Tactical Vision: Overcoming Perceptual Blindness in Law Enforcement

Many law enforcement officers unknowingly suffer from a condition called Perceptual Blindness, which compromises their investigative, driving, survival, and decision-making skills.

• Officers may overlook important evidence at crime scenes, even when it's in plain sight.
• They may experience traffic accidents by failing to see objects or other vehicles in their path.
• Officers can be assaulted without noticing obvious visual cues or weapons, increasing the risk of injury.
• In some cases, controversial uses of force occur due to impaired observation under mentally taxing conditions, which further reduces their ability to see clearly.

Unfortunately, many officers don’t realize they are affected by Perceptual Blindness, and few take steps to correct the issue. This challenge is not only misunderstood by officers, but also by administrators, investigators, and trainers. While Perceptual Blindness has been studied for decades in scientific fields, its practical application to law enforcement is still emerging.

Given that sharp observational skills are crucial to law enforcement success and safety, understanding and addressing Perceptual Blindness is vital.

Learning Objectives:

• Raise awareness about the scope of Perceptual Blindness and its impact on performance and safety.
• Teach officers about the mechanics of vision and the various components of Perceptual Blindness.
• Explain the limitations of vision and provide tools to overcome these limitations.
• Guide officers in integrating new visual skills into daily activities such as investigations, handling service calls, and driving.

Course Details: This 8-hour course is designed to teach officers how to become trained observers, improving their ability to see and respond to critical details. The course presents compelling visual evidence that demonstrates the wide-reaching impact of Perceptual Blindness on law enforcement duties. The content is designed to challenge common perceptions, and the visual demonstrations are truly eye-opening.

Note taking materials