UNDERSTANDING HUMAN PERFORMANCE IN CRITICAL INCIDENTS

This course complies with the legislative content and mandates of AB392, SB230 and PC835a.

Force Encounters Analysis is a dynamic, participant-centered 24-hour course designed to present the most current, unbiased scientific evidence about officer-involved use of force. Our curriculum helps law enforcement professionals apply ground-breaking concepts revealed through human performance research to the following areas:
  • Performance under stress
  • Body-worn cameras and other video evidence
  • Effective de-escalation
  • Naturalistic decision-making
  • Neurophysiology of the stress response
  • Consequences of fatigue
  • Memory failures
  • Understanding reaction time

This training offers an education in human performance derived from over 100 years of science and research. It provides the tools necessary for law enforcement professionals to improve performance and decrease agency liability through pre-incident risk management and post-incident forensic findings. Without question, our training can help save lives (officer and civilian) and reduce the risk of officers being exposed to criminal liability for simply trying to do their job in today’s environment!

The tangible results of our training include:

  • Skills to enhance officer safety,
  • Improved decision-making abilities in time-compressed situations,
  • Effective, informed, and unbiased force investigations,
  • Training programs informed by human factor science
  • Enhanced officer wellness (short and long-term)

Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989), provides the evaluative standard for use of force. The court decided force should be judged, in part, on the perceptions of an objectively reasonable officer given the totality of the circumstances. Human factors science provides vital information[1] concerning the capabilities and limitations of human beings in environments which are tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving. Given the fact Graham is under attack in many states, Force Encounters Analysis will add vital information to the discussion when answering the question – WHAT IS REASONABLE?

Target Audience

Force Encounters Analysis is ideal for sworn and professional law enforcement personnel assigned to Patrol, Corrections, SWAT, Investigations, Professional Standards, or Training (firearms, defensive tactics, force options, etc.) as well as Supervisors and Command Staff at all levels. This course is appropriate for attendees from law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal level to include Investigators from agencies such as the District Attorney, Attorney General, Inspector General, etc.

The course will also greatly benefit those outside of law enforcement whose work includes:

  • Prosecutors
  • Civil attorneys for city, county, state, or federal agencies
  • Risk managers
  • Critical Incident Teams
  • Police psychologists
  • Union representatives
  • Civilian Review Boards
  • Law Enforcement Oversight Committees
[1] Reaction time, perception & attention, biomechanics, memory, video interpretation, decision-making and more.

Course Length – 24 hours

Department of Homeland Security Certified* Catalog ID:  CA-058-RESP This course is eligible for use of Homeland Security Grant Programs to cover the cost of registration, travel, lodging, per-diem, and overtime.  For more information on how to apply for grant funds, please contact your state HLS training officer: http://www.dhs.gov/state-homeland-security-and-emergency-services  

CA POST Certified: 1534-22419-xxxxx         CO POST Certified:  UF003      STC/BSCC Certified: 07943094

Open-Enrollment Sessions are 24 hours/3 days, currently scheduled in CA, WA, TX, CO, AZ, NM and MN.  In-house sessions are available Nationwide.  

Tuition rates: $425 in CA.  $475 to $500 in all other states.

Instructor Cadre:
Certified Force Science Analyst, James Schnabl, M.P.A. has over 33 years of law enforcement experience.  He retired as a Deputy Chief for the Santa Ana Police Department, where he commanded the Administration and Support Bureau including the Department’s Training Division.  His previous command experience includes Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.), Field Operations and Investigations.  Additionally, he was the Commander of a multiagency task force, the Regional Narcotics Suppression Program (RNSP). As an officer, detective, and sergeant, Jim has held positions in Directed Patrol, Field Training, S.W.A.T., Narcotics and Crimes Against Persons (CAP).
During his ten years as a narcotics investigator, Jim worked for six years undercover and flew surveillance aircraft for an additional 4 years, logging over 1,800 flight hours.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from the University of La Verne and a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy and Administration from California State University, Long Beach. He is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute (SLI Class 209), the California Peace Officers Standards in Training (P.O.S.T.) Command College (Class 49) and the FBI National Academy (Class 254).  Jim’s Command College article, Reinventing the Police Report for the 21st Century: Are Video Police Reports the Answer? was published in Police Chief Magazine (September 2012).
Douglas McGeachy, D.P.A. is a Certified Force Science Analyst and has over 25 years of law enforcement experience. He recently retired as a Deputy Chief for the Santa Ana Police Department where he commanded the Investigations Bureau and the Administration and Support Bureau. He previously served as Deputy Chief of the Field Operations Bureau where he oversaw the Department’s largest and most visible command of police officers.
Doug has command-level experience in the Training, Traffic, and Patrol Divisions as well as the Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) Team. Deputy Chief McGeachy is a recipient of the Santa Ana Police Department’s Medal of Valor and Purple Heart as well as the Award of Valor from the California Peace Officers Association.
In addition to his work with the California Training Institute, Doug also holds adjunct teaching positions at the Riverside County Sheriff’s Academy and the Golden West College S.W.A.T. Academy. Deputy Chief McGeachy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science with an emphasis in Public Administration from California Baptist University, a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of La Verne, and a Doctor of Public Administration from the University of La Verne. His dissertation titled, Managing Risk in Local Law Enforcement: Leadership Perspectives on Policy, Training, Performance, and Communication focused on law enforcement risk management efforts at the operational level.
Doug served in the United States Marine Corps for six years and has seven years of experience as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician.
James Dickey, B.S   James is a Certified Force Science Analyst and has over 22 years of law enforcement experience previously working for a large police department in Los Angeles County and currently working for a sheriff’s department in Southern California.  He has been assigned to all three major levels of training and instruction of peace officers to include an assignment as a member of the Training and Coordination Team (TACT Staff) at a large regional academy in Southern California where he acclimated private citizens into their role as a peace officer recruits, a Field Training Officer (FTO) training freshly graduated recruits on patrol functions, and as an Instructor in Advanced Officer Training (AOT) training tenured peace officers in the areas of FTO School, death investigations, use of force investigations, officer involved shootings, laws of arrest, and court testimony.  James holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from San Diego State University, has been a California POST certified instructor since 2009, and is currently employed as an adjunct instructor at Riverside Community College in Riverside CA.  He is a POST certified firearms instructor, physical training instructor, and an academy scenario manager.
James has been a criminal investigator for the past 14 years investigating crimes such as child abuse, sexual assault, bank robbery, kidnapping, homicide, and use of force investigations.  He has been the primary investigator assigned to over 50+ cases involving homicide, officer/deputy involved shootings, use of force with great bodily injury, assault under the color of authority, peace officer suicides, in-custody deaths, and the murder and attempted murder of on-duty peace officers.  He has assisted on over 200+ investigations involving the same crimes.  James has been assigned to his department’s active homicide team, cold case homicide team, and was a founding member of his departments Force Investigation Detail in 2019; a taskforce model team which was a first in the State of California to exist and include members of a state agency.  He presented this force investigations taskforce model at a major force investigations conference in the State of Florida in 2022.  James has also lectured at conferences for the California Deputy District Attorneys Association, the California Gang Investigators Association, and the Riverside County Gang Investigators Association. 
James is a member of the California Homicide Investigators Association, the International Homicide Investigators Association, his department’s promotional board, and is the Secretary/Trustee for his sheriff’s association legal defense trust representing over 3,000 members.  He has also been designated as a member of his sheriff’s association’s contract negotiation team securing labor contracts.
James started his department’s undercover operations program related to homicides and is recognized as a leading expert in this area, training other agencies in the state.  He is also recognized for his expertise in recent California legislation (AB 392 and AB 1506) which has substantially changed how use of force encounters are investigated and evaluated by district attorneys in the State of California.