Adam Kaufman is a Senior Police Officer with the Austin Police Department and serves as a Curriculum and Instructional Consultant and Program Analyst specializing in defensive tactics training, instructional design, and program evaluation.

Since joining APD in 2017, Kaufman has served in a variety of operational and instructional roles, including Field Training Officer, Mental Health Officer, Special Response Team member, Adjunct Defensive Tactics Instructor, and A.B.L.E. instructor. He is also an active contributor to the Austin Police Jiu-Jitsu (APJJ) program, where he supports curriculum development and leads data collection and analysis efforts to assess training effectiveness and improve program outcomes.

Kaufman’s background uniquely bridges research and practice. Prior to his law enforcement career, he worked with the National Policing Institute, contributing to national-level studies, grant initiatives, and program development efforts. This foundation informs his current work in designing training systems that are both operationally relevant and evidence-based.

He is a Fellow with the Future Policing Institute, where he has authored white papers on the future of defensive tactics training, advocating for concept-based instruction, grappling-centered systems, and sustainable post-academy training models.

Kaufman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Justice from American University and maintains numerous instructor certifications. A first-degree black belt in Kyokushin Karate and a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, his instructional approach emphasizes control, efficiency, and decision-making under stress.