Police Training Revisited: Meeting the Demands of Conflict Training with a New Constraints-Led Approach

Recent data indicate that police officers often feel unprepared for the ambiguous and unpredictable situations they face. The Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) to training can make police training more realistic and effective, as well as enhance retention and transfer of core psychomotor skills. CLA-based training emphasizes active, hands-on training that gradually includes key constraints (contexts) of real-life police operations. Initial studies show that CLA-based training can support police officers’ development of practical problem-solving skills in realistic scenarios in ways superior to traditional technique-based instruction.