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| Police and Force |
| "The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him." |
Your decision to use force should always be based on the reasonable need
for force, and your reasoned consideration of the effect on the person who
is the recipient of the force. However, as you begin your police career, you
have more to consider than previous generations of police officers.
You should always attempt to resolve situations without the use of force,
but you'll soon learn that a lot of people have no appreciation for your
"conflict resolution" skills. If you do become a police officer, get use to
the fact that you will, on occasion, be required to exercise physical force to
make people comply with the laws you're sworn to enforce.
No matter how much training you receive, you must remember that
everybody else, no matter what their profession; occupation, or life
experience may be, will have a better understanding of your job than you
do. When it comes to a police officer's use of force, the experts will come
out of the woodwork.
Use of force by police officers is, and should be, a serious concern of
citizens in any free society. Today, that concern, or I should say...interest,
has been increased dramatically through media and litigation.
More than ever before, the "experts" have tremendous support from the
media and lawyers. The media's purpose is news and ratings, and the
lawyers...well, money...what else? Police departments have been placed in
a pretty tight spot. The Top Cops are only top cops because of their
political connections, and the politicians they work for are super sensitive
to bad press. When it comes to money, it's always easier to settle
litigation with other people's money -- in this case the taxpayers' -- and
move on.
Now, you might think that as long as you follow your departmental
guidelines for use of force, you'll be okay. In most instances, you'll be
correct in that assumption. However, many factors, or questions, can
come into play anytime force is used. Some of these questions could
include: Who is the person upon which the force was exerted? Can your
use of force be placed into a politically correct context? Does your past
record regarding frequency of your use of force make you more vulnerable
to exaggeration and embellishment? Of course, there will be some
reasonable standards applied as well. While any use of force should be
viewed solely in relation to reasonable standards, you'll learn that, when it
comes to police officers, reasonable standards are okay as long as there
are not more pressing social or political circumstances present.
When you use physical force, you'll potentially face two groups of critics.
The first group is comprised of people who have never been in a fight since
grade school...if then. They'll view themselves as intellectually superior,
and they'll boast their educational achievements as evidence of that
superiority. The second group will be comprised of the less achievement
oriented segment of society...sometimes referred to as criminals. The
second group will often display their underestimated intelligence by their
clever and total manipulation of the first group.
When you use force, your department will have a process to review the
appropriateness of your actions. The level of the force used, and its
outcome will determine the extent of the review. The use of deadly force
will obviously receive the most extensive and rigorous review as it should.
Whatever level of force you use, you may well be subjected to review by
people who have very little understanding of force and its application.
Today, there are quite a few police officers in supervisory and command
positions who possess very little, if any, personal experience in applying
force. Some, outside of training, have never put handcuffs on a person.
Not to worry. You have the ability to use your brain when it comes to your
decision to use force:
for force, and your reasoned consideration of the effect on the person who
is the recipient of the force. However, as you begin your police career, you
have more to consider than previous generations of police officers.
You should always attempt to resolve situations without the use of force,
but you'll soon learn that a lot of people have no appreciation for your
"conflict resolution" skills. If you do become a police officer, get use to
the fact that you will, on occasion, be required to exercise physical force to
make people comply with the laws you're sworn to enforce.
No matter how much training you receive, you must remember that
everybody else, no matter what their profession; occupation, or life
experience may be, will have a better understanding of your job than you
do. When it comes to a police officer's use of force, the experts will come
out of the woodwork.
Use of force by police officers is, and should be, a serious concern of
citizens in any free society. Today, that concern, or I should say...interest,
has been increased dramatically through media and litigation.
More than ever before, the "experts" have tremendous support from the
media and lawyers. The media's purpose is news and ratings, and the
lawyers...well, money...what else? Police departments have been placed in
a pretty tight spot. The Top Cops are only top cops because of their
political connections, and the politicians they work for are super sensitive
to bad press. When it comes to money, it's always easier to settle
litigation with other people's money -- in this case the taxpayers' -- and
move on.
Now, you might think that as long as you follow your departmental
guidelines for use of force, you'll be okay. In most instances, you'll be
correct in that assumption. However, many factors, or questions, can
come into play anytime force is used. Some of these questions could
include: Who is the person upon which the force was exerted? Can your
use of force be placed into a politically correct context? Does your past
record regarding frequency of your use of force make you more vulnerable
to exaggeration and embellishment? Of course, there will be some
reasonable standards applied as well. While any use of force should be
viewed solely in relation to reasonable standards, you'll learn that, when it
comes to police officers, reasonable standards are okay as long as there
are not more pressing social or political circumstances present.
When you use physical force, you'll potentially face two groups of critics.
The first group is comprised of people who have never been in a fight since
grade school...if then. They'll view themselves as intellectually superior,
and they'll boast their educational achievements as evidence of that
superiority. The second group will be comprised of the less achievement
oriented segment of society...sometimes referred to as criminals. The
second group will often display their underestimated intelligence by their
clever and total manipulation of the first group.
When you use force, your department will have a process to review the
appropriateness of your actions. The level of the force used, and its
outcome will determine the extent of the review. The use of deadly force
will obviously receive the most extensive and rigorous review as it should.
Whatever level of force you use, you may well be subjected to review by
people who have very little understanding of force and its application.
Today, there are quite a few police officers in supervisory and command
positions who possess very little, if any, personal experience in applying
force. Some, outside of training, have never put handcuffs on a person.
Not to worry. You have the ability to use your brain when it comes to your
decision to use force:
| ...media and litigation |
| Example |
Years ago, when I was a patrol sergeant, one of my officers
received a call for a "mental case" in the middle of the street
attacking passing motorists. The primary officer and two
back-up officers arrived simultaneously, and they observed a
woman, of considerable size, rushing toward passing cars and
pounding her fists on the vehicles.
When the officers approached her, she grabbed one of the
officers by the lapels of his coat, and she literally threw him
across the hood of his radio car. When I arrived seconds later, I
saw the woman surrounded by the three officers. The officers
were not hitting her with sticks or making any attempt to grab
her. Instead, every time she'd lunge at one of the officers, he'd
move and another officer would attract her attention. It was
quite a sight watching the officers duck and weave as the woman
repeatedly tried to grab onto them.
What was immediately obvious to me, as well as to the officers,
was that she was tiring. Almost as quickly as it began, the street
dance ended when the woman collapsed onto the pavement. The
officers rushed in and quickly handcuffed her. While it was not
obvious the woman was in any physiological distress, she was
immediately transported to the hospital for an emergency
psychiatric evaluation.
Sadly, the woman died on the way to the hospital. The autopsy
would reveal her cause of death to be cocaine intoxication.
Incredibly, the level of cocaine should have precluded exertion of
any physical activity let alone attacking cars and police officers.
According to the pathologist, her fate was sealed, before she
went on her rampage.
received a call for a "mental case" in the middle of the street
attacking passing motorists. The primary officer and two
back-up officers arrived simultaneously, and they observed a
woman, of considerable size, rushing toward passing cars and
pounding her fists on the vehicles.
When the officers approached her, she grabbed one of the
officers by the lapels of his coat, and she literally threw him
across the hood of his radio car. When I arrived seconds later, I
saw the woman surrounded by the three officers. The officers
were not hitting her with sticks or making any attempt to grab
her. Instead, every time she'd lunge at one of the officers, he'd
move and another officer would attract her attention. It was
quite a sight watching the officers duck and weave as the woman
repeatedly tried to grab onto them.
What was immediately obvious to me, as well as to the officers,
was that she was tiring. Almost as quickly as it began, the street
dance ended when the woman collapsed onto the pavement. The
officers rushed in and quickly handcuffed her. While it was not
obvious the woman was in any physiological distress, she was
immediately transported to the hospital for an emergency
psychiatric evaluation.
Sadly, the woman died on the way to the hospital. The autopsy
would reveal her cause of death to be cocaine intoxication.
Incredibly, the level of cocaine should have precluded exertion of
any physical activity let alone attacking cars and police officers.
According to the pathologist, her fate was sealed, before she
went on her rampage.
One can only imagine the criticism and assumptions which would have
been immediately leveled at the officers had they struck or otherwise
applied the force necessary to put that wild woman down. In this
particular case, she was unarmed, contained, and she was no threat to
others or to the officers as long as they kept out of her way. Some men
might think it embarrassing to have a woman chase them in circles in
front of an audience. In this case, one member of the audience was
appreciative of the officers' actions. One of the motorists, who was
attacked, approached me, and he complimented the officers for the
restraint they showed -- especially following the assault on the first officer.
Today, police officers are being watched closer than ever before. You
should never let this fact prevent you from applying force when necessary
to protect yourself or others; however, you should remain mindful of the
responsibilities you assume when you apply force.
been immediately leveled at the officers had they struck or otherwise
applied the force necessary to put that wild woman down. In this
particular case, she was unarmed, contained, and she was no threat to
others or to the officers as long as they kept out of her way. Some men
might think it embarrassing to have a woman chase them in circles in
front of an audience. In this case, one member of the audience was
appreciative of the officers' actions. One of the motorists, who was
attacked, approached me, and he complimented the officers for the
restraint they showed -- especially following the assault on the first officer.
Today, police officers are being watched closer than ever before. You
should never let this fact prevent you from applying force when necessary
to protect yourself or others; however, you should remain mindful of the
responsibilities you assume when you apply force.
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| Copyright © 2006 - 2011 - Barry M. Baker - CareerPoliceOfficer.com |
| Disclaimer |
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