About Force Insight
Learn more about our Expertise
David Bradley, VR, MA (Criminology)
Director - Force Insight
Biography
With over 30 years experience in policing and use of force in the toughest environments, David Bradley is a Bond Solon Certified Expert Witness and has successfully completed the Force Science Institute Certification in Force Analysis Course and is a graduate of the Advanced Force Science Specialist Course. He is qualified as a Realistic De-escalation Instructor and Effective Fitness Combatives Instructor.
David was the lead author of the current Police Scotland Operational Safety Training Manual and training package and was a qualified Police Scotland Operational Safety Trainer, leading the Department through major transition and modernisation.
David provided expert advice to Kings Counsel to the Chief Constable during the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry and appeared as a witness to the Inquiry. You can view David's appearances at the inquiry here.
David has provided written expert opinion to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and the Crown Office of the Procurator Fiscal Criminal Allegations About the Police Division with regards to use of force related complaints involving both Police Scotland and the British Transport Police.
His background includes over a quarter of a century of training and development in use of force, arrest and restraint. He has reviewed use of force incidents in high risk environments such as for British Forces in Afghanistan as well as co-developed and taught human rights compliant high risk arrest and restraint tactics to the Peruvian National Police on behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
He holds numerous trainer and instructor qualifications in the field of arrest, restraint and combatives skills.
He has operational experience as a civilian and military police leader in Scotland, Germany, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan and has mentored and developed training for international police services and the Australian Army. He is an experienced operational Public Order Commander and serves as an active reservist as a Colonel on the British Army General Staff.
David is know for his pragmatic approach to policing performance, underpinned by a sound and defendable academic evidence base.