NCJ Number
184782
Journal
Law Enforcement Trainer Volume: 15 Issue: 4 Dated: July/August 2000 Pages: 26-35
Editor(s)
Kat Kelley
Date Published
2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Although tactical communication courses have been integrated into the police officer safety and defensive tactics programs of many police departments, a significant issue is whether law enforcement trainers truly appreciate the power of the words they use on a daily basis.
Abstract
In encouraging law enforcement trainers to take a close look at the words they use and the subconscious messages they may be sending, the focus of the article is on the subconscious mind rather than on the rational, analytical mind. Trainers should understand that the subconscious mind accepts all information it receives literally, thus affording tremendous power to the words used in training. Terminology used during training and the implications it has for police officers are examined with regard to such less desirable terms as right and wrong versus the scale of desirability, routine, winning versus survival, zones of approach, and bullet-proof vests. The author recommends that law enforcement trainers instead use positive terminology to provide the most desirable mind set possible for police officers.