Your project task is to write and submit a mental-preparation visualization based on the shoplifter incident. The intent is to be able to use the visualization as a role-play to train new police recruits to anticipate critical incidents like this one.

What Is Visualization?

A visualization is when you re-tell the story of the police incident in your own words (first-person) as if you were one of the characters. As you re-tell the story, you must stick to the basic facts of the incident, but you are to change minor details in what your police officer character does so that the outcome or result is more positive. In this way, you are able to insert "best practices" in order to train new police officers to face similar, high-stress circumstances.

You Are Sergeant Marcus Young

For this assignment, write your visualization in the first person words of Sergeant Marcus Young. Re-tell the story using action and imagined dialogue. For example, "As soon as I saw a man dressed like Satan approach, I --" Write with as much detail as possible in a way that would benefit all three officers - and the police recruits you are trying to train. For example, "When Wal-Mart security guard Brett Schott approached, I shouted for him not to get too near until he was sure the guy was unarmed." Or whatever you want to say to provide helpful insights and tips.

Focus of the Incident

Remember to keep your focus on the assigned critical incident. You will not know all the details of the incident as they happened that evening to Sergeant Young and his partners, but remember to visualize, in as much detail as possible, what you would do and say if you were Sergeant Young. The intent is to find possible words you might say or actions you might commit to reduce the trauma for all three officers and hopefully reduce the potential for posttraumatic stress syndrome. The ultimate intent is to provide a tool that can be used to train new street cops. Write as much as you need until you work through the entire incident, where the offender is captured or incapacitated.