How to approach each call as an improv skit and how to talk persuasively to hostile people were two topics related to effective police communication featured recently at the 2016 WINx training event in suburban Chicago. The one-day program, presented annually by its founders, Force Science Analysts Brian Willis, president of Winning Mind Training, and...Read More
Whether it’s an OIS with racial overtones, a bad hire who drives drunk on- or off-duty, a cyber hacker who exposes sensitive files—something is lurking out there that could suddenly hurl your agency into a maelstrom. How well you weather it will depend, says critical communications expert Melissa Agnes, on how skillfully your department has...Read More
Are you an officer who has been involved in use-of-force hearings or litigation, or are you an attorney who represents LEOs when their force decisions are reviewed or challenged? If so, we’d like to hear your views on how an officer can best help a lawyer in preparing the strongest defense possible after an OIS...Read More
In a leading medical journal, a retired cardiologist whose previous assertions about the risks of TASERs have been vigorously disputed claims anew that electronic control devices (ECDs) can indeed cause fatal cardiac arrest in humans. Based on what critics say is faulty research, Dr. Douglas Zipes, a professor emeritus at the Krannert Institute of Cardiology...Read More
A new electronic publication that captures the essence of “best tactics” for handling a wide range of high-risk encounters in just 30 pages has been issued by the IACP’s National Law Enforcement Policy Center. It’s a handy resource for crafting refresher reviews for academy, in-service, and roll call training. The practices and procedures recommended in...Read More
The Cognitive Interviewing process that can enhance the memories of witnesses and involved officers during use-of-force investigations has now been modified to make it a useful tool for also detecting possible deception when questioning suspects about crimes. The modified protocol includes 2 unexpected requests that seem especially effective in exposing untruthfulness: 1) Asking the suspect...Read More
Last November, the Civil Rights Division of the US DOJ sent a 9-page “technical assistance” document to the mayor of Seattle, emphatically recommending certain changes in how the city’s police department investigates officer-involved shootings. This communiqué is part of an ongoing federal scrutiny of the PD, underway for nearly a year, to “ensure compliance with...Read More
After an OIS: What 12 questions should an officer answer at the scene? Besides wound treatment, what critical benefits does he or she gain from prompt transport to a medical facility? What does an agency gain by encouraging an officer to have independent legal counsel before a detailed statement is taken? What question do cops...Read More
Part 2 of a 2-part series In a previous Force Science News, Dr. Ed Geiselman, an internationally recognized authority on interviewing techniques, offered 5 critical reminders for investigators on how to elicit accurate and comprehensive statements from involved officers and eyewitnesses in OISs and other use-of-force cases. But what it you’re an involved officer being...Read More
Part 1 of a 2-part series As an expert in interviewing skills, Dr. Ed Geiselman has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to officers being questioned by investigators after use-of-force events. Recently he was asked to review transcripts and audio recordings of interviews in cases where LEOs’ jobs were on...Read More