This week’s blog posting will be the first in a series that will focus on gaps in training. As law enforcement trainers it is incumbent upon us to continually examine our training programs and practices to determine what gaps exist. By gaps I am referring to three primary areas: 1.     Training that is incomplete – scenarios not taken to their natural conclusion. 2.     Missing elements in training where it is assumed that the officer will be able to fill in the blanks or solve difficult problems in the middle of a situation. 3.     Training that is not reflective of what officers … [Read more...]

As law enforcement professionals we have a tendency in training to want to skip the basics so we can get to the high speed, low drag, really cool tactical stuff. Here is the inside scoop. There are no advanced tactics or techniques. There are basics and there are basics mastered. The high speed, low drag, really cool tactical stuff is simply the basics mastered then applied to real world situations. In order to get to this level we need to master the basics. One day I was doing my interval training on the exercise bike in the basement and watching a training video of a seminar put on by a … [Read more...]

The week of July 13 to 17 I had the great pleasure of taking the Force Science Institute Certification Course in Calgary. This five day course is an intensive learning experience designed to educate investigators and trainers about the science of human dynamics as it relates to dynamic encounters. Under the direction of Dr. Bill Lewinski the Force Science Institute  has done some critical research into this area.  They have also done a great job of pulling together scientific research from a variety of disciplines which has been conducted over the past 40 years and examined how it applies to … [Read more...]

In my personal journey to improve my knowledge and skills I am always seeking opportunities to hang out with people that are smarter than I am so I can learn from their knowledge and experience. Now some of you may be thinking that I do not have to go far to find those people, and you are right. There are many people in Calgary, in Alberta, in Canada, in North America that are way smarter than I am and have skills, knowledge and experience from which I can benefit. We often do not have to go far. There are so many great books, DVD's, and online resources. The public library is also only a few … [Read more...]

As you know I am a huge advocate of the power of words. One word that I often talk about is 'Victim'. I talk about people getting caught up in victim thinking and a victim mentality. This is the 'Woe is Me' mentality where we think the world is out to get us and we start thinking and acting like a victim. In fact this is the premise of the popular presentation I do called Dare to Soar: The Pursuit of Personal Excellence. Today's message is about a different use of the word victim. Today's message has to do with violent assaults on law enforcement professionals. When a citizen gets violently … [Read more...]