Max Geron of the Rockwall Chief of Police will be sending thirty first-line supervisors and officers from the Rockwall Police Department to attend the ‘SMART Brain Training’ at the University of Texas at Dallas.
This training helps to guide individuals on how the brain works, how to make the best decisions, and more. Chief Geron says SMART Brain Training will be beneficial to officers in stressful situations.
SMART stands for Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics, and clinicians lead the training at the UT Dallas cognitive neuroscience facility, The Center for BrainHealth. According to the center, scientific research invested into this program travels back three decades. This interactive workshop teaches brain function, including problem-solving, responding appropriately, thought process, and strengthening focus. The ultimate goal for participants is to improve how their brain receives, categorizes, and prioritize information.
“Every brain is dynamic, adaptable, flexible, trainable, and repairable,” said Katie Hinds, one of the clinicians who teaches the SMART Brain Training, NBC News reports.
“I truly feel like what I have done is meaningful and successful if everyone walks out thinking, ‘I have control over how my brain is functioning,’” Hinds said. “Especially for when we are working with law enforcement, they are in a high-stress, demanding environment with a lot of information coming at them.”
The clinicians have also worked with the military, veteran groups, athletic teams, city managers’ offices, nonprofit groups, corporate departments, executive leadership teams, community groups, and university and community college faculty.
Hinds mentioned that other officers from different departments have attended the training and completed two-day sessions. The Rockwall Police Department is taking it one step further with numerous sessions over four months.
“It is my goal that this team of supervisors, who are the next generation of law enforcement leaders, are equipped and trained [to] better focus, [to] use their brains to innovate the strategies and the answers to the complex problems that law enforcement is transitioning through,” Geron said.
According to Blue Ribbon News, the staff at the police department are looking forward to the ‘SMART Brain Training’ program and using the tools they learn to improve their efficiency.