The expertise of a good law enforcement professional begins in which phase?

• A. Proactive
• B. Reactive
• C. Reflective
• D. Cognitive

Answer: (B)

In the journey to expert performance, real-world experience starts in the moment you respond to incidents—the reactive phase. It’s there that training meets action under pressure, you apply procedures, assess risks, and make quick decisions with incomplete information. The outcomes of those responses—what works, what doesn’t, what you need to adjust—become the concrete knowledge that builds practical judgment and pattern recognition. That foundation is what later enables you to plan proactively, reflect on past actions, and sharpen your thinking under stress. Proactive work depends on having solid experience to inform what to prevent and how to prevent it. Reflective practice comes after events to improve future performance, and cognitive skills run through all phases but aren’t the starting point themselves. So, the phase where expertise begins is the reactive phase.