NCJ Number
229917
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 36 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2009 Pages: 36,38,41
Date Published
November 2009
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the impact of training on an officer's ability to respond to a threat quickly and decisively.
Abstract
It is a fact that a person's subconscious, precipitated by training, is infinitely faster than a person's conscious efforts. Training creates an automated response; it is the brain's ability to form pathways for a task; the task is learned when the brain finds efficient neural pathways. The response to a threat is smoother because training causes the brain to observe and orient faster. These are the first two components of OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act), also known as the OODA Loop. The quicker a person can observe and orient, the better his or her response to a threat. For officers to prevail, training must include stressful situations that test each component of the OODA Loop. Regular exposure to training conditions can massage the subconscious into quickly spotting inconsistencies.