James VanderMeer is a sergeant with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in Washington, DC. Sergeant VanderMeer was a behavioral scientist before joining MPD, and this background has since proven valuable in a number of policing projects including surveying members on scheduling preferences, successfully lobbying the DC Council for legislative change, and designing training to improve officer de-escalation skills. Alongside fellow members of the Fifth District Rapid Response Platoon, Sergeant VanderMeer defended the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, an experience that has motivated his current work with the Center for Homeland Defense and Security on counter-radicalization strategies for police.