Police Jiu-Jitsu: Engineering Optimal Outcomes in Use of Force Application to Reduce Major Injuries to Citizens and Officers

Police use of force is an issue that generates considerable public interest. Seeing police use of force in person or via video recordings seldom looks good for the viewer. Police must constantly be aware of their reasons for using force, the methods that they employ, and the decisions that they make in using force. Optimal results come from optimal decision-making, but analyzing whether the training that police receive leads to optimal decision-making is not a topic that has been researched often. By utilizing the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the Mesa Police Department has taught their officers how to maintain broad focus of attention on their environment and more time to analytically decide how and what force modalities to employ in any given situation. This has resulted in significantly less serious physical injuries to officers and citizens and optimal decisions in critical incidents.