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The ILEETA Learning Lab
The Learning Lab is a series of 60 minute interviews with ILEETA Conference presenters discussing the key teaching point takeaways from their conference presentation. These interviews are packed with great content and created to serve as weekly professional development training for ILEETA members.
The ILEETA Learning Lab
Neuroscience of Law Enforcement Decisions with Applications with Jason Sherwin, PhD
Neuroscience of Law Enforcement Decisions with Applications Jason Sherwin, Ph.D. | ILEETA Conference & Expo Course Length: 1:45
Law enforcement demands split-second decisions that blend rapid perceptual processing with later analytical scrutiny—yet traditional training often overlooks the brain science behind these high-stakes choices.
In this ILEETA Learning Lab interview, Dr. Jason Sherwin, co-founder and CEO of deCervo, shares insights from his session on the neuroscience of law enforcement decision-making. Drawing from peer-reviewed research on perceptual decisions, the conversation explores the distinction between “thinking fast” (intuitive, high-speed responses driven by visual cortex and basal ganglia pathways) and “thinking slow” (deliberate analysis via prefrontal regions), and why policing uniquely requires both.
Attendees will preview interactive elements: using mobile devices to engage with anonymized body-worn camera footage in timed scenarios, analyzing group results to connect fast decisions to post-incident processes like report-writing, and discussing agency implementation best practices, including recruit vs. veteran training differences. Sports analogies from baseball hitting and hockey officiating illustrate measurable rapid-decision neuroscience, translated to law enforcement’s higher-scrutiny context for improved accuracy, reduced cognitive load, and enhanced officer safety.
The session emphasizes evidence-based approaches rooted in neuroimaging and cognitive science, offering trainers practical tools to strengthen decision training without replacing instructor expertise.
This preview captures the scientific depth and real-world applicability that highlight ILEETA’s commitment to advancing law enforcement education through innovative, brain-informed methods.
Instructor: Jason Sherwin, Ph.D.
Connect with Jason and deCervo:
Instagram: @deCervoProfile
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-sherwin-decervo-thor/
X (Twitter): x.com/deCervoProfile
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/decervoprofile
Website: www.deCervo.com
Recent Case Study on deCervo implementation of e-TRAIN in law enforcement: https://www.policechiefmagazine.org/translating-neuroscience-academy/
Details a deCervo implementation with a police academy using e-TRAIN, showing recruits achieving 78% accuracy and faster decision times over training, with metrics aiding retention and topic-specific feedback.