August 29, 2025 | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. | $359
Erie County CPS Law Enforcement Training Academy 6205 Main St, Williamsville, NY 14221
Who should attend:
Sworn officers who want to improve their emotion intelligence and decision-making skills.
Description:
The law enforcement environment can often be described as one that is a non-linear, open-loop system, that happens at light-speed. One where time can be either friend or foe. Operating in this environment creates stress which affects decision-making. Within this time-compressed environment officers often feel they need to act because they are there, rather than allowing the circumstances of a call determine the urgency to act.
The question is how to provide a strategy for officer's to effectively control the stress response and to make lawful and ethical decisions? The answer is two-fold: with 1) Emotional Intelligence and 2) the use of thinking and mental models.
Emotional Intelligence helps in reducing the stress caused by non-linear, uncertain events. Being able to regulate emotions allows officers to make better decisions. The use of thinking and mental models (OODA, Cynefin, Adaptive Decision-making model) assists the officer in their sensemaking and decision-making capabilities. Students are taught to make decisions based on urgency or the need to take an action and within the Constitutional framework of the 4th Amendment. These components are a great compliment to any de-escalation strategy.
You will leave this class as a stronger FTO Supervisor by learning:
✒ How Emotional Intelligence creates resilient, compassionate and respectful police officers.
✒ The Adaptive Decision-making Model.
✒ How mental models help or hinder the decision-making process.
✒ The Cynefin Sensemaking Model.
✒ How a spectrum strategy assists in managing time.
✒ Understand the role bias plays in decision-making.
REGISTER TODAY: Click Here Adaptive Decision-making for LE - August 29, 2025 - Williamsville, NY
Register before June 29, 2025 and receive 10% off by using coupon code EARLY
Instructor:
Thomas Dworak is a retired Sergeant (31 years) from a suburban Chicago police department where he was the Field Training and Evaluation Program Coordinator and the Lead Defensive Tactics/Use of Force Instructor. Thom facilitates training throughout the country in Field Training, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership and Decision-making. He holds the position of adjunct faculty at the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy at the College of Du Page providing instruction to recruits in defensive tactics and scenario-based training. Thom is a court recognized expert in police practices and use of force. He is a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), the International Law Enforcement Trainers Network (ILET), the Small and Rural Police Executives Association and the Naturalistic Decision-making Association.