Gold Medal Policing

Operational Readiness and Performance Excellence

Judy M. McDonald

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781040157336
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Criminology
• Index: Politics & International Relations

This straightforward, easy-to-understand textbook inspires tools for improving job performance, productivity, and morale in law enforcement. The groundbreaking first edition of Gold Medal Policing, inspired by work with Olympic athletes, confirmed the importance of mental readiness in frontline policing excellence. Partnerships with policing and related fields positioned Gold Medal Policing principles across recruitment, multilevel training, web-based learning, and field assessment.

The second edition consolidates two decades of peer-reviewed research and training, reflecting new trends, lessons, contemporary issues, and proven tools. Drawing on insights from frontline officers recognized for their excellence, including coach officers, it introduces an Operational Readiness Framework rooted in scientific principles. This framework systematically assesses physical, technical, and mental readiness, creating a detailed police-specific profile. A comprehensive literature review informs current police preparedness practices. Mental readiness is upheld to strict, measurable standards, akin to traditional physical and technical readiness. Best practices from exceptional officers are isolated, and operational benchmarks and strategies are established. The ultimate result is to empower officers to excel in the practice of their profession.

Gold Medal Policing is indispensable for law enforcement leaders, scholars, students, and aspiring officers.

Questions about the research? Contact the author Judy McDonald at [email protected]

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title
• Series
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Abstract
• Academic and police endorsements
• My sincere thanks
• Forewords
• Tables and Figures
• Mission
• Roadmap for readers: Who and where to look
• What’s new and improved in the second edition?
• How I got here
• 1 Redefining readiness: A blueprint for peak performance in policing
• 2 Insights from current research on policing excellence
• 3 Police under pressure
• 4 The readiness equation
• 5 Physical readiness in policing
• 6 Technical readiness in policing
• 7 Mental readiness in policing
• 8 Police leadership at all levels
• 9 Knowledge transfer: Conclusions
• 10 What’s next?: Recommendations and leadership directives
• 11 Executive summary: Gold medal policing: Operational readiness and performance excellence
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgments
• Appendix A: Evidence-based rigor: study design
• Appendix B: Predictors of police performance
• Appendix C: Police performance stressors
• Appendix D: Critical analysis of the “Road to Mental Readiness” (R2MR) program
• Appendix E: Physical competencies in policing
• Appendix F: Technical competencies in policing
• Appendix G: Mental competencies in policing
• Appendix H: Challenging situations in frontline policing
• Appendix I: Temporal changes in performance blocks 2003-2019
• Appendix J: Calculations for the differences in the importance of readiness in policing over 17 years
• Appendix K: Overall importance of operational readiness by factor
• Appendix L: Successful performance readiness by factor
• Appendix M: Disappointing performance readiness by factor
• Appendix N: Orlick’s Wheel of Excellence: Mental readiness success elements
• Appendix O: Temporal changes in mental readiness practices 2003–2019
• Appendix P: Police field training assessment and progress report
• Appendix Q: Officer X’s top 10 Gold Medal Policing quotes and lessons
• Appendix R: Police simulation training focus assessment
• Appendix S: Officer X’s Top 10 Commitment and Confidence quotes in Gold Medal Policing
• Appendix T: Coach Officers’ 25 teaching tips
• Index