Why Psychology is a Core Curriculum Component for Law Enforcement

Law enforcement is a service which is core to the health and stability of America. The men and women who dedicate their lives out in the field or in the numerous positions in and out of uniform, in the field or back at the station offices have made a choice to support public health. While many people may see police as mostly detectives and patrol officers, there are other roles that help support the systems of public safety.

One of the common and most important components of law enforcement is not what some may think. Psychology, though not often immediately associated with such roles, is essential to becoming a great law enforcement employee.

Law enforcement has always drawn on the principles of psychology. Each of the various departments and their staff have, at least some level, an interest and a necessity to understand basic psychology. Detectives sort through mounds of disconnected facts and clues attempting to link information together to sketch suspect motives; emergency operators need to be trained to handle often frantic callers, keeping a sense of calm and direction; patrol officers need to make split second decisions on how to approach and communicate with suspects.

These are just some broad examples, but in recent years the importance of psychology’s role throughout the law enforcement ranks has become even more prominent and essential to maintaining public safety. With ever-continuing advances in the fields of science, medicine, psychology and the neurosciences, psychological research and studies are beginning to paint clearer pictures about what motivates criminal behavior.

Here are some reasons and examples as to why psychology is a core component in law enforcement.

Training Officers

There is not a single day or interaction that does not involve at least some aspects of psychological reasoning when being a police officer. That is why training law enforcement officers in even basic psychology is crucial to thorough preparation for their work. Officers should be well equipped with components such as human behavior, cognitive development, personality prevalence, and cross-cultural communication. Without an understanding of such things, conflict resolution would be very complicated and messy.

By training officers in the principles of psychology, police and support positions can be confident that the work being done is better informed to deal with the challenges faced in law enforcement. Not only does psychology aid in the ability to do the job of deterring or catching criminals, but it’s very useful in helping employees as well.

Many of the situations which occur under the watchful eye and care of law enforcement personnel can be very stressful and traumatic. The ability to emotionally self-regulate, process, and understand cues which may be designative of emotional instability helps to maintain officer morale and emotional health. Having such training aids in an individual or co-workers’ ability to recognize concerning signs of stress, fatigue, or burnout which, when not caught, can lead to an impairment of judgment. Split second decision making with compromised reasoning can have detrimental effects on the public and officers.

Detective Work

Detectives can use their broad skill sets not just to discern what objective evidence may be pointing to in a crime but can implement psychological profiling as a means of estimating and even predicting criminal behaviors. Information gathered from crime scenes, interrogations, and forensics all have a common thread of influence from the motivations which are predictable in human behavior.

Drawing not only from years’ worth of personal experience but decades worth of case studies and examples, police can piece together how and why crimes are committed. The information gathered throughout investigations, when run through the lenses of various departments and the tools of psychological reasoning is much of what makes up the ability of a department to narrow down the list of suspects.

Improving Policy and Procedures

Policy and procedures make up the core of operations in law enforcement. They dictate and regulate what are appropriate courses of action for nearly every situation imaginable, helping to keep the public and law enforcement employees in check. Psychological research has demonstrated that the public is more likely to comply with laws and police orders if the individuals giving the orders are legitimate representations of respectable authority.

When law enforcement personnel follow predictable and humane courses of action to uphold the law, the public will be more comfortable to acquiesce and comply with the law. Using decades worth of data helps department officials determine appropriate courses of action that seek to maintain social wellness.

Summary

Regardless of the department, the city, social demographic, or decade, law enforcement has been a critical component of public order. The services provided and maintained by the men and women of law enforcement agencies are made more effective when informed by the understanding that accompanies components of psychology.

Departments that maintain training in this field better equip their employees to render good judgment in the field and even in practicing self-care. Psychology is an essential component of law enforcement in a civil society.

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Guest Author Bio
Sarah Daren

With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.