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INTRODUCTION

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REFERENCE

REFERENCE

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INTRODUCTION

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THE SIX LAYER CONCEPT

The Six Layer Concept is Human Terrain Mapping and Behavior Pattern Recognition (HTMBPR). It is designed to effectively equip one with the ability to articulate and defend decisions based on published science. HTMBPR is the backbone of our decision-making paradigm and the methodology used for strategic and tactical planning for intelligence-based policing. This course provides an informed awareness that students can use predictively and proactively to de-escalate and mitigate potentially dangerous situations they may encounter during the performance of their duties. With the capability for tactical disengagement, there are more opportunities to prevent a deadly force or escalation of force incident before it happens. Today’s law enforcement and allied professionals work and live in a very fluid and dynamic environment where the health and welfare of their officers and the civilian populace they serve balance on a fine line. Predictive analysis and proactive decision-making create a cycle that, if repeated, builds adaptability and resiliency. This cycle works within a legal, moral, and ethical framework and aligns with the needs of the 21st Century Law Enforcement Professional.

Curriculum Overview

The purpose of this workshop is to create the ability for an individual to quickly establish a baseline and identify anomalies through the six layers of human behavior. This is achieved through an understanding in the physiological and psychological affects of stress on the brain. The student will be able to use behavior pattern recognition to enhance decision-making and mitigate cognitive biases. The application of these new lenses will improve situational awareness through better observation, reporting, communication, and articulation.

Terminal Learning Objectives

Given a video-based scenario to observe, establish the baseline and identify anomalies using the six layers of human behavior. Given a video-based scenario to observe, recognize factors that can affect observations and impact decision-making. Given a video-based scenario to observe, use Human Terrain Mapping and Behavior Pattern Recognition to identify potential threats before they occur.

Enabling Learning Objectives

With the aid of references, understand the origins of HTMBPR. With the aid of references, describe the B+A=D Decision-Making Algorithm. With the aid of references, describe how the B+A=D Algorithm applies to policy, procedure, as well as legal, moral, and ethical frameworks. With the aid of references, list the Six Layers of Human Behavior for baseline establishment and anomaly detection. With the aid of references, describe how to use culture as context when establishing the baseline. With the aid of references, describe how cognitive biases can affect decision-making (i.e. implicit & explicit bias). With the aid of references, describe effective & efficient communication. With the aid of references, understand the limitations and capabilities of the eye. With the aid of references, understand the limitations and capabilities of the brain. With the aid of references, define the heuristics layer. With the aid of references, define the proxemics layer. With the aid of references, define the geographics layer. With the aid of references, define the atmospherics layer. With the aid of references, define the biometrics layer. With the aid of references, define the kinesics layer.

WHAT IS HTMBPR?

Human terrain mapping and behavior pattern recognition (HTMBPR) is a science-based tactical field decision-making model for intelligence-based policing based on lessons learned from human behavior programs developed for the Department of Defense. HTMBPR focuses on advanced critical thinking by understanding human behavior patterns. It creates a framework to observe, articulate, document, and defend decisions made by providing the knowledge, skills, and abilities to 1) observe a situation, orient within it, and make sound decisions in accordance with the law and agency policy and procedure, and 2) take appropriate legal, moral and ethical actions. For many the term human terrain is somewhat confusing. Simply put, human terrain is the cultural, anthropological, and ethnographic information about a human population (Dostri & Michael, 2019). By better understanding and analyzing the human terrain, it becomes much easier to build cultural intelligence or cultural quotient (CQ).

Cultural intelligence is an individual’s capability to function effectively in culturally diverse settings. Many times throughout this workshop you will hear the phrase “culture is context” because it is important to recognize the cultural factors at play in any given situation. By coupling the understanding of the human terrain (CQ) with behavior pattern recognition the officer or first responder can feel much more confident in their decision-making and achieve much better outcomes in their interactions with their community.

A Day in The Life

All situations whether non-kinetic or critical have one thing in common, they all begin with a first contact. Whether that be a routine traffic stop, a street contact, a domestic disturbance, well-fare check, medical response, high-risk warrant, or entering an inmates cell the events leading up to any kind of decisive action begin with contact.

FIGURE 1 - A ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP

The most dangerous time for the officer and the citizen it during a routine contact/stop. CREDIT: Adobe Stock

This is the reason for standards in training, SOPs are written in blood, meaning someone was either hurt or killed causing policy to be changed in an effort to prevent it from happening again. It is critical to remember that the decisions you make have significant second and third order effects. The effects can be a life changing event for the citizen, suspect, community, you, your family, and your agency. It is also essential to understand that in-decision, the failure to act or make a decision, is still a decision. A life changing event does not have to be as extreme as serious bodily injury, serious bodily harm, or death. It could be something as simple missing an exit on the highway making you late for work.

The B+A=D Decision-Making Algorithm

The B+A=D Decision-Making Algorithm is the formula that is used with the Six Layer Concept to identify a life-changing event before it happens. Most agencies and organizations have policies and procedures that are reactive in nature. It is important to have these types of standard operating procedures, but the intention with the B+A=D Algorithm is to be proactive. This is a three step process where you first establish the baseline, then you proactively search for anomalies, once a cluster of three or more anomalies are reached, then a decision must be made.

FIGURE 2 - A LIFE CHANGING EVENT

The B+A=D Decision Making model enables you to proactively make a decision before it is too late. The best way to win a gunfight or a fistfight is to avoid it all together. CREDIT: Lynn Westover

Establish the Baseline. The baseline is the starting point used for comparisons, an expected set of conditions, normal conditions, “the norm”, or homeostasis.

Proactively Search for Anomalies. Anomalies are anything that rises above or falls below the baseline. An easy way to remember this is to ask “what is here that should not be?” and “what is not here that should be?” People, items, or behaviors that are missing can be just as important as those artifacts that do not belong.

Make a Decision. Once a cluster of three or more anomalies are observed then a decision must be made in order to stay proactive. We call this the rule of three, and it is critical to understand that this does not imply the use of force or the circumvention of policy or procedure. In fact, it is quite the opposite. What the rule of three is for is to be conscious of your decision-making. For example if an offi‐cer observes potentially threatening behavior, but decides to change position tactically and continue observation, that is still an action based on their decision.

FIGURE 3 - COL. JOHN BOYD’S OODA LOOP

Col. John Boyd’s OODA Loop is much more sophisticated than people give it credit for. That is why it is used throughout the world, even in non-security related industries, for things such as business leadership and education. CREDIT: Col. John Boyd

Col. John Boyd’s O.O.D.A. Loop

Imagine you are driving down a freeway. Up ahead you notice the cars in front of you start to active their brake lights. Immediately you consider your options, it may just be a little bit of a slow-down ahead (most probable) or it could be gridlock traffic or an accident (most dangerous). Based-on these potential outcomes you may decide to change lanes to avoid the slow-down. As you get closer you re-evaluate the situation and decide to take the next closest exit in an effort to avoid an accident yourself or getting stuck in traffic. This is an example of a decision-making cycle. Colonel John Boyd was a famous fighter pilot who used the same type of cycle to express the decisions a pilot makes while in a dog fight. This cycle is known as the O.O.D.A. Loop, where a pilot observes the enemy combatant, then orients their location in relation to the threat, decides how to best maneuver for a tactically advantageous position, and then takes action to reduce the threat. It is important to keep in mind that the pilot of the enemy aircraft is going through the same process. This is obviously a simplistic way to express this situation, but imagine if you replace the pilots and aircraft with an officer and an armed assailant, it is the same cycle. Whenever you observe and orient you are sense-making and when you decide and act you are problem solving. The more you sense-make and problem solve the more adaptability and resiliency you build.

Feedback Loops and Corrupt File Folders

While the outcomes of the O.O.D.A. Loop can be positive, there can also be some drawbacks. One example is a feedback loop, where part of a response gets looped back into a stimulus and amplifies itself.

FIGURE 4 - FEEDBACK LOOPS AND CORRUPT FILE FOLDERS

Think of a record player that has a scratch on its track and it gets stuck in that same track, unable to break the repeating loop. The same can occur in critical decision-making if a non-standard observation occurs. Another issue that can arise is a corrupt file folder, also known as a training scar. Corrupt file folders are unintended consequences resulting from the repetition of errors in a training environment that become second nature.

Course of Action Development

Course of action development or COA Development is the process of analyzing MPCOA and MDCOA. MPCOA is most probable course of action and MDCOA is the most dangerous course of action. When developing COAs based on the situation at hand it is important to consider both your perspective and that of the person/s that you are interacting with. This is tactical cunning and it useful regardless if the other individual is a threat or not. It is important to consider multiple COAs and to constantly reassess as the situation progresses as the baseline is constantly fluid. It is critical to remember that regardless of what the MPCOA and MDCOA are, if it appears that they are beginning to intersect, then you are at a bang moment.

FIGURE 5 - COA DEVELOPMENT

Once a cluster of three or more anomalies are reached then decision must be made. Consider the most probable outcome and the most dangerous, and if it looks like they are about to intersect then you are approaching a life changing event.

Another way to conceptualize COA development is to think of on ramping to a highway. Imagine there is a tractor trailer truck in far right lane that you will be merging onto. Depending on your speed, capability of your vehicles engine, the other drivers, and the tractor trailer will determine whether you end up in front of it, behind it, or you run into it.

While repeating the cycle of sense-making and problem solving builds adaptability and resiliency every time there is a positive outcome, it important to remember that there can be drawbacks. A Sheriff’s Deputy conducting a spark check on their Taser instead of deploying it during a use of force incident is a good example of a feedback loop coupled with a corrupt file folder. CREDIT: Lynn Westover

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