Leland Connects the Dots

One of the more insightful observers of changing law enforcement and counterterrorism practice is Fred Leland, a Lt. in the Walpole, MA police department, Marine Corps veteran, and longtime law enforcement trainer. Leland runs Law Enforcement and Security Consulting, a firm very much inspired by Maj. Don Vandergriff's research and writing on adaptive leadership. Fred has linked to many of the pieces John P. Sullivan and I have written about law enforcement and counterterrorism and incorporated them into his firm's work.

Fred has an interesting piece of his own that I'd like to highlight on creating operational theory for complex law enforcement that expands on our "Postcard from Mumbai" piece on urban siege:

"In my view in police and security situations where conflict and violence often linger, the center of gravity is the adversary’s motives and mindset. Motives and mindset cannot be predicted with certainty; therefore we must develop knowledge of conflict and violence in its three dimensions, the moral, mental and physical and how to translate this knowledge as it is applied in a given set of circumstances. This knowledge combined with the ability to apply in the context of competition or crises based on the unfolding circumstances is ‘operational art.”"

Developing operational art for law enforcement, Leland argues, is going to require extensive knowledge of the dynamics of violence, psychology, and the operating environment and the ability to use that knowledge to guide tactical responses and allocation of resources.

Comments

[Fred Leland]

Adam thanks for the fine work you are doing in this area of developing law enforcement operational art. It is an area much needed in our efforts to prepare and respond to crisis situations. thanks as well for posting my two-cents worth on this great site.

Also I was an enlisted man in the Marine Corps, a Marine Corps Corporal and "Squad leader". Dare I say the backbone of that great organization.

Fred

[A.E.]

Fred, thanks for your praise.

Sorry about the error, I'll correct it soon.