Industry Experts on Critical Training in Today’s Era of Law Enforcement

Betsy, Dave, and Johnny open the discussion with a classic crime-fighter tip training video of Dave "JD Buck Savage" Smith from the 1980s that uses humor and relatable references to illustrate how vital effective communication is in officer training.

Dave Smith acknowledges that a lot has changed since his time as JD Buck Savage, with a growing emphasis on officer mental health and increased scrutiny of police practices. He remarks how today's law enforcement training is one of the great stress points of American history, saying, "Law enforcement is in the eye of the storm."

Properly addressing the way we train and prepare officers today will be critical for the future of policing. And law enforcement trainers and leaders are key players in developing a healthy and productive workforce, requiring a life-long commitment to listening, learning, and growing.

Surviving vs. Winning

Too often and for far too long, officers have been taught to just "survive" their experiences, not take work home, and not discuss difficulties with loved ones. While acknowledging the high rates of officer PTSD, suicide, and divorce, Dave emphasizes the growing need to reframe officers from just getting through an event to getting through life. He shares, "Surviving is getting home; winning is keeping the home."

Dave dives deep into several factors that impact an officer's mental posture and on/off-duty performance:

• Internal Belief System - It is important to monitor our internal belief systems. "I don't want my people out on the street doing that," Dave shares regarding pessimistic self-talk. "I want them believing in themselves, believing in a positive future. Monitoring what they say. Monitoring what they say about what they do."
• Maintaining Optimism - Nurturing officers' belief in themselves and their mission among criticism. Training is critical, and trainers are critical change agents in every agency. Dave encourages trainers to challenge themselves and be willing to grow, quoting Adam Grant's Think Again, "Speak like a believer, but listen like you don't believe in what you said."
• Law Enforcement Ethos - Duty, Honor, Courage, Loyalty, Strength, and Selfless Service. Dave explores moral courage and the value of communication, saying, "Too often, we let politics silence our debate. And you can't grow as a profession without proper debate."
• Decision-Making Process Under Crisis - Dave discusses the old theory on decision-making: everyone's consciousness is involved in all decisions (leaving no room for variables), vs. the new theory: consistent training empowers officers to make "winning" decisions when faced with critical situations because they recognize the cues or specific stimulus (recognition prime decision-making).
• Using 'Game Films' for Training - Betsy and Dave suggest watching officer tapes, both your agency's and others (many available online) with your people, as an opportunity to learn from real-world scenarios and develop innovative training to improve performance.
• Developing Training around Policies - "The true element of reducing liability for the agency and the officers is critical training," Dave shares. Trainers are essential for aligning training with policies and procedures while designing a training program where everyone wins: the agency, the officers, the community, and society.