There have been several articles published recently — not just here on PoliceOne, but elsewhere too — concerning problems of utilizing use of force models, continuums, paradigms, or whatever name you choose to use, in LE training.

Agencies no longer use models instead rely on case law as it pertains to the fourth amendment and what is reasonable. Some of the reasons were a feeling that models tended to predict a subject’s behavior, and that they do not list all the variables that a LEO might perceive in a given situation. Another was that officers felt they had to go up one step at a time in order to get to a higher level of force, and as a result were hesitant to use the appropriate force under stress because they were unsure if it was in fact “reasonable.” Concern over legal issues arising from officers being locked into a particular model in post-incident cases was another reason.

Models are just what they are, models, nothing more. I feel that if it is presented properly in training, and if its true purpose is understood, a model will not only be a valuable training tool, but also an integral part of use of force report writing. After all, any good model is based upon actual case law.

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