NCJ Number
196118
Journal
Journal of Police Negotiations Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: 2001 Pages: 3-17
Editor(s)
James L. Greenstone Ed.D.
Date Published
2001
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the value to police, as an essential training tool, of their participating in reliable and thorough discussions of attack situations, the officer's judgements, the basis of those judgements, the responses taken by the officer to promote the rapid recognition of an attack risk, improve memory of events, and insure better judgement and appropriate action for the future.
Abstract
Police are uniquely able to recognize and respond to imminent or immediate risk of violence or attack because of their experience in dealing with violent situations. This article suggests that if discussion of and training on the three R's is implemented, police will be able to improve their own and public safety, handle personal and public liability better, enable more effective prosecution, improve police-community relations, provide better accountability to the public when deadly force is used, and improve officer health and emotional well being. The first "R" of police behavior during an attack situation is recognizing when an attack risk is present. This process can be difficult as it may be an automatic behavior on the part of the officer, and may later be difficult to reconstruct for producing crucial evidence in prosecution of subjects, as well as aiding public relations and personal liability issues positively. This article addresses the topics of prediction of immediate risk, to be observed and considered by the officer in the second "R" response. Decision-making includes the type of call received; the "reads" or appearance and behavior of the subject; such triggering influences as drugs, situational elements, and medical or mental health; history and background of the subject; probable motivation of the subject; and mental and emotional status. Implications of decision-making for law enforcement officers in the conduct of a violent situation are discussed, including the possible trauma to the officer during the event which may cause memory to be blocked. The third "R," reporting, is the process of describing and documenting the sequence of actions from recognition to action. This process can be aided with provision of a reliable vocabulary and practice in articulating what happened and why. Training including the conduct of appropriate debriefing to reconstruct the decision-making process and, justify officer actions to district attorneys, grand juries, and the courts, media, et cetera, is considered essential to the ability on the part of the officer to identify, document, and discuss in valid and reasonable terms the basis for his or her actions in a significant attack risk situation.