Page 25 - PCPA Fall 2025 Bulletin Magazine

TRAINING THAT STICKS: HELPING OFFICERS RECALL WHAT MATTERS WHEN IT COUNTS
FALL 2025 BULLETIN
Training That Sticks:
Helping Officers Recall What
Matters When It Counts
In policing, the ability to act quickly
and confidently is essential. That
action must also be guided by policy,
case law, and training. Yet, ensuring
officers retain and apply critical
information at the right time remains
one of the most persistent challenges
in law enforcement leadership.
Many chiefs will recognize this cycle:
policy updates are issued, officers
acknowledge them, and training logs
are updated. But how much of that
content is retained weeks or months
later, especially in rare but high-risk
encounters? As public expectations
grow and accountability intensifies,
so does the need for more effective,
evidence-based training methods.
The Challenge: Retention and
Recall in High-Stakes Situations
In law enforcement, policies evolve
often—whether driven by legislation,
court rulings, or internal reform.
Officers are expected to internalize
these changes, sometimes with only
a memo, a briefing, or a signature line
to guide them. This traditional model
has limitations.
continued on next page
25