David Blake

The Science of Training

David Blake is a retired California peace officer and a court-certified expert on human factors and the use of force. He has significant experience teaching use of force and human factors psychology to law enforcement officers in several states. David has graduate and undergraduate degrees in criminal justice and psychology. He has published both opinion and peer-reviewed research on the application of human factors psychology to first responders and their operational environments. David is currently a doctoral candidate conducting research on the application of human factors to officer-involved shootings. He is the proprietor of Blake Consulting and Training.

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Full list of David Blake results

Why we cannot leave our safety to luck
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The video of a police officer who survived being hit by a train while pursuing a suspect provides an opportunity to review principles of situational awareness
Training Day: Setting up use of force training for community education
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How to educate your local media and community members about police use of force before a controversial incident occurs
Calif. battle over use of force legislation rages on
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Assembly Bill 392 is a difficult web to untangle
How human factors impact police safety during emergency driving
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Making reasonable decisions is the most important aspect of emergency driving – risk versus gain thresholds should be mentally established before an incident occurs
Got Graham? How AB931 could impact Calif. use-of-force law
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Is it “objectively reasonable” or “necessary” for California to change the law on the use of deadly force?
8 ways to prevent blue-on-blue shootings
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Academic research and real-world incident reviews provide a foundation for evidence-based practices and training
Does de-escalation endanger police officers or save lives?
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There is a dire need for peer-reviewed research in law enforcement that speaks to policy, practice, training and tactics around de-escalation
2 under-discussed issues with body-worn cameras
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The body-worn camera is a tool like any other an officer can deploy; proficiency in use requires a “train like you fight” approach
Police warning shots: A consensus lacking agreement
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There are a lengthy list of reasons why warning shots are a bad idea, but there are also some situations where it could be a reasonable alternative to deadly force
Unpacking implicit bias in policing
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To truly understand implicit bias is to know it does not equate solely to racism or prejudice, but rather is a fundamental way human beings function
Guardian vs. warrior: The many roles of a police officer
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A cop is a servant who protects the public from evils (guardian) while also having the skill and courage to fight in battles (warrior)
Survey: Is proactive policing slowing down?
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Survey of officers provides insight into today's environment for LE
How UOF evaluation is changing (and how to improve UOF decision making)
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The erosion of the Graham standard is occurring on many different levels and in many different ways — not all of them in the courtroom
What officers really need to know about the 21-foot kill zone
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Each circumstance is unique and while action/reaction time is vital to the equation, there are many other pieces for consideration when using deadly force
How to improve officer training for high-risk traffic stops
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The problem with ever-increasing stress during critical incidents such as a HRTS is found in an associated decrease in critical thinking abilities
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