Imagine being a trainer or educator and regularly receiving an engaging and easy-to-understand overview of all the key research in police training and education… How great would that be? Well, that’s exactly what Applied Police Briefings (APB) offers! “There’s no excuse anymore. Trainers have access to so many great resources—it just takes the motivation to use them.” — Craig Bennell
In this podcast, experts Craig Bennell and Kirk Luther discuss how APB helps bridge the gap between science and practice. A lot of valuable police research remains unused because trainers and officers struggle to access scientific articles—they are often behind paywalls, written in complex language, and simply too time-consuming to read. APB provides a solution by offering concise, accessible summaries of relevant research, making it easier to apply findings in real-world policing.
The conversation also delves into essential knowledge and skills for police officers, such as de-escalation, procedural justice, and mental resilience. The guests emphasize how important it is for officers to understand what it means to police in a free and democratic society—a foundational principle for effective decision-making in complex situations.
Another fascinating topic discussed is the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) in training. Should police education focus entirely on implicit learning and self-discovery, or are there situations where explicit instruction is necessary? Erik raises critical questions about balancing scientific findings with practical police training, and the guests acknowledge that more research within the policing context is needed to develop a well-founded approach.
We also talk about a study on the confidence gap in decision-making between male and female police officers. The research examines how male and female officers make decisions in various scenarios and compares their confidence in those decisions.
The discussion also highlights the challenges of implementing research into police training. In addition to issues like limited access and time constraints, there is also resistance within police culture. Traditional training methods are deeply ingrained, and change takes time. Furthermore, in countries like Canada, police training is not standardized, making it difficult to implement evidence-based methods on a national scale.
Despite these challenges, the overall message is optimistic: progress is being made in police education, and with initiatives like APB, the gap between research and practice is narrowing. For trainers and educators, APB is an invaluable resource to gain practical, research-based insights that can enhance police training.
Curious about how you can apply this knowledge in your own training? Listen to the full podcast and discover how science and practice come together in police education!
Topics
• Introduction to Kirk Luther and Greg Benell: Their work on police briefings and KSAs for managing volatile interactions.
• Craig Benell’s role: Psychology professor at Carlton University, focusing on police use of force, de-escalation, and mental health crisis responses.
• Kirk Luther’s role: Assistant professor at Carlton University, specializing in memory and investigative interviewing.
• KSAs for managing volatile police-public interactions: Narrative review identifying 10 KSAs, including tactical skills and understanding policing in a democratic society.
• Policing in Canada: The importance of understanding democratic society, balancing rights and law enforcement during protests.
• Trust and Public Opinion: Support for police in Canada and the challenge of implementing change across various police services.
• Applied Police Briefings (APB): Making research accessible and practical for police officers.
• Scientific Literacy: Importance for police trainers to critically assess research.
• Winter Edition of APB: Focus on female police officers’ confidence gap in decision-making.
• Constraints-led approach in police training: Simulating real-life constraints to improve training effectiveness.
• Balancing Research and Practice: Communicating research limitations while integrating it into police practice.
• Implementation of Ideas: APB as a starting point for research dissemination, with police services encouraged to collaborate with original researchers.
• Current Research: Studies on interview techniques and de-escalation training.
• Generalization Across Cultures: KSAs are likely applicable worldwide, but adapting to local cultural contexts (e.g., Indigenous communities) is important.
• Hindrances to Research Implementation: Issues like time, resources, and lack of training evaluation in police services.
• Ambitions for APB: Expanding audience and making case law accessible, aiming for podcasts and a comprehensive resource.
• Volunteer Run: APB is volunteer-driven, free, and open access, with priorities on expanding readership and content relevance.
• Recommendations: Utilizing opportunities like podcasts and conferences to further research dissemination.
Quotes from the podcast
🔹 “It’s so difficult for them to access scientific articles… we can’t expect officers to pay 30, 40, 50 dollars per article.” — Kirk Luther
🔹 “Who has the time to sit down and read all the research related to use of force training?” — Craig Bennell
🔹 “At the core of all policing is understanding: What does it mean to police in a free and democratic society?” — Craig Bennell
🔹 “We don’t have a lot of undergraduate university programs that focus specifically on police studies… many officers don’t get formal education on these fundamental questions.” — Craig Bennell
🔹 “Having a critical thinking lens allows trainers to understand the strength of evidence in different areas… we always need to keep learning.” — Kirk Luther
🔹 “I’m not suggesting it’s the end-all and be-all… but I do think it moves us in the right direction.” — Craig Bennell
🔹 “The original training design may be great… but implementation is the challenge. If it’s reduced to a half-day version, it may become useless.” — Craig Bennell
🔹 “Policing skills, like any other skills, require practice. You can’t be taught something once and be expected to master it without feedback and refreshers.” — Kirk Luther
🔹 “We want APB to be the first place police professionals turn to when they want to know about the evidence.” — Kirk Luther
🔹 “There’s no excuse anymore. Trainers have access to so many great resources—it just takes the motivation to use them.” — Craig Bennell
Video of the podcast
Audio
Resources