Robert Peel is accredited with the development of principles of policing that are now widely applied by police chiefs, particularly during training of juniors and new recruits in police academies. Now known as the Peelian principles or the nine commandments of policing, two of these principles include training on a perfect command of temper and securing and training of proper persons. And as Dunham and Alpert (2015) claim, police training on various aspects of policing has become an important aspect of law enforcement in the US. This paper will examine these principles in greater details and their applicability.
If I were the chief of a local law enforcement organization with the opportunity to establish guidelines on developing the law enforcement demeanor, I would use methods such as psychological tests for potential police recruits, testing the cultural competence of the police officers, and continuous assessments to be sure that these guidelines are upheld. According to Yuille (2012), psychology tests are one of the most effective methods of ascertaining the demeanor of individual police officer during selection and training. To know whether the officers are developing in this area, I would use such metrics as field tests whereby the officers are given simulated situations that require them to put command of their quiet temper into practice. It is through this that I will be able to determine whether or not the police officers are gaining anything from the course or training. The training would also involve professionals who would help the police officers at the training academy to control their tempers in various situations.
According to Peel, the training personnel themselves should be selected from a pool of professionals who will have significant impact on the police recruits. During the training, I feel the most important areas that the recruits will benefit more are firearm skills, self-defense or use of force, ethics and integrity, cultural diversity, juvenile law and procedures, use of less-lethal weapons, emergency vehicle operations, community policing, stress management and prevention, mediation skills, human relations and problem solving. These areas are important in that they are some of the areas where policing issues arise on an almost daily basis.
References
Dunham, R. G., & Alpert, G. P. (2015). Critical issues in policing: Contemporary readings. Long Grove, Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc.
Yuille, J. C. (2012). Police selection and training: The role of psychology. Boston & Lancaster: Martinus Nijihoff Publishers.
