Paralinguistic Communication
By
John E. Reid & Associates
The paralinguistic
channel of communication is defined as speech characteristics falling outside of
the spoken word. Just as a subject's nonverbal behavior can completely alter the
meaning of words within a verbal response, paralinguistic behaviors can modify
the meaning behind words. Consider the following conversation:
Joe: "Hey Mike, I've got to pick my kid up from baseball practice in a half an
hour. Would you mind staying late to write this report?"
Mike: "Oh sure. No problem."
To illustrate the significance of paralinguistic communication, read Mike's
response out-loud first in a sincere manner, where Mike does not mind writing
the report at all. Then read Mike's response in a sarcastic manner, where he
expresses clear resentment in being asked to write the report. If you are like
most people, you altered your voice inflection, as well as rate and pitch to
send two different messages using the same words. During an interview,
monitoring a subject's paralinguistic behaviors can offer great insight into the
true meaning behind the words used in a response. A number of paraliguistic
clues have been identified that relate to a subject's truthfulness or deception.
The following discussion relates to only three of these.
Response Latency
Response latency is defined as the duration of time between the last word of the
investigator's question and the first word of the subject's response. Research
reveals that the average response latency for truthful subjects is .5 seconds,
whereas the average latency for deceptive subjects is 1.5 seconds. Especially
when a subject is asked a straight-forward question such as, "Last night did you
see Jimmy at all?" a denial that comes after a two or three second delay should
be viewed as highly suspicious.
An extended response latency is the result of the subject mentally deciding
whether to tell the whole truth, part of the truth, or a whole lie. Often a
deceptive subject will attempt to fill this period of silence by repeating the
interviewer's question, e.g., "Did I see Jimmy at all last night? No, I did
not." Another common technique to stall for time is for the subject to ask the
investigator to clarify a question:
I: "Did you have sexual contact with your step-daughter?"
S: "What exactly do you mean?"
I" "At any time did you have
sexual contact with your step-daughter?"
S: "Oh no. I would never do
that."
An extended response latency is not always an indication of deception. Consider
the subject who is asked a hypothetical question that requires thought or a
judgment. An example is, "Who do you think may have had sexual contact with your
step-daughter?" Because this question calls for speculation, the investigator
should be suspicious of a response that is voiced too quickly, e.g., "I have no
idea." On the other hand, a subject innocent of the crime may very well take a
couple of seconds before offering the sincere response, "I have no idea."
Volume Changes
When someone is telling the truth, he wants to make certain that the
investigator understands exactly where he stands. Consequently, during an
accusatory interrogation, a truthful suspect's denial is often spoken loudly and
distinctly, perhaps with a emphasis on each word, e.g., Listen, I did not have
anything to do with that robbery! On the other hand, when these same words are
spoken at a conversational level, especially with the suspect looking down at
the floor, they do not sound nearly as convincing.
Increasing one's volume, of course, is a natural defensive response to guilt or
anxiety. Most investigators have encountered the deceptive suspect who engages
in a loud tantrum in the hope that the emotional outburst will fend off further
questions. The focus of this tirade is not centered around the suspect's
non-involvement in the crime, but rather, some threat against the investigator
(law suit, letter to the editor of the local paper, "I'll have your badge for
this"). Consequently, an increase in a suspect's volume must be considered in
context with the questioning environment. A suspect who loudly protests his
innocence when being asked non-accusatory interview questions is less credible
than one who engages in the same behavior after being accused of committing a
crime.
A decrease in volume during the course of a response can be a very significant
behavior symptom of deception. This behavior is referred to as "losing interest
in a response." During our training seminar we show an interview of a deceptive
suspect who is asked, "How do you feel about being interviewed concerning this
missing $1000?" The words the suspect uses in her response to this question
appear to be more typical of the truthful. She answers, "Well, I certainly
understand why I was asked to go through this. It's a lot of money to come up
missing and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this."
However, when listening to her response, it is very evident that the last thing
she wants is, "to do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this." During
that portion of her response her volume drops significantly to the point that
the last portion of her response is barely audible. The suspect had lost
interest in her response -- she said the right words, but there was no
conviction or sincerity behind them.
Rate Changes
When a subject offers a spontaneous response, it should be free-flowing and the
rate of speaking should be maintained. When the account concerns an emotional
event, such as being the victim of a sexual assault or armed robbery, the
truthful victim's rate of speaking will increase, as true emotions are recalled.
Conversely, a decrease in rate often indicates that the subject is editing
information from the account, or fabricating information within the account.
Both of these mental activities (editing and fabrication) require time and to
buy time, the subject slows down his response rate. A caveat to this statement
is the traumatized victim. A victim interviewed shortly after an emotional event
may exhibit a decreased rate when speaking simply because he is presently
dealing with the emotions of the event. However, after a victim has been given a
reasonable period of time to adjust to the event, a decrease in response rate
when relating the incident to an investigator should warrant suspicion as to its
truthfulness or completeness.
As with all of our investigator tips that address the interpretation of a
subject's behavior, the investigator must consider internal and external factors
which influence a person's behavior before attaching significance to a
particular behavior symptom.
|
The FBI data “Law Enforcement Officers Killed/Assaulted” from
1983 through 1998 indicates that twenty (20) law enforcement
officers were killed by knife assaults. To put this data in
perspective, one thousand forty one (1,041) law enforcement
officers were killed by firearms during the same period.*
Although a single loss of life is one too many, 20 deaths in 16
years is not the kind of total that would cause administrators
to make knife defense training a mandatory block of instruction
for their officers.
However, looking at the assault totals from the same tables,
there were 23,657 officers assaulted by knives/cutting
instruments. These assaults account for almost 29 per cent of
the assaults against law enforcement officers during this time
period.* These totals certainly indicate that officers would
greatly benefit from knife defense training.
Protecting officers from edged weapon assaults is obviously the
primary goal of knife defense training, but officers can gain
other benefits from this training. To obtain expert information
in this field, the author interviewed Mr. Don Garon, owner of
L.E.C. Survival Training and a student of the Filipino blade
arts for the past 18 years. Mr. Garon has studied with such
notables as Dan Inosanto, the late Mike Inay, and Edgar Sulite.
He is the co-author of PPCT’s Spontaneous Knife Defense program.
The areas that were discussed are as follows: “Mystique of the
Blade,” commonality in techniques for defending against edged
weapons, empty hand assaults, and assaults with “clubs,”
commonality in follow-up techniques, emphasizing the importance
of maintaining the Reactionary Gap, and the use of “knife on
knife” drills to increase officers’ eye/hand coordination and to
reduce officers’ reaction/response time.
The first area to be covered is the “Mystique of the Blade.” Don
Garon noted that if you put a knife next to a gun and ask which
is more deadly, most people would respond the gun. However,
during literally thousands of conversations with police
officers, Mr. Garon found that the majority of officers stated
they would be more likely to “freeze” if they were faced with a
knife wielding subject as opposed to facing one with a gun. Mr.
Garon believes that this is the result of conditioning. Officers
carry a gun on duty and must qualify with that weapon at least
twice per year. On the other hand, how many officers qualify
with a knife? Although many officers carry knives, the reason
given for this is usually to cut a seat belt in the event of a
trapped motorist or passenger following a traffic accident. The
author seriously doubts there are many officers who practice
cutting seat belts in preparation for such an emergency.
Don Garon pointed out that one of the main bases for officers’
concerns with edged weapons, justified or not, stems from modern
television shows andcinema. There is no shortage of “slasher”
films at the local theaters, and time after time, the villain
uses a knife or other edged weapon to quickly dispatch any
individual who gets in his way. Even training/awareness films
such as “Surviving Edged Weapons can heighten officers’ concerns
regarding such assaults. Edged weapons are also prevalent in
most martial arts movies and in many murder mysteries. Training
will not reduce the number of movies with edged weapons, but it
will certainly reduce an officer’s uneasiness should he/she ever
have to face a knife-wielding subject. That is to say, training
in knife defense should lower the amount of stress an officer
would experience if facing a subject with a knife. Although
stress can never be completely eliminated, lowering it during a
confrontation will certainly increase the officer’s chances to
survive such an encounter.
Second, the importance of commonality in technique as a basis
for knife defense training. In the Filipino arts, students are
taught to work with edged weapons and short sticks before they
learn empty hand combat. However, the lines of attack and their
respective defenses, are basically the same for punches, knife
attacks, and stick attacks. Lines of attack are used in most
knife defense systems to facilitate learning the various attacks
and their respective defenses. For example, a #1 line attack has
a subject attack with his right hand with an assault that
targets the other subject’s left side. The target can be
anywhere from the side of the face to the shoulder, with the
continued attack following a diagonal line to the subject’s
right hip.
PPCT’s Spontaneous Knife Defense program covers both spontaneous
edged weapon assaults and attacks when the subject is being
stalked by the assailant. In the spontaneous attacks, the
subject does not have enough time to step out of the way of the
assault. For this reason, the defensive responses only involve
movement of the upper body and arms. In the case of a #1 line
attack, the defender simply turns his torso to his left,
executing a double forearm block against the attacker’s right
arm. The defender’s forearms are perpendicular to the ground,
and the defender’s goal is to have a forearm strike the
attacker’s arm above and below the elbow. However, the block
will still stop the attack even if these locations can not be
achieved. For example, if both of the defender’s forearms block
the attacker below the elbow, the block will still stop the
attack.
Since most people are right handed, an attack along the #1 line
is much more common than an attack that would come from the
opposite direction, against the defender’s right side. However,
the attacker does not have to be armed with an edged weapon for
this defense to be successful. If the attacker has a club in
his/her right hand, the defense against a #1 line assault would
be the same as if it were against a knife attack. It follows
that the same defense would work against an attacker who is
trying to “sucker punch” the defender with a #1 line attack
Therefore, training to defend against an edged weapon attack
along the #1 line also prepares the subject to defend against
any attack along that line, no matter what weapon the assailant
may use. The attack could be with a knife, a club, or a fist.
This is an excellent example of commonality in technique, and it
certainly allows the officer to make the most of his/her
training time.
The third benefit to the officer, that of follow up techniques,
is basically another application of commonality in technique. In
PPCT’s Spontaneous Knife Defense program, after the #1 line
attack has been blocked, the officer grips the attacker’s wrist
with his right hand and delivers a back hand brachial stun with
his right hand. The attacker is then gripped at the back of his
neck, and the officer delivers a knee strike to the attacker’s
thigh or a front kick to the base of the attacker’s shin,
depending upon the distance between the attacker and the
officer. The choice here is based upon the training rule of
stimulus-response practice. If the attacker is close to the
officer, he/she utilizes the knee strike; if there is more
distance between them, and the attacker is too distant for the
knee strike, the officer simply uses the front kick which covers
more distance. The brachial stun, knee strike, and front kick
are all standard techniques taught in PPCT’s Defensive Tactics
program.
Using his/her hands which are now gripping the attacker at the
right wrist and behind the neck, the officer determines if the
attacker is stunned or if additional strikes are necessary. If
the attacker is stunned, the officer then pushes the attacker’s
head “nose to toes,” grounding the attacker in a prone position.
This takedown also exemplifies commonality in technique. The
only difference between this takedown and the inside takedown
taught in PPCT’s Defensive Tactics program, is the use of a
single hand at the back of the attacker’s neck. Once grounded,
the officer simply kneels on the attacker’s arm, between the
elbow and shoulder, to effect a release of the knife. The
officer can then transition into a three point lock on the
subject’s arm and complete the follow up techniques with
handcuffing.
If an officer participates in the Spontaneous Knife Defense
program without any previous PPCT training, the program allows
sufficient time to teach the follow up techniques. All these
techniques are based upon gross motor skills, and they can be
learned within the time frame of the course.
The fourth benefit an officer can derive from knife defense
training is to better understand the importance of maintaining
the Reactionary Gap when dealing with subjects. Knife assault
statistics alone show that officers are not staying far enough
from subjects during field contacts. Practicing knife defense
exercises will quickly show the officer how little time he/she
has to respond to such assaults. This, in turn will demonstrate
how much easier it is to react to these attacks if the officer
is at a greater distance from the assailant.
Taking this one step further, please note that PPCT does not
advocate empty hand defenses against edged weapon attacks if the
officer has the ability to draw and use his/her firearm. A
firearm in hand can be fired much more quickly than one that has
to be drawn from the holster. Firearm instructors often mention
the inability of officers to outdraw and fire against an
attacker who already has a gun in hand (An officer can not
outdraw an assailant’s trigger pull). The same advice holds true
for officers facing an assailant with a knife. If time permits,
the officer should draw his/her weapon and seek cover.
The fifth benefit to knife defense training is the use of “knife
on knife” exercises. These drills involve both participants
being armed with knives, and they utilize the lines of attack to
perform repetitive practice for both attacks and defenses. The
officers alternate attacking and defending using prearranged
lines and following the principle of stimulus-response training.
The following is a brief explanation of a #1,#2,#2,#1 drill. One
officer uses a straight grip on the knife while his partner in
the drill uses an inverted grip. The officer with the straight
grip starts the exercise by attacking with a #1 line. The other
officer uses a single hand block and follows with a slash to the
officer’s arm followed by a thrust along the #2 line. The #2
line attack is a mirror of the #1 line, attacking the right side
of the officer’s neck. The officer using the straight grip
blocks the thrust, slashes his partner’s arm and follows with a
#2 line attack. The exercise concludes when the officer using
the inverted grip blocks the attack, slashes the straight grip
officer’s arm, and attacks his partner with a #1 line. Straight
grip officer blocks, slashes, and starts the exercise all over
again with a #1 line attack.
Repetitions of this exercise, with increases in speed when the
officers’ skill levels are ready, can benefit the officers in
three main ways. First, the officers learn that they are capable
of defending against such attacks. This knowledge increases
confidence, and this in turn lowers stress. Second, they are
enhancing their eye/hand coordination. Third, they are reducing
their reaction/response times. Remember, one way to reduce
reaction/response time is to anticipate the type of attack used
by the assailant.
Since both officers are learning attacks and defenses, knife on
knife exercises show the officers what can be done with an edged
weapon. This, in effect, teaches the officers potential attacks
from subjects armed with knives. And this is another potential
benefit; remember role playing “bad guys” saying they learned
more being the “bad guy” than they did as officers?
In conclusion, there are several benefits to be derived from
knife defense training for officers. Such training can reduce
stress that is caused by having to face an assailant with an
edged weapon. The training can be used to defend against
different types of assaults, and the follow up controls also
utilize the time-honored principle of commonality in technique.
The exercises, both defense and knife on knife will help the
officer to remember to maintain the Reactionary Gap. They will
also assist officers by improving their eye/hand coordination
and by reducing reaction/response times.
For further information on PPCT’s Spontaneous Knife Defense
program and/or knife on knife exercises, please contact:
PPCT Staff Instructor Jack Leonard
412/766-4754 Web Site jackleonardasi.com
*“Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted,” FBI, 1998
About the Author: Jack Leonard is a
retired peace officer with over twenty years of law
enforcement experience. He has been teaching defensive
tactics since 1981, and he became a PPCT Staff Instructor in
1990
|
WITH
BRIAN
WILLIS
W.I.N. is a simple but powerful
acronym used by the famous college football coach Lou Holtz. It stands for ‘What’s
Important Now’. He reminded his players at Notre Dame to ask themselves this
question 35 times a day; when they awakened in the morning, in class and study
hall, the weight room, the practice field, the sidelines during a game and when
on the field during games.
As law enforcement professionals we need to take a lesson from Coach Holtz and
ask ourselves this same question 35 times a day. By doing this we are forced to
focus on what is important at that moment of time, for example, to prioritize
our mission, the threats and the actions necessary to WIN that confrontation. As
law enforcement trainers we also need to ask ourselves this question continually
to ensure that we are focused on what is important in our training. This is
critical in order to properly prepare our officers for their chosen profession
and to prepare them to be winners and warriors. The purpose of this column is to
stimulate thought, debate, and reflection on critical issues in use of force
training and to challenge all of us to focus on What’s Important Now.
This issue of
W.I.N. will examine some ideas on enhancing officer’s learning by making
training ‘sticky’. There is an interesting book on marketing ideas called Made
to Stick written by Chip and Dan Heath. The book examines why some stories,
ideas and slogans are ‘sticky’ and others are not and how can companies make
their marketing ideas sticky. Sticky refers to ideas that people remember and
can easily recall.
While you will
likely find the book in the Business Section at Barnes and Noble, it is a
valuable read for law enforcement trainers. The question for us as law
enforcement trainers is what can we do to make training ‘sticky’ for our
officers? How can we craft or deliver training so that it will stick with them.
The first key
element is to determine what it is that we want people to remember. What is it
that we want them to retain from our training? The answers to this question must
be written in the form of positive learning objectives. By positive I mean what
can they do and what do you want them to do rather than what not to do and what
will get them into trouble if they do it. While conducting interviews with
officers for their research into violent assaults on law enforcement
professionals, Ed Davis, Tony Pinizotto and Charles Miller of the FBI found a
significant number of officers who told them that in the middle of a violent
encounter they could only recall what not to do, and when they could not use
force. In my mind this speaks directly to their training and clearly shows what
was ‘sticky’ for them. Training should empower officers with the competence and
confidence necessary to do their jobs without unreasonable fear of liability or
discipline.
Here are just
a few of the training concepts that should stick:
•
When an
officer can use force.
•
Force
options available based on subject behaviors and totality of circumstances.
•
You can
get shot, stabbed, cut, punched, kicked, sprayed or tasered and keep
fighting and win the fight.
•
A subject
may get shot, show little or no reaction to getting shot and keep fighting,
so keep shooting until the threat is stopped. The question then is how do we
make this happen, how do we make these positive concepts sticky?
The following
are a few keys to help accomplish this task:
PHILOSOPHY
– First, the philosophy of training needs to be one that empowers the officers
by teaching them what they can do instead of many traditional philosophies of
teaching what not to do and what will get you into trouble.
Second, as
trainers we must embrace Coach John Wooden’s philosophy, “You have not taught
until they have learned.” Trainers need to develop a variety of ways to deliver
the material so students can learn regardless of their learning style. If they
are “not getting it” we need to look in the mirror and determine what we need to
do differently.
LANGUAGE
- Language should be positive based and focused on what you want the officer to
do rather than on what not to do. Eliminate the words “don’t” and “try” from
your vocabulary as instructors.
STORIES
– Stories are a powerful way to teach lessons. However, make sure the stories
are used appropriately and add to the training not simply fill in time. Make
sure the stories are relevant to the learning objectives. Make sure the stories
empower the officer to believe they can win rather than make them afraid to go
out and do their job. The stories of Marcus Young, Jennifer Fulford and Stacy
Lim are just a few such examples that have a number of great teaching points and
are sticky for all the right reasons.
VIDEOS
– Videos are stories with pictures and sound. They can empower or create fear in
officers depending on how they are used. Use them to honor the officers in the
videos and the sacrifices they made. Use them to learn from those officer’s
experiences. Use them to create plans for how the officers watching could
prevail if confronted with a similar situation. Consider showing them in pieces
as there are usually many decision points in every incident.
TIMING
– One of the concepts in Made to Stick is moving ideas from the ‘abstract’ to
the ‘concrete’. Stories, videos and contextual based training can all help
officers take the abstract concepts of use of force and make them concrete. Also
consider the timing of the information. The best example I have is Use of Force
Models or Continuums. Often these are taught very early in the training and then
throughout the training instructors refer to the subject behavior categories
when teaching force response options. Consider teaching the model or continuum
near the end of training. Focus the training on subject behaviors (not behavior
categories) and response options. Once the officer is confident with behaviors
and options them explain how that fits into the model. Presented early in
training the model itself, the definition of subject behavior categories and
response options is an abstract concept as new officers have no frame of
reference. Presented later in training it is more concrete. (A few agencies I
have consulted with have made this change with great results.) I would encourage
all of you to read Made to Stick and take from it your own thoughts and ideas.
Then reexamine your program through the eyes of a recruit or the average officer
in the field rather than through the eyes of an instructor. Ask yourself what
can I do to make it easier for officers to learn and to make the training
stickier?
Brian
Willis is a 25 year law enforcement veteran and the President of the
innovative training company Winning Mind Training Inc. (www.winningmindtraining.com)
as well as Warrior Spirit Books (http://www.warriorspiritbooks.com). He is
the editor of the acclaimed book W.I.N.: Critical Issues in Training and
Leading Warriors. Brian is an Advisory Board Member for ILEETA and a member
of NTOA, ITOA, IALEFI and the Canadian Professional Speakers Association. He
can be contacted at
brianwillis@ileeta.org. ILEETA Use of Force Journal 10 October-December,
2008
Online Education for Law Enforcement Professionals
All Points Bulletin:
Law Enforcement Employment is on the Rise
Dennis Porter, Los Angeles Sheriff’s
Department, Ret.
In spite
of a tough national job market, the outlook for employment in law
enforcement and related fields for the next 6 to 7 years could not be
better. Specifically, the Bureau of Labor Statistics believes the field
will need to hire for approximately 268,500 more law enforcement related
job positions by 2012. The varied opportunities in this field range from
police officers and corrections officers to border patrol agents and
crime scene processors.
Why is the job market
thriving? The answer in part is that baby boomers are retiring by the
thousands on a daily basis. As the baby boomers employed in law
enforcement retire, police agencies across the nation are scrambling to
fill in behind them with new applicants. I personally have talked to
dozens of policing agencies across the nation, and all repeat the same
thing, “We cannot find enough qualified applicants to replace the
retiring baby boomer generation.”
If a prospective police
officer applicant were to look only at federal law enforcement jobs, he
or she would learn from a 2007 report of “Where the Jobs Are,” the
Federal Government alone will need to hire 60,000 people in security,
law enforcement, and compliance assistance jobs by 2009.
Municipalities, counties, and states need to hire at comparable levels
to fill open positions.
Is the career right for you?
The jobs may be plentiful, but how do
you know if this career path fits your strengths and interests? Like
other careers in national security and public service, careers in law
enforcement are typically demanding but can also be immensely
fulfilling. As a member of law enforcement, you will have a chance to
see things that most others don’t, all while positively impacting the
safety and security of our communities. But before you dive into the
field head first, you would be wise to evaluate your ability to:
ü
work independently
ü
maintain a high sense of integrity
ü
remain calm and clear-headed when faced with tense,
high-risk situations
ü
deal with shifting schedules
By all means, seek advice from others
who are in the field. After careful self-assessment and research, if you
are confident that a law enforcement career could be right for you then
your next step is to sift through the available job opportunities.
Where the jobs are
To narrow your search, ask yourself
what kind of policing agency you would like to work for, and in what
location(s) you want to seek work.
Let me address the
latter first. Geography could be an issue if your immediate city or
county is not currently hiring. However, two counties away from where
you live, or in an adjoining state, law enforcement agencies may not be
able to recruit enough qualified applicants.
So, ask yourself again,
do I have to live and work in the area where I grew-up? The answer
should be no. You are entering a bold, exciting profession. If you
really want to be a “cop” then consider expanding your geographic search
so that you are able to fulfill your dream of serving and protecting a
community that is in need.
What kind of policing
jobs are out there? There are four basic employers who employ law
enforcement personnel:
1. Cities or
Municipalities
2. Counties
3. State
4. Federal.
1.
Municipalities/Cities hire:
·
Police Officers
·
Transit Police
·
Harbor Patrol (if there is an ocean or river adjacent to
them)
·
Port Police
·
Airport Police
·
Traffic Control Officers
·
City Park Rangers or Park Police
·
Parking enforcement personnel
·
Jailers
·
Evidence clerks
·
Crime scene processors (CSI type of Personnel)
·
Animal control personnel
·
City Security Officers
·
Homeland Security Coordinator (new city position)
2.
Counties and cities often have similar law enforcement
responsibilities, but distinct jurisdictional boundaries. County law
enforcement positions include:
·
Deputy Sheriffs
·
County Police
·
County Marshalls
·
County Probation Officers
·
District Attorney Investigators
·
Transit Police Officers
·
Correctional Officers
·
Jailers
·
County Park Police or Rangers
·
Harbor or River patrol
·
County Security Guards
·
Crime scene processors (CSI type of Personnel)
·
Animal control
3.
State law enforcement agencies or departments hire:
·
Highway Patrol or State Troopers
·
State Police
·
Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) personnel
·
State Consumer Affairs Investigators
·
Horse Racing Police and Investigators
·
Fish and Game Wardens
·
Depart of Justice (DOJ) personnel
·
Attorney General Investigators
·
State Capital Police or Security Guards
·
Department of Motor Vehicle Investigators
·
State University Police Officers
·
State Police Pilots
·
Prison Guards
·
Parole Officers
·
Department of Consumer Affairs Investigators
4.
Federal law enforcement jobs include:
**A
special note on applying to federal law enforcement positions almost all
require a bachelors degree.
·
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) personnel
·
Secret Service personnel
·
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) personnel
·
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) personnel
·
U.S. Attorney Investigators
·
Federal Air Marshalls
·
Federal Correctional Officers
·
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) personnel
·
Federal Police Officers
·
Fish and Wildlife Special Agents
·
Intelligence Specialists
·
Internal Revenue Services Special Agents
·
Postal Inspectors
·
Postal Police
·
U.S. Border Patrol Agents
·
U.S. Capitol Police Officers
·
U.S. Marshalls
·
U.S. Park Police
·
U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Officers
·
National Security Administration (NSA) personnel
·
U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service personnel
·
U.S. Diplomatic Security Service personnel
·
DOD Police (Department of Defense)
There are also special
districts, and commissions that should be mentioned.
Homeland Security
positions include:
·
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel
·
Federal Emergency Response Agency (FEMA) personnel
·
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel
·
U.S. Fire Administration personnel
Special Commissions
and Districts positions include:
·
Department of Energy personnel (Responsible for securing
Nuclear power plants)
·
School District Police
·
Housing Authority Police
·
Transit District police
·
Rail Road Police and Investigators
·
Water and Power Investigators
Positions are also
available with the U.S. Military Police. Due to the demands of overseas
deployments, the ranks of the Military Police have been depleted. In
order to fill the shortages to maintain base security, all branches of
the military are now recruiting and training civilians to become
military law enforcement officers. Being a Military Police Officer is a
great way to enter the law enforcement profession. Any and all
prospective police applicants should also consider applying for Military
Police positions. Check federal law enforcement job postings for
available positions.
Don’t overlook The
Department of Corrections. The Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks
correctional officers in the top 25 of all occupations projected for
numerical growth. The projected growth needs over a ten year span will
be 100,000 correctional officers.
The various policing
agencies can all be broken down further. Police Departments are
comprised of the following specialized units or bureaus:
- Narcotics
Investigators
- Organized Crime
Investigators
- Gang Investigators
-
Rescue/paramedics
- Patrol Officers
- Auto Theft
Detectives
- Burglary
Detectives
- Homicide
Detectives
- Robbery Detectives
- Juvenile
Detectives
- School Resource
Officers
- Community
Relations Officers
- Internal Affairs
Investigators
- Special Weapons
and Tactics Officers
- Court Security
personnel
- Homeland
Security/Anti-Terrorist Investigators
- Prisoner
Transportation Security personnel
The list can go on
depending on the size of the law enforcement agency.
Education is a key
to success
The time is ideal to
pursue a career in law enforcement. So how can you prepare? One of the
best ways to prepare for entering and advancing in a law enforcement
career is by earning a bachelor’s degree. Nearly all federal law
enforcement agencies require a degree, and the national trend amongst
major law enforcement agencies is to require a bachelor’s degree for any
promotional consideration. Earning a bachelor’s degree will not only
make you eligible for additional career opportunities in this field, but
it will also provide future opportunities to expand into teaching and
consulting as a law enforcement expert.
Special Advisory:
Prospective
applicants should be advised that all law enforcement agencies do
background checks on their applicants to review an applicant’s criminal
record, credit, and his or her DMV driving record. An applicant’s
background check is typically a deciding factor in whether or not the
applicant is a hirable candidate.
American Military University
The Author is Dennis Porter, a Senior
Law Enforcement Education Coordinator at American Public University
System. He retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs’ Department
in 2005 after 30 years of service. While there his work included
assignments in court services and processing, patrol, transit policing,
detectives, gangs, and bureau of compliance. In this and past roles, he
assisted with the creation of law enforcement corporate facilities,
including the Los Angeles Sheriffs’ Department University, the Fraternal
Order of Police University, Los Angeles Police Department University,
and the Sheriffs’ University, Orange County Sheriffs’ Department.
American Public University System, through its member American Military
University, is a proud partner of each of these law enforcement
universities. He has authored and co-authored numerous publications,
including,“College for Cops,” with Richard Weintraub, 2007, American
Police Beat.’; “Taggers: Graffiti Vandals or Violent Criminals?”
with John Maxwell, 1996, Police Marksman; and “Lessons Learned
from Stinging the Taggers,” with John Maxwell, 1992, Transit Policing
Vol. 2 No. 1. Dennis has a bachelor’s in anthropology from
California State University, Long Beach and a master’s in human resource
management from the Keller Graduate School.
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