If we want officers to make good decisions under stress, they need more than just exposure to information. They need learning that sticks.
One of the best things we did as an agency was draw from the science in “Make It Stick” by Peter Brown.
Here’s how we can upgrade police training:
✅ Retrieval practice – Don’t just teach it. Make them recall it.
✅ Spaced practice – Spread out refreshers over time, not just once a year.
✅ Interleaving – Mix legal, tactical, and communication drills. Real life isn’t siloed.
✅ Generation – Let them solve problems before giving the answer.
✅ Elaboration – Make them explain their decisions out loud.
✅ Reflection – Build in time to debrief and learn from each rep.
✅ Embrace Difficulty – Make training real, not just easy.
Our training time is already limited. We can’t afford to have learning that fades quickly. Use the science to maximize everything you do in training.
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