ILEETA Historical Journal Archive

The ILEETA Use of Force Journal

Volume 7, 2007

Our 2007 content preserves a focused snapshot of the use-of-force training conversations available to ILEETA members at the beginning of that year. Its articles examine instructor selection, training liability, force documentation, scenario design, non-lethal-force policy debates, emerging simulator technology, and the safety rationale for exposure exercises. Together they show trainers working to connect tactics, judgment, legal articulation, instructor development, and organizational responsibility.

Volume 7, Number 1

January-March 2007

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Edited by Brian A. Kinnaird, Ph.D., with Steve Ashley as Associate Editor and Ed Nowicki as Executive Director, this issue invited trainers to “rekindle the spirit of training.” The substantive articles address force-option policy, certification and instructor liability, realistic scenario development, the selection and continuing education of use-of-force instructors, and the risks and claimed benefits of voluntary TASER exposure. The issue is historically valuable because it records both the training priorities and the professional assumptions being debated in early 2007.

Featured Articles

The Politics of Non-Lethal Force

Author: Rick Guilbault

Abstract:

Reflecting the policy debates of 2007, Guilbault examines how headlines, advocacy campaigns, incomplete incident information, and isolated outcome statistics could shape public decisions about non-lethal force options. He urges law enforcement trainers and leaders to explain resistance, force context, injury reduction, and avoided deadly-force outcomes instead of relying on a single number or defensive silence. This historical article is useful for studying use-of-force communication, policy development, statistical framing, less-lethal technology, and the need to distinguish correlation from causation. Readers should compare its claims with current evidence and terminology.

Topics:

non-lethal force
use-of-force policy
public communication
force statistics
less-lethal technology

Suggested APA Citation:

Guilbault, R. (2007). The politics of non-lethal force. The ILEETA Use of Force Journal, 7(1), 6-9.

Historical note: Terminology, medical evidence, device research, and professional guidance have changed since 2007.

Law Enforcement Training: Rhetoric, Liability and the Certificate

Author: Brian A. Kinnaird, Ph.D.

Abstract:

Kinnaird analyzes what law enforcement certification represented in 2007 and questions whether a certificate alone demonstrated competence, appropriate selection, or organizational readiness. The article follows the “who, what, when, where, and why” of specialized training before considering instructor duty, foreseeability, negligence, documentation, and potential civil liability. For academy leaders and police instructors, it provides a historical framework for examining instructor certification, course validation, training records, agency responsibility, and the difference between attendance and demonstrated performance. Current trainers should compare the legal discussion with current jurisdictional law, accreditation requirements, and agency policy.

Topics:

instructor certification
training liability
course documentation
instructor selection
negligence
agency responsibility

Suggested APA Citation:

Kinnaird, B. A. (2007). Law enforcement training: Rhetoric, liability and the certificate. The ILEETA Use of Force Journal, 7(1), 9-15.

Historical note: This is not current legal advice. Review present law, standards, and counsel guidance.

Enhancing Use of Force Training

Author: Curtis J. (Jeff) Cope

Abstract:

Cope argues that physical force skills and firearms proficiency are incomplete without realistic decision-making, articulation, and report-writing practice. Drawing on critical incidents and foundational use-of-force cases, he recommends scenario-based training that recreates the information, hazards, tactical choices, and stress officers may encounter. The article emphasizes documenting what an officer knew, perceived, and did rather than reducing an incident to the final application of force. It remains historically useful for police trainers studying scenario design, force articulation, decision-making under stress, report writing, and learning transfer from controlled exercises to field performance.

Topics:

use-of-force training
scenario-based training
force articulation
report writing
decision-making under stress
learning transfer

Suggested APA Citation:

Cope, C. J. (2007). Enhancing use of force training. The ILEETA Use of Force Journal, 7(1), 15-19.

Historical note: Readers should compare the case-law discussion and training recommendations with current legal standards and research.

W.I.N.

Author: Brian Willis

Abstract:

Using “What's Important Now” as a decision prompt, Willis focuses on the people and systems responsible for preparing officers to perform under pressure. He discusses rigorous but fair standards, competitive instructor selection, adult-learning knowledge, cross-training among firearms, defensive-tactics, and officer-safety instructors, and continuous professional development beyond one's own agency. The article also urges trainers to study human performance, seek challenging conference sessions, and learn from experienced peers. This historical essay remains relevant to instructor development, curriculum consistency, performance standards, trainer selection, professional humility, and building an agency culture that treats training assignments as consequential specialties.

Topics:

instructor development
trainer selection
adult learning
human performance
cross-disciplinary training
training standards

Suggested APA Citation:

Willis, B. (2007). W.I.N. The ILEETA Use of Force Journal, 7(1), 20-23.

Historical note: The article reflects 2007 language and assumptions about police training culture.

TASER Shocks in Training

Author: Bert DuVernay

Abstract:

DuVernay reconsiders the then-common practice of exposing students to a TASER shock during certification training. Prompted by reports of training injuries, he compares the exercise with OC exposure and asks whether the claimed benefits—preparation, credibility, and personal understanding—justify the physical risk. The article distinguishes accidental field exposure, the ability to function through a force effect, and the evidentiary value of firsthand experience. Preserved as a historical safety discussion, it is useful for trainers researching conducted-energy-weapon instruction, voluntary exposure, risk management, informed consent, training injury, and the responsibility to reevaluate inherited practices.

Topics:

TASER training
conducted-energy weapons
training safety
voluntary exposure
risk management
informed consent

Suggested APA Citation:

DuVernay, B. (2007). TASER shocks in training. The ILEETA Use of Force Journal, 7(1), 23-24.

Historical note: Device models, medical research, exposure protocols, terminology, and manufacturer guidance may have changed substantially.