Unit 1.1 DB: Actions Speak Louder than Words
You are a police officer in your local town or city with three years on the job. A senior Sergeant comes over to you with about twenty years on the job and tells you that you need to get out on the street and start doing more enforcement. This is odd to you since you are a hard-working officer who has never had any issues there. You oblige his command by saying, “yes, Sergeant,” and he turns away. The next night, you are called to the Sergeant’s office while he is at his desk, and without looking at you, he does it again. By the third night, it is evident that there is a barrier in your communication, given that the Sergeant won’t even look at you and is merely shouting out commands from his desk.
- What actions/steps would you take to speak to the Sergeant?
- How would you resolve this issue to diffuse it?
In response to your peers, what are your thoughts on your peer’s response? Do you find the communication effective or ineffective? Is there anything that they could have done differently? Keep in mind the barriers in communication and generational gaps that would play a part in the Sergeant’s actions and Officer’sinterpretations of them.
Unit 1.2 DB: Perception: Treating People with Respect
We all have access to the Internet and video cameras in this day and age. When we encounter law enforcement, we often think of them as the gatekeepers to our society’s peace. But what happens when an officer goes overboard and treats people terribly by ridiculing them, demeaning them, and threatening them? How does that Officer come across? What if it is that person’s sole encounter with the police? What is their lasting impression of law enforcement and the criminal justice system? Watch the video by a Connecticut State Trooper caught on camera berating a motorist. It’s actions like these that cause police agencies to receive civilian complaints and experience a lack of support and trust in their communities.
Watch Video
Duration: 1:40
User: Inside Edition – Added: 5/22/20
User: Inside Edition – Added: 5/22/20
- After watching the video, create a video recording of yourself as the state trooper and how you would interact with the motorist. Keep the video short, maximum two minutes in length, showing what effective communication skills you would use with the motorist after encountering him.
- Upload the video to YouTube and share the URL in the discussion post.
In response to your peers, discuss your classmate’s posting and assess whether you found the interaction effective and positive as a criminal justice professional. Keep in mind that communication is vital, and if you were a motorist, what lasting impression would your classmate’s interaction with you be.