PORAC Annual Conference of Members – Training Session
Interpreting Use of Force
Carlos D. Gonzalez is the founder, owner and CEO of Blue Theory, LLC. He is also a second generation law enforcement officer currently serving as the Director of Training for one of the largest police departments in the United States. As a 27-year police veteran, he possesses vast experience in all matters pertaining to law enforcement and community relations. Since becoming a police officer, he has researched, created, developed and personally instructed numerous courses for local and federal agencies, the United States military, international police and military and other agencies located within South Florida. In the last 10 years alone, he has earned several appointments in managerial and command staff level positions where he has applied his knowledge and experience to consult on matters related to policy review, use of force, compliance and officer development as well as created new disciplinary protocols and specialized training programs. He has mitigated 80% of arbitrations into settlement, reduced grievances by nearly 70% and rewritten various sections of the Use of Force policy.
In more recent years, Carlos has consulted upper management, legal counsel and command staff on policy compliance and violation. He has also developed new discipline protocols and review processes specific to internal affairs and shooting investigations. He has served on a research panel that was formed to account for memory, attention, heuristic thinking and other such variables as they relate to police work. Furthermore, he has been responsible for the development, coordination and implementation of all facets of training for tens of thousands of law enforcement personnel.
Ongoing research sparked a genuine interest in cognitive thinking, which is what led him to further his education. Carlos is a Certified Force Science Analyst and a Force Science Advanced Specialist. He has been expertly trained in areas that include: psychomotor skills; cognitive interviewing techniques; officer and suspect behaviors in assaults on police; motor performance; visual attention; memory; stress and trauma effect on memory; effect of low-light levels of perception; causes of in-custody deaths; prevention, recognition and interpretation of contextual cues; dynamics of action vs reaction in force encounters; decision-making variables during pursuits; and judgement and psycho-physiological responses under extreme stress.
Carlos has researched dozens of studies related to human performance and police training and has developed techniques and training courses to better prepare trainees and in-service personnel for high-stress situations. He also created a Force Analysis Unit, which focuses on using empirical data related to performance, vision, attention, human error and forensic analyses to provide objective information on incidents involving use of force. He has served as an expert witness for cases related to protocol, discipline and criminal behavior.
Decision-making/Human Factors with Use of Force
Paul Taylor is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado Denver where he studies decision-making, human factors, and system safety in the context of police interactions with the public. He has over ten years of practical law enforcement experience including time as a department training manager, patrol sergeant, and use-of-force instructor. Paul has delivered law enforcement related instruction for academy, field training, and advanced in-service audiences as well as graduate and undergraduate level courses. Paul is actively engaged in law enforcement research and training across the United States and internationally.
Crisis Leadership: Response to 100+ Days of Protests
Lieutenant Colonel Paul L. Humphrey attended St. Xavier High school and graduated from the University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy. He is currently nearing completion of a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from University of Louisville. He is also a graduate of the Southern Police Institute’s Administrative Officers Course.
Paul joined the Louisville Metro Police Department in 2006. He spent several years as a patrol officer in the 1st and 6th Divisions, working primarily in the Newburg and Russel neighborhoods. He then spent 3 years as a Housing Authority Liaison Officer addressing street level crime and quality of life issues in the Beecher Terrace and Dosker Manner housing complexes. After being promoted to sergeant, Paul spent time in the 4th Division and the Professional Standards Unit. He returned to patrol as a lieutenant in the 2nd Division.
Paul joined the SWAT team in 2010. As a Team Leader, he assisted in the research and development of the Full Time SWAT Team. In 2017, Paul became the Commander of the full-time SWAT Team. During his time as commander, he was able to facilitate the growth of the knowledge, skills and capabilities of the team.
Paul was promoted to the rank of Major in August of 2019; at which time he became the Director of Training and Recruitment. Paul was promoted to Assistant Chief in March of 2021. He currently commands the Administrative Bureau for the Louisville Metro Police Department. Paul is a Kentucky Law Enforcement certified instructor. He is also an instructor for the National Tactical Officers Association where he travels the country teaching leadership and decision making to SWAT Team Leaders. Lt. Colonel Humphrey serves on the Professional Standards Committee.