Staying professional despite provocation

[Archangel M]

http://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/1996288-Staying-professional-despite-provocation/

“I know where you live and I promise...I am going to get out of here and burn down your house with your family in it.”

How will you react when a suspect you’ve arrested and handcuffed looks you square in the eye and with a cold sincerity says those words. If it has not been said to you yet, eventually it will be. For many officers these could very well be “trigger words.”

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Good article.

 

[jks9199]

Nice article. Along with the tips in it, I'd add this: One of the most frustrating things you can do to someone is to simply calmly listen to their insults and verbal attacks, and not let them anger or upset you. Listen to the valid points and even agree... "You're right; I'm trying to lose weight. Any advice?" It's not always appropriate, but it can really throw someone off a verbal attack or harangue.

 

[K831]

Interesting.

The list of common agitator phrases that can be "triggers" was interesting.

The "if not for that badge I would kick your A$$" lines were funny because quite frankly, some officers would do well to remember just that and drop the ridiculously hard attitude while wearing the badge.

As to the rest of them, well, as the article noted, "sticks and stones" who cares if they comment on your height, weight, looks, gender, color etc... they are most likely bottom dwellers and it matters not.

However, in my opinion, anyone who says To the officer with the wedding ring;

"what they will do to your spouse and family" or “I know where you live and I promise...I am going to get out of here and burn down your house with your family in it.”

should be shot and buried. Seriously, why even give them the chance if they are sick enough to make that threat? As a "civilian" if someone looked at me and said that, and I felt some seriousness and sincerity, I think I would end them on the spot.

I understand legally etc etc why it can't be handled this way. Morally? You play me a tape of an officer arresting a violent offender who then makes that threat and then gets shot, and I'll say, "smart play".

 

[K831]

Nice article. Along with the tips in it, I'd add this: One of the most frustrating things you can do to someone is to simply calmly listen to their insults and verbal attacks, and not let them anger or upset you. Listen to the valid points and even agree... "You're right; I'm trying to lose weight. Any advice?" It's not always appropriate, but it can really throw someone off a verbal attack or harangue.

I calmly smiled and blew a kiss at a guy who flipped me off once, he had a melt down. It was hysterical.

When guys are screaming mad they just look out of control and less dangerous. As you said, the calm, collected but dead serious guys are the ones that give you pause.

 

[Flea]

I like that article. Its applications go way beyond police work though, we all have to deal with people trying to get under our skin from time to time. I'll carry some of these ideas with me.

 

[SensibleManiac]

Nice article, I remember working security at a hospital many many years ago and having some guy who was high and freaking out get wheeled in by ambulance, as we transferred him and put him in restraints I rememeber him singling me out and saying something like, "You! Tomorrow when I get out of here I'm going to come after you, you'll see!"
I said something like, "That's cool, when you get out tomorrow come get me and we'll go grab a beer, but you're buying eh?"

He was so puzzled by my response.

I'm not saying responses like this are always appropriate and professional, but they can change the emotional edge of the threats.

 

[Tez3]

I've always found it easier to think it's the uniform they are shouting/threatening rather than me, it helps me separate myself from them and not get wound up so much.
What annoys me more than the morons though is the 'respectable nice' people who rant at you, telling you to look for real criminals etc etc etc when they've been caught drink driving, speeding dangerously, shop lifting etc. I expect every police officer anywhere in the world has heard that one!

 

[jks9199]

I've always found it easier to think it's the uniform they are shouting/threatening rather than me, it helps me separate myself from them and not get wound up so much.
What annoys me more than the morons though is the 'respectable nice' people who rant at you, telling you to look for real criminals etc etc etc when they've been caught drink driving, speeding dangerously, shop lifting etc. I expect every police officer anywhere in the world has heard that one!

Oh, yeah...

For some reason, it doesn't go over well to answer the "can't you find any real criminals?" line with "Yep; just found me a speeder/stop sign runner/etc."

Or with "Nope, nothing better to do at all."

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Oh, yeah...

For some reason, it doesn't go over well to answer the "can't you find any real criminals?" line with "Yep; just found me a speeder/stop sign runner/etc."

Or with "Nope, nothing better to do at all."

At least when they give you the old "I pay your salary" line you can get all indignant and go "So YOU'RE the guy who denied my raise...."

 

[jks9199]

At least when they give you the old "I pay your salary" line you can get all indignant and go "So YOU'RE the guy who denied my raise...."

Most of them don't, because they don't live in my jurisdiction. Though I did know someone who calculated how many cents of his hourly pay the average taxpayer would contribute, and carried it with him. He'd "refund" that portion when someone dropped that particular line!

 

[sgtmac_46]

http://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/1996288-Staying-professional-despite-provocation/



Good article.

I just smile coldly and tell him to make out his will if he's coming over to my house. I also note the fact that I won't lose any sleep either. But I always say it a calm, cold and deadpan professional manner.

Then I note his threat in my report so I can refer to it when i'm explaining his dead body in my yard.




I was driving one loud mouth to jail one night, and he was cussing me up one side and down the other, making all kinds of threats My partner and I were just ignoring him. Well I accidentally missed the turn to the jail, and we were heading out toward a more rural area............I think he thought we were going to drive him out there and beat him, because he started saying things like 'Wait, where are you going? The jail is that way........hey, guys, i'm sorry, I really am'..........I didn't correct him, we just played along and I said 'well, alright, if you're sorry, we'll just head to jail now, if that's alright with you', as I hit the next turn and went to the jail...........watching too many episodes of 'The Shield' and 'Training Day' really gets to these guys.