PROELIA Newsletter
Q2 2016 Update and News
Contact us at: www.proeliadefense.com or 408-315-0520
Use of Force: Supervisory Liability Prevention Course
Many agencies are reading the writing on the wall...use of force training is becoming more critical than it has ever been
before. With the attention from the media and certain special interests groups trying to impose their agenda on the
agencies, these progressive agencies are taking control of their destiny by getting out in front of the storm. Two of
these agencies (Salinas PD and Redwood City PD) contacted us to train their entire sworn staff in use of force decision
making, documentation and investigation. In doing this, even the newest line level officers gain better understanding of
the use of force beyond just how to use a force option. It has been shown that officers who have a more intimate
understanding of use of force decision making factors will make better decisions in the field. If your agency wants to
join these progressive agencies and get in front of the storm, contact us soon.
Law Enforcement Use of Force: Urban Myth v Reality
We conducted another successful and well-received 3-day workshop in conjunction
with West Valley College. The attendees were students and citizens wanting to
learn more about this very misunderstood topic. The last day culminated with the
attendees “going up against” the force option simulator to experience the fast
paced decision making process that an officer faces.
Staying Busy!!!
This quarter had plenty of activity. Testifying,
case reviews and LOTS of training with existing
and new customer agencies. If your agency is
interested in getting realistic and reliable training
from proven professionals, contact us to discuss
your training needs.
Follow us on Facebook!
New Articles on PoliceOne.com
Ed had a couple articles published on PoliceOne.com.
The thin blue line: A symbol of heroism, not corruption
http://www.policeone.com/police-heroes/articles/169534006-The-thinblue-line-A-symbol-of-heroism-not-corruption/
What the public needs to know about police de-escalation tactics
http://www.policeone.com/police-trainers/articles/186465006-Whatthe-public-needs-to-know-about-police-de-escalation-tactics/
The best way to stay up to date with PROELIA
Defense and Arrest Tactics is to “like” our page
on Facebook. When you like our page, you will
receive real-time updates on class offerings and
discussions on use of force topics and legal updates. Search for our page with the banner the
looks like this:
1
PROELIA Newsletter
Q2 2016 Update and News
Contact us at: www.proeliadefense.com or 408-315-0520
In Context: Understanding Police Killings of Unarmed Civilians
Ed co-authored this book that looks into the context behind the numbers in incidents where an
unarmed person died proximate to the arrest process in 2015. We used open source data and
information that is available to anybody to learn as much context as we could about each
incident rather than just “reporting on the numbers” that lead to misunderstanding.
In this book we identify “key findings” to help stakeholders understand and to move forward
with. The bulk of the book examines the circumstances surrounding each of the 153 incidents
we identified and then each author gives his opinion based on those facts known as to the appropriateness of the officers’ actions. The book is available through: http://amzn.to/1q0pkXx
The book has been very well-received with plenty of positive feedback.
The recent debate over police reform has claimed, on both sides, statistics as its bedrock. And, not surprisingly, this hasn't gotten
us very far. The reason, as Selby, Singleton, and Flosi so adeptly demonstrate, is because context-the totality of known circumstances for each and every incident-provides the standard by which we must judge our law enforcement officers' actions. This is
not a book for hard-hearted partisans or those looking for easy answers. But for those seeking a better-deeper, more nuancedunderstanding of just what goes wrong when police kill unarmed civilians, I can't think of a better primer. The authors must be
commended for this critical contribution to our understanding of contemporary criminal justice and why we as a society can't
afford to ignore these issues." - Calibre Press
Other Reviews
Excerpt from Force Science News #314 (Force Science Institute, Ltd): Probably no single force event raises more
questions, inflames more protests, and generates more misperceptions than the police killing of an unarmed suspect.
Now, thanks to a new 437-page study published in book form, we know more about the circumstances that drive
these fateful encounters and the lessons for training and street performance to be drawn from them.
http://staugustine.com/living/sunday-life/2016-06-11/book-review-context-understanding-police-killings-unarmedcivilians#.V2gvNLgrKUk
There is an app for us!
John worked long and hard to design this app and his efforts paid off greatly! The app is available
currently in Google Play Store (still working on the Apple authorization...be patient iPhoners). This
app is designed for law enforcement officers to better understand, investigate and document police
use of force. There are several tabs including; (1) Contact Standards, (2) Evaluation Factors, (3) Force
Factors, (4) Force Options, (5) Force Report Checklist, (6) Investigation Check List, (7) Intervention,
and (8) Reasonable Officer. This app is an “on-hand” readily available tool to assist officers or to just
review important information...and it’s only $0.99!
2