Force Science @forcescience

Some of the best ideas in policing come from professionals willing to share what works. It was an honor for Force Science's Nicole Florisi to join fellow presenters Dr. Lon Bartel and Lynn Westover for keynote and general session presentations at last week's 2026 National Association of Field Training Officers (NAFTO) Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Together, they explored a range of topics centered on the human being behind the badge, including officer wellness, adult learning, the FTO process, honest accountability, and human behavior terrain mapping, all aimed at helping agencies build training that strengthens decision-making, performance, and resilience in the field. A Texas-sized thank you to NAFTO for another outstanding conference! It's always a privilege to contribute to the conversation, but even more valuable is the opportunity to learn from the professionals dedicated to advancing the field. We appreciate everyone who shared their insights, experiences, and expertise throughout the week. Until next time!

De-escalate whenever possible. Exhaust all reasonable alternatives. Those standards sound straightforward—until someone has to decide, in real time, what is actually possible, which alternatives are truly reasonable, and when those alternatives have genuinely been exhausted. In this week’s Force Science News, Von Kliem continues his examination of the controversial prosecution of Hartford Police Officer Joseph Magnano. Here Von explores the broader debate over de-escalation, officer-created jeopardy, and the role of hindsight in evaluating police use-of-force decisions. 📖 Full article: forcescience.com/2026/06/never-…

We're kicking off our summer tour this week in the Pittsburgh metro area with the Force Science Certification Course at the Allegheny County Police Training Academy! By better understanding the science behind human behavior and performance during critical incidents, law enforcement professionals can more effectively train, investigate, analyze, and articulate the realities of officer performance under stress. Participants will explore the research surrounding attention, perception, action-reaction dynamics, memory, decision-making, and human performance limitations during rapidly evolving encounters. Through science-based training and real-world application, attendees gain a deeper understanding of the factors that influence behavior when it matters most. Next stops include Denver, Colorado, in July and Columbus, Ohio, in August. Will you be joining us this summer? Ready to join us? Explore our full schedule of upcoming Force Science training opportunities and find a course near you: forcescience.com/training/event…

What if the real problem isn't what officers did—but what critics believe they should have done afterward? That's the problem of unlimited hindsight. Our latest article examines the Hartford case and how hindsight can distort evaluations of police decision-making. forcescience.com/2026/06/never-…

Attending the 2026 @NationalSheriff' Association Annual Conference next week in Omaha? Don't miss Force Science's Derrick Crews, as he shares insights on tactical leadership during fast-moving critical incidents. Drawing on decades of law enforcement and leadership experience, Derrick will explore the critical decisions leaders must make under pressure and the lessons that can help prepare agencies for high-stakes events. This session offers practical leadership strategies for navigating rapidly evolving situations while maintaining command presence, sound judgment, and effective decision-making when it matters most. View the full conference schedule and add this session to your agenda: nsaconference.org/seminar-schedu…

“May we never forget freedom isn’t free.” — Unknown This Memorial Day weekend, we pause to remember and honor the courageous men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. Their sacrifice secured freedoms many of us enjoy every day — freedoms that came at an immeasurable cost. Today is more than the start of a holiday weekend. It is a time for reflection, gratitude, and remembrance for those who never made it home, and for the families who continue to carry their legacy forward. In observance of Memorial Day, our offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, as we join the nation in remembering the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Their courage, service, and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Summer schedules fill up fast, so make sure the 2026 Force Science Conference is on your travel calendar this fall! Join us in Central Texas for the premier three-day event in human performance science for law enforcement and public safety. Hear from 40+ experts sharing evidence-based insights, real-world case studies, and practical strategies you can apply to training, investigations, report writing, and courtroom testimony. Gain a deeper understanding of the human factors and nuances that influence decision-making, performance, memory, and behavior under stress and, more importantly, the implications those factors can have during critical incidents. ⏳ Early bird pricing ends May 31 — secure your seat before they’re gone! events.forcescience.com/force-science-…

Greetings from Nashville, Tennessee! Today marks the conclusion of the Force Science Certification Course, where Force Science CEO Brian Baxter is delivering the culminating remarks that tie together the critical concepts explored throughout the week. His lecture reinforces the importance of understanding the human being behind the badge, particularly when evaluating human performance factors during high-stress, rapidly unfolding critical incidents. From perception and decision-making to memory, reaction time, and physiological responses, these factors must be carefully considered before, during, and after a force event to support accurate investigations, reporting, and analysis. A huge thank you to the @TBInvestigation team for once again hosting Force Science and providing a venue that brings professionals together from across the country for education, discussion, and collaboration on these critically important topics. Your dedication to advancing education and supporting safer outcomes for both officers and the communities they serve is invaluable!

A lighter week on the travel calendar for our CEO Brian Baxter, who made a quick road trip down to Austin, TX, to deliver our two-day Force Encounters course to a packed room hosted by @ATXPOA! This training gives officers a foundational understanding of the critical human performance factors involved in high-stress encounters. Participants explored the psychological and physiological influences on threat assessment, sensory perception, decision-making, performance, and memory, and how these evidence-based concepts apply during life-threatening law enforcement situations. A big thank you to the Austin Police Association for the invitation and opportunity to bring this timely and critically important training to your organization. It’s always rewarding to share practical, immediately applicable concepts officers can take back and use right away in the field.

Our next AIM course will be hosted at our training center in the Greater Chicago Area! Located just minutes from O’Hare International Airport, travel is a breeze if you can join us! Learn more: events.forcescience.com/2026-07-advanc…

Moving the needle means understanding how people actually learn and what it takes to make knowledge and skills stick over the long haul. That’s exactly what we’re working toward with our Advanced Instructional Methods Course. Built on the latest science and proven instructional tools, Force Science’s Michael Musengo takes a hands-on approach to helping law enforcement trainers create more engaging, effective, and lasting learning experiences. Many thanks to the @KylePolice for making their venue available so we could bring this critically important training to Central Texas this week! Looking for our next AIM course? Be sure to check the comments below to learn more.

Michigan Law Enforcement Training Opportunity! Join Force Science and SBBL Law for an 8-hour MCOLES CPE-approved training on officer-involved shootings, critical incidents, use-of-force investigations, human factors, and post-incident realities. 📅 Thursday, May 14 🕚 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM 📍 Holland Civic Center This course will examine: ‣ Constitutional and Michigan legal standards governing use of force ‣ OIS investigations and litigation ‣ Human perception, reaction time, and decision-making under stress ‣ Officer interviews and post-incident procedures ‣ The role of training, policy, and “generally accepted practices” in litigation and review processes ‣ The personal and family impact of critical incidents Featured instructors and presenters include: ‣ Force Science’s Von Kliem ‣ Attorney Mikayla Hamilton of SBBL Law ‣ Guest presenter Brandey Schurr, discussing the personal and family impact of officer-involved critical incidents 👉 Registration: ‣ Free for agencies participating in the West Michigan Criminal Justice Training Consortium ‣ $200 for outside agencies To register, please contact: [email protected] We welcome you to share this opportunity far and wide with agencies, investigators, trainers, legal advisors, and supervisors.

Want to see everything available? View the full course listing here: forcescience.com/online-courses/

Psssst… did you know Force Science offers self-paced online courses? We understand the realities. Budgets, travel, and time constraints can sometimes make attending in-person training nearly impossible. That’s why we’ve made a growing number of courses available online. These professionally produced, masterclass-style lectures can be taken anywhere, on your schedule, at your pace. And it doesn’t stop there. Many of our courses include materials delivered directly to your office or doorstep, helping bring the classroom to you. Need support? We’re here to help, with a dedicated help desk and access to our expert instructors when technical questions arise. 👇Explore available courses in the comments!

Force Science was honored to have our Founder, Dr. William Lewinski, serve as a keynote speaker at the 2026 @bluelinelawyer Institute Force Forum earlier today on Jekyll Island, GA! His presentation, “Decision-Making and Response When Non-Lethal Fails,” addressed a critical and often overlooked gap in training. This event brings together law enforcement leaders and legal experts to examine the real cases and legal challenges shaping modern policing. Dr. Lewinski’s keynote focused on a pivotal moment officers may face in the field. Officers spend significant time training with non-lethal tools such as impact weapons, conducted energy weapons (CEWs), and chemical agents. But when those tools fail, the situation becomes more than a tactical issue. It becomes a cognitive turning point. In those high-pressure moments, officers must rapidly reassess evolving threats and make decisions with immediate and long-term consequences. Thank you to the Blue Line Lawyer Institute team for hosting another outstanding and impactful event! These conversations are essential to advancing officer performance, decision-making, and safety in the field.

Are your training methods actually producing long-term performance? Law enforcement and public safety trainers—just four open registration courses remain for our hybrid Advanced Instructional Methods (AIM) Course this year! Led by course developer and facilitator Michael Musengo, this course challenges attendees to rethink how people truly acquire, retain, and transfer both cognitive and motor skills. You will tackle common training myths head-on and leave with practical, science-backed strategies you can immediately apply to your own curriculum. Class sizes are intentionally limited to ensure hands-on engagement with the instructor and facilitator, giving you the opportunity to fully apply and refine what you learn. Elevate your training programs with an evidence-based approach grounded in the science of human learning. This goes beyond theory. It is about building results-driven training that sticks in the real world. 👉 Get registered today for one of our upcoming AIM courses: Austin Metro, TX May 5–7 events.forcescience.com/2026-05-advanc… Chicago Metro, IL July 14–16 events.forcescience.com/2026-07-advanc… Columbus, OH September 29–October 1 events.forcescience.com/2026-09-advanc… Salt Lake City, UT October 14–16 events.forcescience.com/2026-10-advanc…

Music City, here we come! We’re heading to Nashville next month for our Force Science Certification Course, where we’ll dig into the realities of human performance in law enforcement - topics like reaction time, memory, and decision-making when situations unfold quickly. This course is delivered in a hybrid format, with three and a half days in person, plus self-paced pre- and post-course online work, totaling 40 hours of training. Along the way, we’ll work through how to: -Better understand officer performance -Strengthen training approaches -Support investigations and policy decisions -Improve post-event interviews -Evaluate tactics and force options -Navigate community and media considerations …and plenty more that comes out of in-class discussion and practical application. Ready to register? Secure your spot here: events.forcescience.com/2026-05-force-…

View the full lineup of speakers and panel experts here: events.forcescience.com/force-science-…

Big news for the 2026 Force Science event coming later this fall! We’re excited to announce that Dr. Pete Blair, Executive Director of @alerrtcenter , will join us as a keynote speaker. His session, “The Science of Learning & Professional Training,” takes a hard look at a critical issue in policing, why training doesn’t always translate to real-world performance. From the gap between qualification and field outcomes to how training is structured, Dr. Blair will challenge traditional approaches and highlight what actually builds durable skill. Expect insights on why more intentional practice matters, how training design impacts retention, and how scenario-based, representative training can better prepare officers for real-world demands. The focus is clear, moving beyond compliance-driven models toward training that produces true competence under pressure. This is one you’ll want on your agenda. Don’t forget to check out the full speaker lineup, link in the comments!