VA – L.E.A.D.S. and Use of Force Decision Making for the Field Training Officer

Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy
Hosting
L.E.A.D.S. Active De-escalation Strategies
and Use of Force Decision Making for the Field Training Officer
April 3 and 4, 2025

Subject: Summary of L.E.A.D.S. and Use of Force Training 

It was both a pleasure and an honor to present our professional development program, L.E.A.D.S. – Law Enforcement Active De-escalation Strategies and Use of Force Coaching and Analysis for the Field Training Officer, at your academy on April 3–4, 2025.

The training was extremely well received. All attending students displayed outstanding enthusiasm, professionalism, and dedication throughout the two-day session. A review of the course evaluations revealed an overwhelmingly positive response, which I am pleased to share in the attached assessment.

I would also like to extend my sincere appreciation to Mr. Robert Tokarchic, Training Coordinator, for his outstanding support and coordination. His attention to detail and commitment to excellence ensured we had everything necessary to deliver the training at the highest professional standard. His hospitality and professionalism made me feel like a truly welcomed guest.

Student Evaluation Summary
100 % of students attending this course responded “YES to questions 1-5 listed below:

1. Was the instructor in course content well organized?
2. Did the instructor cover all stated objectives?
3. Did the instructor encourage class participation?
4. Were the training aids and material relevant and effective?
5. Would you recommend this course to others?
6. If this course was held at a facility other than Northern Virginia Academy where the facilities are adequate and conducive to your training? “N/A”

Comments concerning the instructor: Lt. Kevin Dillon (ret)

• Great instructor, very knowledgeable. Provided helpful information that will help in my role as FTO. Would absolutely recommend this to others.
• Very knowledgeable and engaging. Makes even dry parts fun and interactive
• Great class, great instructor
• A truly great course. Highly recommend to have and will be telling other coworkers to sign up.
• Excellent instructor! I learned so much from this class.
• Great way of teaching this class and very engaging.
• Great class, instructor has a lot of knowledge and experience.
• Great course. Very useful and practical information. Great enthusiasm, Lieutenant Dillon has great energy. His experience as a LEO combined with course content plus his delivery make this course a must for FTO’s
• It was good to hear real life incidents
• Very engaging.
• Great class. Really enjoyed it. Lt. Dillon did a great job making the class fun and interesting,
• Bring all his classes to NVCJTA.
• Clearly knows the material and very enthusiastic about it. Makes it fun and interesting to learn some difficult material. Absolutely great class for supervisors.
• Very personable. Easy to listen to. Kept the class engaged great class.
• The instructor was very knowledgeable on the subject. I look forward to taking more of his courses in the near future.
• Very knowledgeable and explained the material well
• Great class, lots of materials to learn from
• Course is very relatable to my position.

What did you take away from this course?
• Methods to de-escalate inactive de-escalation strategies
• decision making process will enhance my understanding for teaching.
• Understanding how the human brain may operate under stress and what techniques can be used to de-escalate situations at a heightened state
• Connecting brain and actions
• Cognitive interviews
• Knowing how the brain processes information under high stress and how this can cause automatic training responses to similar situations
• How to better train trainees’ brains. Better articulation on response to resistance reports
• Different ways to assist teaching and training my FT O, especially with different learning styles as my own
• Great refresh as well with use of force techniques, report writing, situations great techniques of changing wording when talking to people
• Use of force analysis, understanding the body when under stress
• Different simple and useful techniques that I will share with fellow officers and recent hires
• The escalation for FTO in pre-Academy recruits
• That officers and field trainers cannot become complacent in their day-to-day procedures
• Everything, the greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.
• Ability to communicate better with trainees and citizens. Ways to train certain behaviors active listening and being very articulate on reports, defense will use anything against you
• techniques I will utilize in training my recruits. The instructor taught us a lot on how the brain works and how people react under stress.
• Think and take a breath before action.
• Techniques for obtaining voluntary compliance how the brain affects stress.
• Various factors that influence escalation and de-escalation.
• Tactics to teach ??? when dealing with citizens

How will you apply this course to your current position?

• I’ll apply all of the points discussed during the last two days and to my current field training methods.
• I will use several techniques on a daily basis or when I come across critical incidents
• I will pass along this information to other deputies in my agency to hopefully give them the tools needed to better assess situations and effectively communicate
• With my FT O training and patrol techniques and interviewing
• How to better train new deputies, in how to function in stressful situations.
• Training better and understand responses better.
• I’m an FTO and patrol.
• Use techniques on how to talk to individuals in trainees to help diffuse situations and prevent use of force reports or better articulate A use of force report
• New concepts to think about, take on responsibilities of an FTO. I really enjoyed this class -thank you
• Better train new recruits
• Every day while on or off duty training
• Ideas to rename my department’s current use of force form.
• To train probates more effectively
• I will use various factors to train recruits to help my recruit when training them
• De-escalation on calls for service
• Being patient with myself and trainee I will train others using some of the things from this lecture
• Calls for service in while training as an FTO apply day-to-day shift work and when training new officers. More scenario training
• Recommend new training and rethinking use of force.

In today’s environment, every use of force incident is scrutinized frame by frame on video and judged by individuals often lacking proper training, leading to distrust and the spread of false narratives. Field Training Officers (FTOs), as the primary coaches and instructors for recruits, often lack advanced training in de-escalation tactics and use-of-force decision-making, leaving them on par with the recruits they are guiding. De-escalation strategies, use-of-force mitigation, analysis, investigation, and training are complex and constantly evolving challenges.

This customized 2-day training session is specifically designed for FTOs and will focus on:
• Applying real-world de-escalation strategies to reduce the need for force.
• Documenting de-escalation tactics and force mitigation strategies effectively.
• Making sound use-of-force decisions and selecting appropriate actions.
• Accurately reporting and articulating use-of-force incidents.

Equip your FTOs with the tools they need to train recruits confidently while promoting accountability, professionalism, and safer outcomes in the field.

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES

1. Understand how implicit biases influence perceptions and behavior in law enforcement.
2. Identify indicators of hostility through body language and non-verbal cues.
3. Develop skills and tactics to reduce the influence of bias on policing practices.
4. Recognize the value of tracking services in law enforcement to improve accountability.
5. Learn techniques to avoid negative communication and shift toward positive interactions.
6. Master effective verbal de-escalation strategies to defuse tense situations.
7. Understand the physiological changes that occur during aggression and how to manage them.
8. Understand how involuntary cognitive limitations when confronting aggression.
9. Learn methods to redirect thought processes through positive and constructive communication.
10. Understand the importance of emotional intelligence in law enforcement and its application in the field.
11. Develop strategies for communicating and responding to special populations ( P.U.B. persons demonstrating unusual behaviors)
12. Learn and apply motivational interviewing techniques to improve communication and compliance.
13. Understand use-of-force definitions and proper terminology for accurate reporting.
14. Explore the application of the Fourth Amendment to use-of-force decisions.
15. Discuss Constitutional Force Standards and their role in law enforcement practices.
16. Learn the three essential steps in use-of-force decision-making.
17. Define and analyze serious use-of-force areas and their implications.
18. Examine officer behavior and accountability issues in use-of-force situations.
19. Discuss de-escalation strategies and how to document them effectively.
20. Understand human attention and its relevance to use-of-force incidents.
21. Learn methods for tracking, trending, reporting, and analyzing use-of-force incidents.
22. Apply proper force application techniques to police report writing.
23. Discuss trends, issues, and training needs related to Electronic Control Weapons (ECWs).
24. Identify training gaps and voids in current use-of-force programs.
25. Understand the concept of quantum of force and how it applies to force options.
26. Identify the key information needed for tracking and analyzing use-of-force data.
27. Discuss the factors necessary for a thorough analysis of use-of-force incidents.
28. Develop methods for quantifying use-of-force deployments to measure effectiveness.
29. Learn strategies for coaching de-escalation techniques effectively.
30. Master methods for instructing and coaching officers to improve performance and accountability.