Robert Johnson – Police Policy & Practices Consultant

St. Joseph's College, (Rensselaer, Indiana), B.S. Political Science, 1970
American University, (Washington DC), 1971-1972
Graduate studies in Criminal Justice
University of Illinois at Springfield, (Springfield, Illinois), 1973
Graduate studies in Criminal Justice
Force Science Research Center - Certification in evaluating force science principle in use of force incidents
Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE) - Certified Litigation Specialist - Police Litigation
Attend extensive law enforcement, management and operational training courses. Cumulative hours in excess of 3,000.

Use of Force
Use of Deadly Force
Police Emergency Vehicle Operation and Pursuits
Investigations

I am a forty-three (43) year Law Enforcement Veteran, serving as a law enforcement consultant and sworn officer, with 32 years of active service. As a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the Illinois State Police, I continue to serve as a private consultant and expert witness regarding Law Enforcement Policies and Practices most frequently for Use of Force, In-Custody Deaths and Police Pursuits but have also testified regarding other police policy & practices issues. I have consulted and testified for numerous police agencies as well as plaintiffs in litigation. I have been retained as an expert in approximately one hundred (100) cases and have been qualified and testified at several civil trials in state and federal courts. I have also conducted Sensitive Internal Investigations as an independent investigator for municipalities regarding allegations of Police Misconduct, including allegations of excessive force. I have extensive experience in Police Administration, Management and Supervision, Criminal Investigations, Use of Force and Officer Involved Shooting Investigations, Patrol Procedures and Complaint/Internal Investigations.

I have been trained in the proper use of force and the response and investigation of use of force incidents, in-custody deaths and vehicle pursuits throughout my career. I have applied my training in the arrest of numerous offenders. I have made numerous arrests that necessitated my using force. I have throughout the last few decades regularly received and reviewed a large number of law enforcement journals where use of force, in-custody deaths and vehicle pursuit topics are addressed. I regularly attend training sessions regarding use of force, in-custody deaths and pursuits. I have attended training conducted by the Force Science Research Institute and have been certified in "Force Science Analysis." This designation attests that I have been trained to recognize and articulate important psychological, biological, and physiological factors that can influence human behavior and memory in force encounters and pursuit situations. I serve as an assessor for the Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement agencies (CALEA) and have conducted assessments of approximately 30 law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, including reviewing agency use of force and pursuit policies, incidents and reporting, and analysis of agencies’ use of force and pursuit incidents.

As a supervisor, command officer and law enforcement consultant I have reviewed, investigated and evaluated hundreds of use of force investigations as well as vehicle pursuits and in-custody deaths. I have conducted and/or overseen numerous use of force and pursuit investigations and/or reviews. In my capacity as a command officer/law enforcement consultant I have written/assisted in the writing and review of use of force policies and vehicle pursuit policies. I formed the Public Integrity Task Force (Cook County, IL - the nation’s second largest county) to investigate allegations of criminal misconduct by police officers and government officials as well as uses of deadly force and in-custody deaths. This task force has investigated virtually all police officer involved shootings in Cook County (excluding Chicago) since its inception in 1996. As the Inspector/Director of Police (Western Region) for the National Passenger Railroad Corporation (Amtrak), I served on the Amtrak Police Department’s (APD) Use of Force Review Committee, reviewing all APD uses of force nationwide. I also chaired the APD Training Committee with oversight for the defensive tactics and firearms training subcommittees.