Dr. Chris McFarlin is first and only law enforcement officer/criminal justice educator in SC to earn Force Science Institute National Certification
May 29, 2019
Tri-County Technical College Criminal Justice Department Head Dr. Chris McFarlin is the first and only law enforcement officer and criminal justice educator in South Carolina to earn a national industry certification from the Force Science Institute in Chicago, Illinois.
Dr. McFarlin recently earned a basic force science analyst certification before being accepted into the advanced specialist force science course which he completed earlier this month.
The advanced specialist is an intensive 18-week doctoral-level course of study that gives students a comprehensive, functional understanding of the behavioral science elements that provide support for human performance in high stress, rapidly unfolding force encounters.
The Force Science Institute is a cutting-edge organization that uses sophisticated time-and-motion measurements to document critical hidden truths about the mental and physical dynamics of life-threatening events, particularly officer-involved shootings.
“Earning this certification supports my credibility as an expert on Police Use of Force,” said Dr. McFarlin. “These teachings will be integrated into our current Police Patrol, Defensive Tactics, and Workshop courses,” he said.
“The certification helps me in both my role as an educator and trainer, as well as an active police officer. (Dr. McFarlin is a part-time officer with the Pickens City Police Department.) The knowledge allows me to teach students and others that first and foremost, police officers are humans and that there are always relevant behavioral science elements which we need to understand to develop a complete and accurate picture of the officer’s performance in high stress, rapidly unfolding force encounters. Today, more than ever, the relationship between law enforcement and the communities we serve is severely strained by miscommunications and incorrect understandings of actions. Force encounters are no exception to this issue and are often the most scrutinized of police officer behaviors. Force science lends clarity and empirically-supported scientific research to further our understanding of why humans respond and react the way they do when faced with force encounters,” said Dr. McFarlin.
In addition to his duties at Tri-County and with the Pickens Police Department, since 2013 Dr. McFarlin has served as a presiding judge for the Carol N. Ney National Mock Trial Tournament at Furman University. Former lawyers/judges who have experience as trial litigators and a great deal of knowledge about the Rules of Evidence used to determine legal admissibility of evidence in both criminal and civil matters are chosen to participate in this annual event.
He is a contributor to law enforcement journals and online publications. His articles have been published in Police Magazine, Inpublicsafety.com and on Policeone.com, a national law enforcement website.
He holds an A.A. in general studies from Arkansas Northeastern College, a B.A. in criminology and sociology from Arkansas State University, and an M.S. in criminal justice and criminology from Indiana State University. He also earned a doctor of jurisprudence from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
Prior to joining Tri-County in 2011, he worked in law enforcement as a patrolman for the Jonesboro Police Department in Arkansas. He later worked as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Little Rock, Arkansas, and was founder and managing attorney for McFarlin Law Firm, PLLC.
He is a member of the American Bar Association, ABA-Criminal Justice and Civil Rights Divisions, Arkansas Bar Association, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, the International Law Enforcement Education and Training Association, the Police Executive Research Forum, South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Southern States Police Benevolent Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
He and his wife, Christal, live in Easley.
