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Officers' Perceptual Shorthand: What Messages Are Offenders Sending to Law Enforcement Officers?

NCJ Number
184145
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 69 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2000 Pages: 1-6
Author(s)
Anthony J. Pinizzotto; Edward F. Davis; Charles E. Miller
Date Published
July 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Police agencies must train their officers to process observed appearances and behaviors but not to draw conclusions that result in dropping their guard ("perceptual shorthand trap").
Abstract
By interviewing officers who have survived assaults, examining incidents in which officers were killed in the line of duty, and interviewing individuals who have killed or assaulted law enforcement officers, FBI researchers have developed recommendations for avoiding the "perceptual shorthand trap." These recommendations are in two basic categories: safety-related training issues and the officer's mind-set. Safety-related training should include such issues as searching procedures, handcuffing techniques, traffic-stop guidelines, and use of deadly force policies. Regarding officers' mind-set, they must be trained not to make quick and conditioned assumptions about the risks posed in various contacts with citizens; for example, the researchers found that some of the officers' faulty beliefs were exhibited in such statements as: "This was just another routine wrestling match"; "This person wasn't a threat, he just committed a larceny"; and "I couldn't shoot him because he didn't have a gun." This last officer then explained how the offender took his service weapon and shot him. In these cases, the officers' perceptions of the subject and the interaction did not match the perceptions and intent of the subject. In their training, officers must be made aware that even the most routine law enforcement tasks can turn deadly if officers make judgments based on incorrect or incomplete observations. These assumptions, in turn, can cause officers to act inappropriately. During their training and subsequent years on the job, officers must remain vigilant in using proven safety techniques and in staying alert to the dangers of making assumptions about the individuals they encounter. Officers must not become complacent when faced with daily law enforcement duties. 14 notes