Kevin Dillon

Principal - LOCKUP Police Training

Lieutenant Kevin F. Dillon (ret.) is a nationally recognized law enforcement and civilian speaker and trainer. A 25-year veteran law enforcement officer who retired from the Wethersfield, CT Police Dept., a suburb of Hartford, CT. During his distinguished career, Lt. Dillon served in various leadership roles, including Detective Commander, Patrol Commander, and Training Supervisor. A SWAT team member since 1993, he spent six years as Team Leader and his final three years as Commander of the 35-member Capitol Region Emergency Services Team (CREST). Force Science Institute Certification for the analysis of use-of-force Institute for the Prevention of In-Custody Deaths Certification (Use of Force and Agitated States). Litigation Specialist Certification from the Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE). Expert Witness Symposium -Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE). Since 1988, Lt. Dillon has been an instructor in police practices and police defensive tactics. He is the developer of the L.O.C.K.U.P.® Police Training System (Law Officers Combat Kinetics, Unarmed Panoply), a comprehensive, proven, practice-based program that emphasizes gross motor skills to reduce injuries to officers and citizens. In 2004, L.O.C.K.U.P.® was adopted as the state-certified defensive tactics system for all Connecticut police academies and has since been implemented in over 20 states and internationally in Canada, France, Switzerland, Saipan, and Belgium. In 2007, Lt. Dillon developed a second nationally recognized program, L.E.A.D.S. ™ (Law Enforcement Active De-escalation Strategies). This curriculum, approved by the U.S. Department of Justice, has been delivered to officers in over 37 states, from Alaska to Hawaii, and was recently researched by Leon County, FL, and North Florida University. Research revealed the retainability of officers trained and effectively used in the field. Lt. Dillon has been featured on CNN, NPR, and other media outlets. He is an expert contributor to PoliceOne.com, Police Magazine, and In the Line of Duty, and has authored the widely acclaimed video/DVD series Police Combat Tactics Volumes 1 and 2, based on L.O.C.K.U.P.® principles. In 2005, Lt. Dillon was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame for the development of the L.O.C.K.U.P. ® Arrest and Control System. In 2022, Lt. Dillon was honored with the FBI National Academy Associates Science and Innovation Award for his development and implementation of the L.O.C.K.U.P.® Arrest and Control System and the L.E.A.D.S.™ De-escalation Strategies program. These programs stand out for their emphasis on data-driven decision-making, the collection and analysis of use-of-force incidents, and actionable needs assessments to improve officer performance and accountability. The L.E.A.D.S.™ curriculum is fully integrated with L.O.C.K.U.P.® to address circumstantial, contextual, and situational engagements. A highly sought-after speaker and trainer, Lt. Dillon has provided training and consultation on use-of-force programs across North America and Europe. He has presented at numerous high-profile conferences and organizations, including: International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) FBI National Academy Chapters / LEEDA FBI Command College Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA®) FBI National Academy Associates FBI NA DLG Use of Force Summit Lt. Dillon is the founder and principal of KFD Training & Consultation LLC, which has provided premier training and consultation services for law enforcement, corrections, and civilian professionals for over 20 years. His companies, LockupPoliceTraining.com and DiffusionStrategies.com, are dedicated to delivering innovative, research-based training with proven practices to elevate officer performance, accountability, and public safety.

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