Police Communication Training Enhances Community Policing

Running head: POLICE COMMUNICATIONS
Geneva Mae Lewis
COM 212
Professor Seibert-Kiser
July 5, 2015
A Literature Review of Police Communications Training
With Implications for Enhanced Police-Citizen Encounters

POLICE COMMUNICATION: CHALLENGES AND DIRECTIVES 2
Abstract
This literature review explores police communication training and the implications of specialized
training for the law enforcement community. The question posed by this literature review is
whether formal police communication instruction should be considered an integral part of
training for law enforcement particularly in the era of community policing which emphasizes
police-citizen communication. Examination follows of relevant subtopics that affect
contemporary policing communication. These topics include interfacing with vulnerable
populations, including mentally ill citizens and children. As policing continues to adapt and grow
in the 21st century, communications training will need to evolve and adapt to an increasingly
complex world. The review concludes with ideas underscoring evolving research and
subspecialties of communication field directives in the arena of police communication.

Introduction
It is a misconception to believe that the key tools of law enforcement are arsenals of
weapons wielded by physically intimidating police officers. In fact, one of the key weapons in
policing is communication skill, which is highly adaptive to situation, individuals involved, and
desired outcome. Virtually every police encounter, whether a traffic stop, detention and arrest,
court testimony or suspect interrogation, involve nuanced communication skills with suspects,
witnesses, victims, fellow officers, lawyers, judges, and court personnel (Barker, et al., 2008)
The question arises if these skills are best learned and enhanced “on the job” which has been the
historical approach in policing, or if a more focused effort should begin even in the police
academy setting, with continuous and adaptable skills training in police departments and
sheriff’s offices which rely on the academic discipline of communication study (Cheatham &
Erikson, 1976).
A police trainee attends an Academy to meet regional or state Peace Officer Standards
and Training (POST) requirements. In the current regular basic course training specifications in
California, for example, there are 42 course topics in the curriculum and only one, community
policing, addresses some aspects of communications training (State of California Government,
Commission on Peace Officers Training and Standards, 2015). Traditionally, when police
officers begin their careers, they are mentored by a field-training officer (FTO) and accompany
their FTO on the job until they are deemed sufficiently experienced to operate on their own.
Communication with suspects, witnesses, victims, and court personnel are often “learned by
doing,” by building upon an officer’s inherent skill set and by learning in the field and from
fellow officers (Chappell, 2007).

In addition, community policing is a currently expanding its status in police departments
across the nation, a new paradigm which emphasizes community relationships with police and a
more interactive approach to crime issues starting at the neighborhood level, relying heavily on
officer-community interactions.
In this literature review we will discuss the benefits of communication training in the law
enforcement field, which builds upon the officer’s natural communication skills of listening,
evaluating, speaking, and synthesizing information with the benefit of communications theory.
Teaching communication skills though role-play and simulated scenarios is addressed. Special
populations requiring specific communication skills are also discussed, concluded by possible
avenues of police officer communications enhancement, combining theory and active learning.
Summary of Literature
Community Policing and Civilian Interaction
America is presently in an era of community policing. “By 2000, over 90 percent of our
nation’s police agencies reported that they engaged in community policing…” (Chappell, 2007,
p. 498). Community policing puts the interactive relationship of officers and their community at
a premium and relies heavily on communication. Instead of “laying down the law,” community
policing expects officers to interface with their community, gauging their needs and priorities
through a holistic lens. Instead of the traditional separation between communities and their police
force, this modality puts relationships at a premium, with the twin goals of preventing crime and
solving recurring problems, rather than simply responding to crises (Chappell, 2007). While the
goals of community policing are laudable, the reality is sometimes different, evidenced even in
Academy training. The Academy process, which often resembles “military boot camp” may
require as few as one course in community policing to an advanced curriculum (Chappell, 2007).

While community policing is a buzzword, its educational components and implementation
remain uneven to the police recruit. When Academy graduates move on to law enforcement
agencies, the dominant paradigm for officer training is the San Jose Field Training Officer
Program (FTO), which focuses more on law enforcement than communication. Chappell
suggested that FTO programs incorporate community policing techniques to further build upon
Academy training in the discipline. “Human skills and communications skills are necessary
components of community policing, and they could be expanded to include measures of
diversity” (Chappell, 2007, p. 500).
If the goal of community policing is to enhance communication and collaboration
between police and the communities they serve by building relationships, the basis of those
relationships is trust. Police-civilian interaction was studied in an intergroup context by Barker et
al. (2008). The authors linked the concepts of attitudinal reactions to police with predictive
outcomes with law enforcement. Data sets were gathered which compared attitudes of survey
respondents to police with outcomes of law enforcement encounters. It was discovered that trust
and positive feelings towards police officers lead to compliance with officer requests and
willingness to participate in investigations and/or questioning. In contrast, communication
strategies of officers who exhibited rudeness, unfriendliness, and arrogance created negative
feelings toward police. However, the researchers (Barker, et al. 2008) noted that communication
strategies of police officers are necessarily diverse and include techniques such as code
switching (exhibiting variations in linguistic styles):
Officers are required to adjust their communication practices to both suspected or
convicted felons, other members of the public who hold a negative view of them, and
those who appear to exhibit anxiety and uncertainty when interacting with them.
Therefore, many officers have developed a type of code-switching which allows them to
exhibit empathetic (accommodative) behavior under some circumstances and controlling,

authoritative (nonaccommodative) behavior…people do not expect police officers to be
friendly all of the time or to behave in the same way to everyone (p. 96).
The authors suggest that accommodative communication strategies were needed for officers in
their interactions with citizens, particularly in instances where subjects were noncriminal and
non-belligerent. The authors conclude that such communication strategies undertaken by police
departments and officers have the likelihood of increasing trust and therefore compliance. In an
era of increasing citizen scrutiny and the rise of community policing, giving officers the tools to
communicate effectively are paramount.
Training: Role Playing/Simulation Exercises: Definitions and Limits
Research that began three decades ago examined the best practices of communication
training within police forces. Cheatham & Erickson (1976) noted the deficit in communication
training, stating that “most law enforcement agencies are highly trained in police methods,
ethics, laws, and conduct, but few receive instruction in understanding communication in human
relationships” (Cheatham and Erikson, 1976, p. 166). They go on to state that the consensus of
research reveled that eighty percent of a police officer’s encounters with citizens require
interpersonal communication skills in addition to knowledge of law and police tactics. Cheatham
and Erikson propose that not only do police officers require enhanced communications training,
but also that the training should be tailored to a practical, hands-on learning style rather than rote
lecture or book learning to fully engage participants. They proposed simulation exercises and
role-playing as the ideal modality of officer communication training, which could be
implemented by employing “well conceived, realistic simulation experiences and games”
(Cheatham and Erickson, 1976). Interviewing, courtroom testimony, and public speaking were
also suggested realms of focus in training exercises for police officers.

With strong support for communication training, the question arises as to who is best
suited to train. As policing becomes more of a discipline and an arena of research into best
practices, agencies seek experts outside of the policing realm for their expertise. The issue of
academics successfully crossing the “Blue Wall,” which so often separates civilians from police
officer is a very real question addressed by Woods (2000), a communications expert within a
university setting. Woods discussed the experience of conducting communication training for a
police department and the techniques used to establish rapport with officers as well as the
process of tailoring the class curriculum to their strengths. Woods was hired to assist in training
when a major police department was transitioning to community policing. Woods determined the
officer’s strengths in a needs-based assessment created and administered before the training
exercise. Based on the data gathered, the course was tailored to the officer’s priorities in
interpersonal communication: listening, body language, questioning, informing, and describing.
Woods used law enforcement scenarios to make the training exercises relevant to the class. The
report concluded by underscoring the efforts needed to continue to enhance and create ongoing
education related to the enhanced interpersonal communication demands in community policing.
More recently, role-playing and simulation training has not been accepted prima facie as
the assumptive ideal in training. Stokoe (2013) examined the differences in role-play simulations
and real-world interactions in police communication. Stokoe compared the police interviews of
suspects in two contexts: actual suspect interviews and training or “role play” interviews by
police officers. The researcher questioned whether the presumption of efficacy of role-play for
training purposes is, in fact, borne out by comparing the two modes of operation in a verbal
communication context. Stokoe gathered actual taped police statements to suspects recorded
before interrogation and simulation interviews also recorded for training purposes under the

same conditions. The researcher compared the verbal communication of the officers towards the
suspects in both modes. What the study indicated was that significant differences existed
between training and role-play interviews versus actual police/suspect interviews. In conclusion,
Stokoe suggested a new protocol for role-play training, which was outlined and described. The
goal of this new protocol was stated: to more accurately simulate the real world in role-play
communications training. The author developed a unique training approach called “conversation
analytic role play method,” (CARM), “which uses actual interactions as a basis for training
communication skills…” (Stokoe, 2013, p. 184) and utilizes previously recorded real-world
conversations for training. The author concluded that this branch of research offered an
opportunity to further enhance training methods, the impact of role-playing, and the complex
variables that promote particular behavior within conversational protocols that are dependent
upon the setting as well as the parties involved.
Police Interactions with Populations: The Mentally Ill and Children: Best Communication
Practices
As Culbertson stated presciently, “Law enforcement has become something of a public
relations jungle in recent years” (Culbertson, 2000, p. 13). Culbertson explores the evolution of
both paramilitary policing and community policing, both with distinct goals. Culbertson (2000)
reported in the study that “local citizens valued community relations and service activity…”
(Culbertson, 2000, p. 13), with the caveat that the primary directive was for police to protect the
population and apprehend lawbreakers.
Our society values communication with police, but we also want them to tackle difficult
situations that most of us would be afraid to face. The reality is that the criminal justice system

and policing are complex and challenging arenas in which to work. All that is difficult and
unpleasant can seem to be represented, but best practices and research in communications has led
to improved techniques and outcomes particularly related to vulnerable populations. One of the
realities of 21st century policing is that jails have become de facto mental hospitals in an era of
reduced social services and community-based mental health services. The era of
institutionalization is over, and police are in the front lines of mental health issues. Police
communication with mentally ill populations requires a complex set of skills and experience.
Recent data indicates there are four times more people (283,000) with serious mental
illness in jails or prison than state mental hospitals (Heinecke, 2005). Forward-thinking police
departments have instituted Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT), “composed of specially trained
officers who respond to mentally ill people in crisis” (Heinecke, 118). The goal of such CIT
training is to ensure officer and citizen safety, and focuses on nonverbal and verbal
communication skills to employ with mentally ill citizens. Training in this context focuses on
non-verbal aspects: approaching an individual in such a way that service revolvers and Tasers are
not prominent; maintaining personal space needs which are often intensified with the mentally
ill, and speaking in a calm, quiet voice once the officer can be reasonably certain his safety
perimeter is secure. If the individual exhibits overt hostility, officers give short and clear
instructions, repeated every 15 seconds. Once an individual complies, “venting” is encouraged
along with supportive empathy statements. Houston, Texas, which has implemented key CIT
tactics for dealing with the mentally ill population involved in potential criminal activity, has
also streamlined processes for mental health evaluations rather than arrest, booking, and
detention in jail for many individuals.

Another vulnerable population in our society is children. Porter (2009) suggests that
police receive special training to communicate effectively with children who have witnessed
crime or have been traumatized, by understanding childhood developmental stages as well as
receiving education regarding implications of communication in the aftermath of trauma. Police
officer skill in effective communication with vulnerable populations can be critical not only in
obtaining evidence and witness statements against perpetrators, it can also lead to better
outcomes for the child’s well-being when a competent and caring adult supports him or her
during a difficult process.
Conclusion
This review examined the issue of police communications training in context of
community policing (Chappell, 2007) and civilian response to policing (Barker, et. al., 2008).
Role-playing and simulated exercises were defined (Cheatham & Erickson, 1976) and enhanced
policing role-play communication training (Woods, 2000) were explored in relation to recent
research which continues to refine best approaches to experiential training (Stokoe, 2013).
Finally, special populations that police interact with, both the mentally ill (Heinecke, 2005) and
children (Porter, 2009) were discussed. Unique approaches in police officer communications
training with these special populations has resulted in better outcomes. As communications
theory and community policing continue to become linked, there exists the possibility of
enhanced communication, best practices communications policies and trainings, and a continued
evolution in the interaction of communication study and policing. An intriguing area of future
communication research related to law enforcement will be in the evaluation and dissemination
of communication with the use of police body cameras. It can be predicted that there will be an

explosion in raw data availability related to police-civilian encounters as many nationwide law
enforcement agencies begin using body cameras on officers with video recording devices. While
it has has been indicated that use of such equipment can inherently change the nature of officer-
civilian encounters (Muller, 2015), it will also prove to be invaluable in evaluating and
enhancing communication techniques as policing evolves in the 21st century.

Reference Page
Barker, V., Giles, H., Hajek, C., Ota, H., Noels, K., Lim, T., Somera, L. (2008). Police-civilian
interaction, accommodation, and trust in an intergroup context: International data.
Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 1(2), 93-112. DOI:
10.1080/17513050801891986.
State of California Government, Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (2015).
Regular basic course training specifications. Report from Ca.gov website. Retrieved
from https://www.post.ca.gov/regular-basic-course-training-specifications.aspx
Chappell, A. (2007). Community policing: Is field training the missing link? Policing.
30 (3), 498-517. DOI: 10.1108/13639510710778868.
Cheatham, T., Erickson, K. (1976). Police communication instruction pedagogical strategies. The
Speech Teacher. 2(42), 165-168. http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rced20/current
Culbertson, H. (2001). A key step in police-community relations: Identify the divisive issues.
Public Relations Quarterly, 45 (1), 13-17.
http://www.highbeam.com/publications/public-relations-quarterly-p138888
Heinecke, J. Talking to “invisible” people. (2005). Law Enforcement Technology, 32 (9).
116,118-120, 122—124,126. http://www.officer.com/magazine/let/issue/2015/jun
Muller, J. (2015, May 11). To police the police, body cameras are a must. The Los Angeles
Times. Retrieved from www.latimes

Porter, J. R. (2009) A training workshop for police officers who interview child witnesses:
Information concerning child development and the adverse impact of exposure to
intimate partner abuse ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing. 3374586.
Stokoe,E. (2013). The (In)Authenticity of simulated talk: Comparing role- played and actual
interaction and the implications for communication training. Research on Language and
Social Interaction, 46(2), 165-185. DOI:10.1080/08351813.2013.780341.
Woods, M. (2000) Interpersonal communication for police officers: using needs assessment to
prepare for skeptical trainees. Business Communication Quarterly. 63(4), 40-48.
http://bcq.sagepub.com/content/by/year

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