Summer 2025
Cultivating brain processing skills in law enforcement
In law enforcement, decisions are often made in fractions of a second, under extreme stress, with incomplete information, and in dynamic environments. That’s why developing cognitive resilience and brain processing skills is just as critical as physical conditioning for officers. Hussien Jabai, a tactical strength and conditioning coach with an academic background in exercise science at East Texas A&M University, is making a concerted effort to integrate mental preparedness into training protocols.
At the heart of this approach is a concept well-known in military and law enforcement circles: the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act). “Situational awareness, cognitive load management, and the ability to process and respond under pressure aren’t just theoretical concepts,” Jabai explained. “They’re trainable skills that evolve over a career.”
Stress exposure and familiarity with discomfort
Jabai’s first step in developing brain processing skills starts with something physical: controlled exposure to stress. “Before you can think clearly under stress, you have to know what stress feels like,” he said. “That means training under conditions that raise your heart rate and force you into discomfort — safely.”
High-intensity interval training (HIIT), sprint work, and resistance training are some tools for physical conditioning. They simulate the physiological arousal officers experience during high-stakes encounters. When cadets are pushed physically, their ability to receive and act on information diminishes.
Bridging brain and body
This training philosophy stems from Jabai’s understanding of how the brain and body interact. “Arousal and heart rate can enhance performance up to a point,” he said. “But once it spikes too high, your vision narrows, your hearing dulls, and your decision-making falters.” That’s when cognitive tools like breathing techniques — box breathing, double nasal inhales followed by a mouth exhale, and diaphragmatic breathing — become essential.
While there’s no time for extended breathing exercises in the middle of a call, Jabai emphasized the importance of habit. “You default to your training. If you’ve ingrained proper breathing mechanics under pressure, it becomes automatic even in chaos.”
Cognitive stress conditioning
Jabai uses layered training to bridge the gap between classroom theory and operational readiness. Early in an academy setting, cadets may be asked to memorize a license plate number before running an obstacle course. Halfway through, heart pounding, they must recall it.
“Most of them forget the number within seconds,” Jabai laughed. “But that moment is powerful. It introduces them to cognitive failure under stress — and creates a teachable moment.”
The curriculum then progresses to movement under load, scenario-based decision-making, and reaction drills, eventually culminating in simulations using Airsoft, simunitions, or VR. “We slowly evolve the stress and decision-making complexity,” Jabai said. “The idea is to prepare them for the dynamic nature of field work, one layer at a time.”
From practice to performance
In sports, it’s common to hear about players who underperform in practice but shine in the game. That dynamic doesn’t translate well to law enforcement. “This isn’t a job where you can afford to ‘flip the switch,’” Jabai said. “In a high-risk situation, you fall back on your training. If your training is sloppy, that’s what your instincts will default to.”
Because of this, Jabai champions a culture of accountability and shared responsibility. “You don’t always get to choose your partner,” he said. “So you train everyone to a high standard — for your safety and theirs.”
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Specialized tactical units, such as SWAT, understand this deeply. “They drill constantly because every member needs to predict what the others will do in a room-clearing scenario,” Jabai said. “That synchronization only comes through rigorous, consistent training.”
Integrating mind and muscle
Jabai is clear: brain training isn’t separate from physical or tactical training — it’s embedded within it. “You don’t need to sit someone in front of a screen to improve processing speed,” he said. “You can bake cognitive load into any drill.”
In today’s unpredictable law enforcement landscape, cultivating these brain processing skills is essential. As Jabai noted, “The better we train the mind, the more capable we are in the moments that matter most.”
To view Jabai’s study, entitled “Correlating Visuomotor and Cognitive Assessments to Marksmanship in Police Cadets,” published in the International Journal of Exercise Science, click here.