform will involve the careful translation of research (knowledge) into practice. The American Society of Evidence-Based Policing recently made this case in Process for Translating Research to Practice, citing the requirement for collaboration between researchers and police practitioners.1 It’s this process that ensures reform proposals are not the product of untested ideas, intuition,...Read More
As our nation continues to wrestle with police reform, many Americans are eager to join the conversation. What they are finding is that understanding and fairly judging police practices is not easy. Those of you with careers in criminal justice are likely fielding calls from friends and family wanting to know the difference between carotid...Read More