law

Proper Policing

Michael W. Robinson

American Military University

CMRJ295

January 24, 2024

Introduction

Proper policing has become a necessary aspect of modern policing. This model includes a police setting that is founded on increased ethics, trust, and accountability. Therefore, it is important for police agencies to focus on achieving these aspects. This includes taking various approaches, including training. Over the past few years, the police field has faced backlash over the lack of ethics in their operations. Cases such as George Floyd among others have created an urgent need for police agencies to implement proper policing strategies. These are meant to improve their image while promoting efficiency. Overall, proper policing can be reinforced through effective training frameworks, the inclusion of technology in police education, and the promotion of a culture of accountability and ethics, to help police operate more effectively and professionally.

Training Paradigms and the Evolution of Police Education

The ever-changing challenges that police face are important aspects that affect police training changes. Factors such as law legislation and procedure regulations were previously the main emphasis of police training in traditional classrooms. However, evidence-based frameworks like the General Ecological Training (GET) paradigm have led to more comprehensive and situation-appropriate training methodologies. This model recognizes that police recruits have diverse backgrounds and learn differently, and encourages a comprehensive strategy that blends scientific data with real-world experience (Jonathan-Zamir et al., 2022). GET emphasizes active involvement and hands-on learning to teach officers critical thinking and vital information to handle changing and unforeseen situations. Police training reforms reflect larger developments in teaching, notably in adult learning theory.

Adults learn best when involved in the process and when the information is related to their goals and experiences. These ideas are supported by the GET model, which stresses the significance of individualized lessons and creating a safe and active learning space. Police training makes them better at responding to situations, so there needs to be enough staff, training, and accountability methods to help officers react better to different situations (Potter, 2022). The efficiency of police education has also been increased by technological improvements that have made it easier to include interactive and immersive training experiences. Law enforcement organizations can better prepare officers to handle the complicated world of modern policing with confidence and professionalism by using evidence-based approaches and new ways of teaching.

Integrating Technology: Enhancing Training Realism and Effectiveness

Police officers are an important part of making sure that all neighborhoods are safe, orderly, and peaceful. Every day, they show bravery, professionalism, and commitment by putting their lives at risk to serve and protect the public. Their training, both when they first start and as they go through their jobs, sets the tone. Traditional ways of training have worked well for both sides, but new technologies have made it possible to improve training programs in new ways. Virtual Reality (VR) has shown that it cannot only help police officers get better at their jobs but can also lead to good things, like fewer fights and more effective de-escalation techniques. When VR is truly adopted, it gives police officers the most cutting-edge tools and methods to deal with the tough problems of modern security. Virtual reality creates very realistic experiences that let police officers practice all of their skills in real-life settings (Kleygrewe et al., 2023). Officers can better understand their basic tactics with lifelike training in virtual reality (VR). This way, they can use the same techniques and strategies when they are on the job and real events happen.

Moreover, virtual reality helps police officers learn how to think critically and solve problems by putting them in real-life situations. These skills are very important for making quick, good decisions when time is limited. And because it makes communication clear and quick, VR encourages strong teamwork and collaboration in all activities. VR also makes sure that skill development takes place in a safe and controlled setting, so there is almost no chance of getting hurt during training (Mehari et al., 2021). And when the risks of the situation are low, cops can work on improving their skills and using them well in real life. VR provides complete training options that cover the whole process of teaching police officers, from the start to the finish. Along the way, it talks about every part of teaching and developing police skills.

Also, because VR can accurately recreate important events for immersive analysis, police officers can go back and look at events from different points of view, improve their skills, practice making decisions, and talk to each other and work together better based on what they learned from the event they are looking at (Zechner et al., 2023). VR provides realistic experiences that help build basic skills and take basic police training to a higher level. For example, VR makes it safe for trainees to practice gun handling skills like the right way to hold a gun, how to load and unload it, how to control the trigger, how to line the sights, and how to aim at a target without using real bullets. Costs and risks are mostly cut down, but officers can also improve their skills more effectively.

Fostering a Culture of Accountability and Ethical Leadership

It is important to create a culture of accountability and ethical leadership in police forces to foster trust and an environment that supports more seamless operations. This can be achieved through extensive training through various evidence-based models, including the General Ecological Training (GET) framework. This lets police departments teach ethics and responsibility from the start, which sets the stage for how police officers behave for the rest of their tenures (Jonathan-Zamir et al., 2022). In addition to technical skills, these frameworks improve decision-making. Police use foundations to make educated decisions and act professionally. Moral ideals, which promote justice, honesty, and integrity, underpin these training frameworks, making police more accountable. This kind of accountability makes the field more desirable.

Also, public opinion is very crucial when creating a responsible culture. Public opinion shapes residents' views on police. Additionally, it creates a foundation for how communities will interact with the police and how they deal with their issues. This was discovered by Mancini et al. (2023) after studying public opinion after 2020 when the police were in the spotlight for situations like George Floyd's. The study revealed that accountable and open police operations address community concerns and build trust. To build trust and understanding, police enforcement and the communities they serve must communicate well. Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training is essential to decreasing law enforcement's judgment of mentally ill and drug-dependent people (Nick et al., 2022). By providing officers with the knowledge and abilities they require to respond to emergencies with compassion and professionalism, CIT training encourages officers to display responsibility and ethically conduct themselves while interacting with vulnerable individuals.

Kohlstrom (2021) also looks into how Swedish police officers improve their careers, showing how important it is to keep learning and grow individually to become a responsible leader. By giving officers chances to keep learning and training, agencies can provide them with the tools they need to maintain high standards of behavior and honesty throughout their jobs. Leadership is a very important part of shaping a company's culture and encouraging accountability in law enforcement. There is a need for leadership development programs that put ethical decision-making and accountability first. Sloan III and Paoline III (2021) posit that law enforcement agencies can build a culture that values honesty, fairness, and trustworthiness in all interactions with the public by promoting moral leaders who set a good example and follow the ideals of integrity and accountability.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Proper policing involves a lot of different areas that are constantly changing. This requires better education, technological integration, and accountability. Evidence-based training methodologies like the General Ecological Training (GET) model demonstrate the importance of full and flexible officer development. Additionally, technologies such as virtual reality are important because they provide simulated training sessions that allow police officers to acquire transferrable skills. They help train police using more realistic situations. Moreover, it is important to foster a culture founded on accountability and ethics, whereby police officers know that they are responsible for their actions, which have consequences. Such training, together with other important aspects such as collaborating with communities can be significant foundations towards achieving good policing. Police can also work together with other organizations to help reinforce their efforts and acquire the trust of community members. This way, police agencies can achieve proper training that leads to more efficiency.

References

Jonathan-Zamir, T., Litmanovitz, Y., & Haviv, N. (2022). What Works in Police Training? Applying an Evidence-Informed, General, Ecological Model of Police Training. Police Quarterly, 109861112211139. https://doi.org/10.1177/10986111221113975

Kleygrewe, L., Hutter, R. I. V., Koedijk, M., & Oudejans, R. R. D. (2023). Virtual reality training for police officers: a comparison of training responses in VR and real-life training. Police Practice and Research, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2023.2176307

Kleygrewe, L., Oudejans, R. R. D., Koedijk, M., & Hutter, R. I. (Vana). (2022). Police Training in Practice: Organization and Delivery According to European Law Enforcement Agencies. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.798067

Kohlström, K. (2021). Professional development in the Swedish police organization: Police officers’ learning pathways. Human Resource Development Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21450

Mancini, C., Metcalfe, C., & Robert Bradford Lehmann. (2023). Public Opinion Toward Diverse Types of Police Reform Post-2020: The Impact of Perceptions, Experiences, and Racial Resentment. Crime & Delinquency. https://doi.org/10.1177/00111287231202785

Mehari, K. R., Rodgers, C. R. R., Blanton, M. A., & Turner, L. A. (2021). Evaluation of a police training on de-escalation with trauma-exposed youth. International Journal of Law, Crime, and Justice, 66, 100491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlcj.2021.100491

Nick, G. A., Williams, S., Lekas, H.-M., Pahl, K., Blau, C., Kamin, D., & Fuller-Lewis, C. (2022). Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training and Impact on Mental Illness and Substance use-related Stigma among Law Enforcement. Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, 5, 100099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100099

Potter, H. (2022, April 15). More Police, Better Training, More Accountability. Controlled F.O.R.C.E. https://controlledforce.com/more-police-better-training-more-accountability/#:~:text=Properly%20trained%20officers%20respond%20better

Sloan III, J. J., & Paoline III, E. A. (2021). “They need more training!” A national level analysis of police academy basic training priorities. Police Quarterly, 24(4), 109861112110133. https://doi.org/10.1177/10986111211013311

Zechner, O., Kleygrewe, L., Jaspaert, E., Schrom-Feiertag, H., Hutter, R. I. V., & Tscheligi, M. (2023). Enhancing Operational Police Training in High Stress Situations with Virtual Reality: Experiences, Tools, and Guidelines. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 7(2), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti7020014