Lesson 3 - Understanding Your Options

Learning Objectives

Force Options

1. Words: How do you make someone hear what you are saying! Well, when you deal with a person who is abusing drugs or alcohol, more than likely you can forget it. Communication is practically impossible with these persons because of their drug altered personalities. But when you speak to normal people, look them in the eye! Sometimes we feel squeamish about looking at a person's eyes. What's wrong with that? When you look someone in the eye, it shows that you are interested in what they are saying. There is nothing worse than talking with a peace officer while he's watching some girls walk down the street. Do you think he's really listening? Look at the person. Remember: Talk to someone the way you would want to be spoken to.
   
2. Touch: What happens when you touch someone? Well, a variety of feelings can occur. For example, you, as a peace officer, are laughing at a joke with a liquor store owner, and he reaches over and slaps you (gently) on the back. What are you going to do?
   a. Charge him with assault on an officer?
   b. Shoot him?
   c. Club him until he is unconscious?
   d. Keep laughing?
   
   See what we mean? Most people would not be offended in a situation like this. On the other hand, what about the drunk who puts his arm around you (as a peace officer) and vomits down your collar? What's happening? Vomit is uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as the drunk's close PROXIMITY TO YOUR GUN!! Or what about the peace officer who is trying to calm a rape victim by patting her hand, and she makes an internal affairs complaint against him? Touching is a very personal and acceptable means of communication. Some folks look at it as a way of saying "I think enough about you to touch you." It is a very special gesture. However, to say the least, touching is a difficult situation. You must evaluate every situation instantly. It can be very helpful to you in quieting down a hysterical or injured person, among other situations.
   
   
3. Body Movement - What is Your Body Saying That You Are Going To Do?Feet planted far apart shows an inability to be flexible.
   Arms crossed in front of the chest shows a level of determination (and protection for one's personality).
   Muscles in the face tense shows anger and an inability to change.
   So your body language will speak more accurately than your spoken word.
   
   Message:
   Content - the actual message being spoken.
   Voice - verbal personality (how it is said).
   Non-Verbals - raised eyebrows, posture, etc.
   
   Perception of a Message:
   7% of the time a message is received due to content.
   33% of the time a message is received due to voice.
   60% of the time a message is received due to body language.
   Thus, 93% of the time a message is received and interpreted based on how it is said rather than what is said.
   
   
4. Improper Listening.Not paying attention to what is said, merely waiting for the opportunity to speak as soon as someone finishes talking. Communication is a skill, not just luck.
   Peace officers must communicate under stressful situations, at times to people who do not want to talk, or to listen:
   
   • to emotionally-charged individual
   • in dangerous circumstances
   • while being watched by others
   • to people who dislike and/or mistrust peace officers.
   Note: Most people respond positively to reasonable requests from peace officers. Of course, you will run into those persons who will not respond peacefully. Frustrated people often resist. Upset people are often incapable of acting reasonably. For example: A mother whose child is missing is quite difficult to work with. You certainly cannot promise her that the child will be returned to her safe and unharmed. What you can do is promise her that the law enforcement agency is looking for the child and everything is being done to find the child. Remember: Don't promise anything you can't deliver.
   A peace officer must trust tactics which redirect behavior.
   Be objective in your dealing with the public and learn to allow people to express frustrations (verbally). Also, you must listen and learn not to take things personally.
   
   
5. Suspect and Arrest Situations. (Follow your department policy and procedure in any arrest situation.)Once you have positively identified a person as a suspect from an armed robbery, for example, you must proceeds with extreme caution. Convince the suspect you mean what you say. For example, you would say "DON'T MOVE!!" rather than "Don't move." Avoid telling the suspect "I don't want to shoot you," or "Don't make me shoot you." This conveys a lack of commitment on your part that he may try to exploit. It is best also to avoid stating questions, even rhetorical questions; you are telling, not asking.
   Commands or orders usually meet with resistance. A good rule of thumb is to issue your command from behind cover, have your gun in hand or have your holster unsnapped and your hand properly positioned and ready to draw. Voice your verbal challenge before the suspect makes one of his own. Sometimes whoever manages to speak first gains an important psychological, and often physical, edge that may then prevail throughout the incident."
   
   
6. Characteristics of Verbal JudoAt first glance you might ask "Verbal Judo - how's that possible?" Well, it is, and it is self-explanatory. You simply redirect energy by using minimum effort to achieve maximum efficiency.
   We were lucky enough to take this class in 1986 with Dr. George Thompson, the creator of Verbal Judo, and frankly, it taught us wonderful methods of defusing potentially dangerous situations. One lesson taught was that to be flexible is to be strong and to be rigid is to be weak. Flexibility allows one to accept new information, analyze it and distribute the same in a way which is less offensive. Less offensive means you have to exert less physical energy (i.e., fighting) to solve the issue.
   For example: You, as a peace officer, are driving down the street and see a man beating his fists against a brick wall. You might:
   
   1. Sneak up behind him and club him on the head and load him in your police car; or
   2. Start talking.
   If you opt to talk, what will you say? First of all, ask him what he's doing and why.
   His wife just left him for another man.
   Explain to him that you don't blame him for being mad, and that you'd be mad, too. So why doesn't he just talk with you for a little while . . . etc.
   Let him have his anger and frustration. Be sure you don't tell him that she's no good, and he ought to beat her. Showing a person understanding does not involve encouraging him to commit an offense.
   Verbal judo teaches methods of resolving street encounters peacefully and safely.
   Remember: Talk to a person the way you would like to be talked to. That is essentially what verbal judo is all about: taking a strong negative energy and turning it into a positive energy.
   Note: Do not become complacent! Just because you are talking to a person about his wife who ran off doesn't mean you can let your guard down. You're still a peace officer who takes all the precautions necessary when dealing with a potentially dangerous situation. The definition of verbal judo is the art or skill of selecting the best available verbal means or persuasion at any given moment.
   

FIVE ELEMENTS USED IN THE PRIOR ANALYSIS OF A SCENE

1. PerspectiveDeals with the officer's point of view. Past experience, which influences his behavior, is a factor which must be controlled. As with any situation, the officer must not allow his bias, prejudice, etc. to interfere with his handling of the call.
   
   
2. AudienceDeals with the other party's point of view. The officer must have the skill to "read" individuals. Remember: You must make instant evaluations of situations as well as of the individuals.
   Types of Audiences:
   
   • Single person who is known - businessman, repeat offender, that the officer knows.
   • Single person who is unknown - street gang member, special interest group member, etc., that the officer has dealt with before.
   • Multiple groups who are known - two or more street gangs, two families in dispute that the officer has dealt with before.
   • Multiple groups who are unknown - street gangs or families that the officer has not dealt with before.
   
   Each type of audience must be analyzed. It would be helpful if the officer tries to see the problem from the point of view of the persons involved.
   
   
3. VoiceElements of verbal personality: The tone and level of modulation of one's voice. Is there a sneer or nervous laugh that another person could pick up on? Does the peace officer display boredom or anxiety through his voice?
   The voice can be well controlled. No matter how scared you are, you can control the level and modulation of your voice.
   Also, an officer's body language is being scrutinized by the persons with whom he is working. Does he nervously jingle the coins in his pockets, or play with the rounds on his Sam Browne?
   Word choice is also a factor. Does the officer speak so that he can be heard, and understood? It doesn't do any good to speak "over" someone's head. You should utilize terms and words that are easily understood.
   
   
4. PurposeAn officer must develop an ability to discover and sustain a clear sense of purpose throughout an encounter scene. In other words, the peace officer must understand why he is at a scene and what task he is to accomplish, then he must complete that task.
   For example, at the scene of a theft, if the complainant states that the man seated at the end of the counter is the thief, then it is the officer's duty to investigate both the offense and the man at the end of the counter.
   
   
5. OrganizationThe officer must have a plan of encounter which has a beginning, middle and end. The officer must control each segment of the encounter. In other words, the peace officer must control all situations which he encounters.
   

1. Control their own biases and perspectives;
2. Analyze an audience (suspect, victim, witness, etc.) quickly and skillfully;
3. Create appropriate voices to influence their audience;
4. Define and sustain a clear sense of purpose;
5. Apply verbal judo to encounters;
6. Solve street problems using flexible and alternative thinking;
7. Earn increased respect from the public for professional action;
8. Develop greater self-confidence and self-respect in their work; and
9. Improve officer safety.

1. Fewer formal complaints filed.
2. Fewer informal complaints.
3. Fewer internal affairs investigations.
4. Greater officer efficiency.
5. More efficient retraining of officers who establish a profile of violent street behavior.
6. Better public image for the law enforcement agency.

Four elements that an officer must recognize and control in every encounter:

1. Problem:
   The peace officer must analyze the problem. This will enable him to plan an approach to the scene. The officer must remember that problems often change as a confrontation progresses.
   
2. Audience:
   Everyone encountered is part of the audience. What is the tone of the audience? Are they hostile or friendly? How many are there? Who are the ring leaders? Are they leaders who you recognize or have handled before? An officer must read and interpret a group or audience quickly and correctly.
   If a person has a friend in the audience, you may try to enlist their help. Ask the friend to help reason with and persuade the person to follow the officer's orders.
   
3. Constraints:
   Determine if there are any obstacles to effective communication and try to eliminate them if possible. For example: time of day, weather, location, external noise, officer's own mood, person's values and beliefs, etc.
   
4. Ethical presence:
   As an expression of self-control, keep you bias out of the situation! Use words to state purpose, not to express personal feelings. Maintain a professional attitude. Anything perceived as hasty, irrational or unfair makes an officer seem unethical. Never strike out against a person based on a personal bias or prejudice. If you do, you damage your credibility as well as that of your department.
   

Five helpful "tools" used in redirecting someone's behavior using verbal persuasion:

1. Listen
2. Empathize - which means to understand the other person's state of mind. To see a situation from his point of view. It is the realization of Verbal Judo when you take the time and energy to see a situation from another person's view. Furthermore, it means trying to experience the emotional state of mind of the other person.
3. Ask - when one asks a questions concerning the person he is talking with - what is the result?
   • It helps the person asking the question to gain control of the situation; and
   • Questions direct attention away from the problem. This does not mean to avoid talking about a problem, but to take a break from it. Asking distracts a person from anger and frustration and forces him to formulate answers. Also, it lets him know that someone is interested in him as an individual, his problem and his frustration. Be careful! Don't promise an absolute solution to the problem, but think of several options he might explore. Usually, during this type of interchange, the person will discover a viable solution himself.
   • Asking demonstrates your concern.
4. Paraphrase - or feedback. You are retelling what the person has just related to you in your own words. It allows the person with whom you are speaking to know that you really did understand what he was saying. It is also another distraction. It helps defuse the situation by forcing the other person to stop talking and listen. It helps you, as the peace officer, understand the situation.
5. Summarize - this ends the conversation. Be sure that the issue is really done before you end it or you will get another call at the same location within the hour.

• Ethical: When you approach an individual in an "ethical" manner, it is to say that you, as a professional peace officer, demonstrate your desire for a positive outcome. You give assurance to the persons involved that, based on your experience, you will help them to discover a solution to their problem. This method is useful when dealing with people who are upset and highly emotional.
• Rational: This method is based on use of reasoning. It is an appeal to common sense, judgment, or community standards. Furthermore, it shows a solution which is reasonable and most likely to produce results. This is valuable when dealing with people having a strong sense of right and wrong.
• Practical: This appeal is dependent on the urgent need to change a particular circumstance. It is a short term solution which ignores the long term consequences. In this appeal, the peace officer must adapt himself and persuade the other person that you are on their side. Practical appeal is based on the beliefs and value system of the person.
• Personal: Based on addressing the persons needs and desires. For this appeal to work, the officer must put aside his own personal values. This type works well with headstrong people who insist on getting their own way.

WHEN WORDS ARE NO LONGER WORKING AS A FORCE OPTION.

1. Security - A person seriously threatens bodily harm to an officer or the general public. Therefore, the officer's control is compromised. The peace officer must take a position behind cover and direct the citizens involved to do the same. Of course, this happens in a micro-second, therefore, the officer is making decisions which will follow him for a lifetime. It would be wise for the peace officer to maintain his position of cover until the offender is secured. A point of interest concerning "instant decisions":"Lag time relates to hesitant reaction. Specifically, it's the delay that's involved while: your senses perceive danger . . . transmit the alarm to your brain . . . your brain decides what you should do . . . relays the message to the part of your body it wants to react . . . and you then actually respond.
   This takes longest when you are distracted, unprepared or inattentive at the moment of threat and your brain must first be called back from wherever it has wandered and change gears before it can evaluate the alarm and dispatch a reactive message." Hopefully this helps you to remember to always be prepared, be it talking with the suspect, or taking physical control of the suspect and the situation.
   
2. Attack - An officer's personal body danger zone is violate by a person coupling aggressive words with present ability. For example: A person threatens to hit you while lunging toward you. Another example of concern would be in a shooting situation; 85% of the attacks on officers occur at a distance of seven yards or less. Of course, words and gestures alone are not an attack. Sometimes a person displays conflicting signs - words suggest one thing and actions suggest another. A good principle to remember is: When words and actions disagree, trust the actions. Actions can be misleading, but whenever words and actions disagree, you should be alert and ready to use force.
3. Flight - When a suspect begins walking or running away or when a person escapes custody, you as the peace officer must take measures to apprehend the subject. Most of the time, words will not suffice in this situation. It is improbable to believe that a verbal command would cause the suspect to abort his plan of escape.
4. Excessive Repetition - There are two schools of thought on this point. One states that if an officer is forced to repeat the same words or ideas over and over again, then he is not being persuasive. The other school of thought says that sometimes repetition is exactly what the suspect needs. And, finally, the officer's words sink in, and the suspect responds by obeying the verbal orders.
5. Revised Priorities - When the problem or constraints change, that is, events of greater importance occur. For example: You are negotiating with an armed robber, and he begins shooting at the police. The situation is escalating, and you must take proper action.

CRITERIA RELATING TO A PROFESSIONAL PEACE OFFICER

1. Selective: The officer knows what kind of force and how much to use; and
2. The force is appropriate. It is used in a controlled and purposeful manner.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES RELATING TO CONFRONTATION COMMUNICATION

PRINCIPLES OF VERBAL JUDO

• Move confrontations away from conclusions back to the reasoning process:When you must guide others to a wiser course of action, help them seek new approaches rather than argue about the right answer. Never debate any point that can be resolved by examining the facts.
  
• Persuade others with their energy, not your own:When you wish to convince others, first learn what is in their best interest. Persuade them through an appeal to that interest, not through the force of your words.
  
• Give way in order to control:When you negotiate with others who demand that you give in, first seek a middle position that will satisfy their needs and your limits. Insist on discussing principles, not personal preferences.
  
• Embrace frustration with empathy:When you must calm others who are distraught, always harmonize with their pain. Lead them through their distress to reason.
  
• Overcome hard with soft:When you must compel others to obey law or regulations, ignore the impact of their insults. Enforce the authority of the institution you represent, not the power of your anger.
  
• Be disinterested when you punish:When you must punish others for violating clearly defined rules, always set aside your personal indignation. Respect the authority that empowers you to discipline. We encourage you to read Verbal Judo by Dr. George J. Thompson, PH. D., and discover how valuable these concepts are.
  

Weaponless Control Techniques

• restraining holds
• impact or stunning blows
• pain compliance techniques to cause the person to cease resistance

• Be aware of potential dangers. Prepare yourself physically and mentally for physical encounters.
• Avoid over-extending yourself to a point of no return. Do not commit yourself to an act that you cannot reasonably carry out.
• Maintain the proper distance to allow you adequate reaction time (generally over arms length). Be prepared and able to step back.

1. Side-step and allow the force to pass by and dissipate.
2. Once the force has passed, apply a control technique.
3. Three basic concepts of weaponless control are:
   • Self-control
   • Balance
   • Awareness

Balance

Five Major Concerns When Approaching a Suspect:

1. Where are the suspects hands? If they are in his pockets, do not tell him to remove them. Try not to draw attention to your concern until you are in a position to remove them safely (after maneuvering to a safer position).
2. Weapons: Visually frisk the suspect, especially the waistline area. Anything in the immediate area that could be used as a weapon in its natural state.
3. Associates, relative - anyone who may come to the suspects aid or assistance.
4. Escape routes - you should be aware of possible escape routes the suspect may take when confronted. The suspect is likely to be more familiar with an area than the officer, especially in his own home, neighborhood. For example: doors, dark rooms, dark yards, etc.
5. Your footing - where you are standing and what is the terrain like (roadway curb, staircase, gravel incline of roadway, porch, etc.)? Also, be aware of items in your immediate surroundings that you could trip and fall over, such as furniture, shrubs, bikes, etc.

• head - face
• neck - larynx, trachea
• chest
• abdomen
• groin
• legs

• head
• neck
• throat area

• head - by butting
• hands - fists and fingers
• arms - elbows and forearms
• feet
• legs - knees

Description of electrical weapons:

Justification for Use:

• coercion
• repellent
• stunning
• non-injurious incapacitation

• against animals that are violent and threatening.
• as a tool to gain compliance with a lawful verbal command.**
• to overcome physical resistance to an arrest and/or search.
• to prevent officer injury; protection of self.
• to prevent injury to civilians or other officers.
• to control violent crowd situations in order to prevent injury to officers or civilians.

• to threaten, harass, taunt, belittle or abuse anyone
• use in areas where there are heavy concentrations of combustible materials (sparks from the electrical weapons are capable of igniting flammable materials)
• use above the shoulders of electrical weapons (i.e., neck, head, eyes, etc.)

• When an officer is a member of a tactical squad in a crowd or riot control formation, the baton may be used to move, separate, disperse or deny a person access to a structure or through an area.
• When an officer is attacked by a suspect armed with a non-firearm type weapon, the officer may use the baton to disarm, distract or disable the suspect, or to hold the suspect at bay until additional assistance arrives.
• When the officer is assaulted by an unarmed suspect, the baton can be used to disable the suspect; or to defend against an assault.
• When the officer is confronted by several suspects who are threatening the officer; when the suspects are capable of carrying out the threats, and when they make an overt act to carry out the threats, the officer may use the baton to fend off an attack and make an arrest.
• When the officer is confronted by a suspect or suspects who he has reasonable cause to believe committed a crime, and the suspect or suspects refuse or fail to comply with the officers direction prior to searching or handcuffing, the baton may be used to obtain compliance.

1. The baton should normally be positioned between you and the suspect.
2. If the baton is held in either the right or the left hand, a good defensive position should be maintained.
3. Do not intentionally use a baton to strike at the head or throat.
   1. The head is the easiest part of the body for the suspect to defend. (a) The suspect has hands and arms to defend against the blow.
      
   2. It is easy for the officer to lose control of the baton to the suspect.
   3. If the head is struck, it could cause serious injury.
4. The baton should not be used to apply a choking technique.

• head
• neck
• throat
• spine

• hands, wrist, elbows
• knees, shins
• chest, midsection