David Blake

The Science of Training

David Blake, Ph.D., is a retired California peace officer and a court-certified expert on human factors psychology 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 undergraduate and graduate degrees in criminal justice and psychology. He has authored over 30 professional and peer-reviewed journal articles on the application of human factors psychology to first responders and their operational environments. David continues to conduct research on police deadly force and human factors psychology. He is the lead consultant at Blake Consulting and Training.

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Full list of David Blake results

3 recommendations to mitigate TASER/firearm 'capture' errors
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A human factors scientist discusses device design, holster placement and training considerations
'Lost in transition': How science can help inform evidence-based de-escalation practices
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De-escalation is often presented as a panacea for use of force reduction, but research on the effectiveness of de-escalation techniques is limited
Fact-checking the need to reform education requirements for California cops
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Proposed legislation would bolster academy training to include classes more focused on mental health, social services, psychology and communication
A letter to the American public: Why ‘shoot them in the leg’ is not an effective strategy
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When law enforcement practices become political fodder, both officers and civilians lose
Today's cops NEED to be use of force experts: Here’s how
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Combine these reading recommendations with tabletop training to become the ‘go-to’ use-of-force expert in your agency
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
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