Laurence Miller, PhD is a clinical, forensic and police psychologist based in Palm Beach County, Florida. Dr. Miller provides clinical and training services for local, regional and national law enforcement agencies. He is a forensic psychological examiner and serves as an independent expert witness in civil and criminal cases across North America. He is an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University and is the author of over 400 print and online publications dealing with the brain, behavior, criminal justice, law enforcement, traumatic disability and workplace issues.
Dr. Miller has consulted and/or testified in a number of high-profile police shooting cases in the United States and Canada. In February 2015, he was selected to be a panel member testifying before the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing in Washington, DC. His latest book is "The Psychology of Police Deadly Force Encounters." If you have a question for this column, please email editor@policeone.com.
If you’re a well-meaning colleague, family member, or friend, here are some things you can do to help your officer get through a OBM ordeal.Be present. Many helpers become preoccupied with “doing s...
Whether an SBC incident arises spontaneously out of the anger and panic of the subject, or it is pre-planned, the officer involved has to deal with the aftermath
Last week, we talked a little about the fact that, despite all good intentions and preparations, an OBM (One Bad Moment) event may occur. That possibility looms constantly over every officer’s care...
Despite all good intentions and preparations, an OBM event may occur — understanding probable emotional reactions is critical to officer survival
The science of situational awareness: A human being's control of attention and concentration is so important that the brain has an entire neural network devoted to it
Editor’s note: In Part 1 of this special series, Dr. Larry Miller discussed who gets investigated, what sparks them, what the consequences may be and the common emotional reactions of those being i...
Part 1 of a 2-part seriesRead Part 2You hope it never happens to you: You receive notice that you are being subject to an Internal Affairs investigation or similar administrative action. For some o...
It's been seven years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, mental health clinicians who have worked with law enforcement personnel and other first responders have learned that...
A woman’s body has been discovered in your precinct – and it’s the third one this year. As an experienced homicide investigator, you understand that murder or suspicious death necessitates an estab...
Related article: Shock, grief over Oakland lieutenant's death Police1 TV's Dave Smith interviews Charlotte Rappley about officer suicideQ: The recent suicide of Lt. Derrick Norfleet of the Oakland ...
Part 4 of 4: Mental retardation and organic brain syndromes By Dr. Laurence Miller Previously, we’ve discussed patrol strategies for responding to a wide range of mentally ill citizens. In this fin...
Part 3: Personality disorders and substance abuse Parts 1 and 2 of this 4-part series dealt with patrol strategies for handling citizens with serious mental disorders that can impair thought, mood,...
In Part 1 of this 4-part series, I discussed general signs and symptoms of mental disorder and provided some practical strategies for dealing with mentally ill citizens. Part 2 offers more specific...
By Dr. Laurence Miller Like it or not, in almost every community there are citizens with one or more kinds of mental disorder, many of them homeless, and most of them not receiving any effective tr...
When most citizens think of police officers, they think of the beat cop, and indeed, the police patrol function continues to be the backbone of community law enforcement. This seemingly simple poli...
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