EP37 "Reforming Police Training with Ecological Dynamics" with Dr. Pete Blair

Episode Summary Dr. Pete Blair is the Executive Director of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center and a Professor of Criminal Justice at Texas State University.  Dr. Blair discusses the need to reform police training in order to address the current crisis in policing. He emphasizes the importance of an evidence-informed approach and highlights the work of ALERRT in providing critical incident response training. Blair identifies the shortcomings of the traditional model of police training, including the focus on ideal techniques and the lack of transferability to real-world situations. He advocates for a shift towards an ecological dynamics approach, which emphasizes self-organization, contextualization, and problem-solving. Blair argues that training should focus on outcomes rather than specific techniques and should incorporate rich and variable environments to enhance transferability. The conversation explores the concept of self-organization in training and how it can lead to more effective and efficient performance. The discussion includes the importance of setting clear intentions and understanding the intention structure in any given situation. They emphasize the need for trainers to guide learners towards exploring more optimal and effective solutions while still allowing for self-organization. The conversation also touches on the role of attention and the shift from internal focus to goal-focused attention. Dr. Blair highlight the importance of understanding what learners will do in real-world situations and focusing on the desired outcome rather than rigid techniques or formations. Takeaways The traditional model of police training is not effective in enhancing the retention and transfer of critical performance skills. Police training should adopt an evidence-informed approach and focus on outcomes rather than specific techniques. Training should incorporate rich and variable environments to enhance transferability to real-world situations. Self-organization is a key concept in training, where the body organizes around the intended outcome to achieve it efficiently and effectively. Contextualization and problem-solving should be emphasized in training to prepare officers for the complex and ever-changing environments they operate in. Setting clear intentions and understanding the intention structure is crucial for self-organization in training. Trainers should guide learners towards exploring more optimal and effective solutions while still allowing for self-organization. Attention should be goal-focused rather than internally focused. Understanding what learners will do in real-world situations is important for effective training. Focusing on the desired outcome is more important than rigid techniques or formations.