Police Ethics and Self-Discipline Police Psychologist Dr
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Vol. 9, Issue 2 A Publication of the Michigan State Police Training Division Spring 2003 Police Ethics and Self-Discipline Police Psychologist Dr. Paul Whitesell then, many researchers have furthered as ambition to improve ourselves spoke at the Michigan State Police MacLean’s hypothesis, but most nota- and succeed in our endeavors, but Training Academy on November 5, bly Dr. Adrian Raine, at the University these impulses must be strictly con- 2002, on the topic of “Police Ethics of Southern California, and Dr. Steven trolled. and Self-Discipline.” To understand Pinker, a chaired professor of psychol- the problem, Dr. Whitesell explains ogy at MIT. The next brain level is referred to that you first need to understand as the Mammalian Brain or Limbic how the human brain works, then The R-Complex or Reptilian Brain is Brain, which is fully developed in examine the history of police ethics, the area around the Brainstem. In higher mammals, but very little in and then you can understand how lower animals, the Reptilian Brain reptiles. The Limbic Brain is the is the primal instinct or “survival of emotional brain, supporting com- to build and keep self-disciplined police officers. the fittest” mechanism, and works munal living, as well as cause-effect well enough to keep them alive. The learning. Unfortunately, the Limbic reptilian brain acts on stimulus and emotions and simple learning can Part 1: The Human response. When hungry – eat; when manifest in humans as tribalism, Triune Brain attacked – fight, flight, or freeze; cults, prejudice, stereotypes, super- when it’s time to procreate – have stition, rationalization, “us against In 1973, Dr. Paul MacLean, senior sex; when there is competition from them” thinking, and groupthink. The research scientist at the National another of your species – try to domi- actions of Osama bin Laden indicate Institute of Mental Health, real- nate them. a high degree of Limbic emotions, so ized that while the human brain he hates anyone who doesn’t follow is made up of many interconnected In humans, unfortunately, the Reptilian “his” belief system. While the Limbic structures, they tend to function on Brain can manifest itself negatively as Brain is not sophisticated, humans three distinct subdivisions. They are greed, lust, arrogance, brutality, and still need its better emotions as the figuratively called the Reptilian (Stem impulsiveness. At an extreme is the foundation for maintaining relation- area), Mammalian (Limbic region), “psychopathic” mentality, like Saddam ships. Studies where the Limbic and the High Brain (Neocortical). Hussein. The psychopath may have Brain has been injured show that normal intelligence in every other MacLean called these three brains, the selfishness and lust drives of together, the Triune Brain. Since way, but they lack empathy for the Reptilian Brain become totally others. Always overpowering. looking for a way to achieve their Surrounding the Limbic and Stem “darker” desires, areas is the Neocortex, which makes they almost always up 80 percent of the human brain. recidivate if they It allows for abstract thought, ethics, think they can get religion, math, music, art, and plan- away with it. One ning. The front of the Neocortex, study shows that the Prefrontal Cortex, is the seat of over half of all human morality and conscience. It police officers mur- acts as the traffic cop controlling dered were victims impulses coming from the Reptilian of psychopaths. and Mammalian Brains. It allows Despite the nega- for civilization and common law, tives associated replacing the savage survival of with the Reptilian the fittest of the Reptilian and the Brain, humans arbitrary power hierarchies of the need its “energy” Mammalian. as fuel for living, (Continued on Page 2) A PROUD tradition of SERVICE through EXCELLENCE, INTEGRITY, and COURTESY. TUEBOR is on the web at www.michigan.gov/msp 2 TUEBOR (Continued from Page 1) of police decer- tifications. When the Prefrontal Cortex is injured or impaired, the person loses his sense Police ethics of social responsibility, that is, to think instructor Dr. abstractly or hold “reverence” for high Neal Trautman ideals like the Golden Rule. Recent recently con- studies where brain scans were taken ducted a video of violent serial criminals, it was found interview with their Prefrontal Cortex was less active ex-officer “Jim than normal, “with lower mean vol- Batsel” to illus- umes of prefrontal gray matter,” allow- trate how even ing the Lower Brain to have greater an honest cop control over behavior. This may have can go bad. been caused in childhood, as most Batsel, who is habitually violent people have been now serving victims themselves of severe physical time behind or sexual abuse. Timothy McVeigh, for bars, was like example, was brutalized repeatedly by any other offi- bullies as a child. cer, starting England. He chose Colonel Charles his career as Some people make unethical decisions enthusiastic and highly motivated. simply because their brain was never Rowan to head up this new force of 1,000 hand picked men. Having But then he got in with an arrogant trained or disciplined to know right clique of friends, and he started to from wrong. And as every police offi- been a career military officer (who had fought with distinction at the drink, womanize, and live beyond his cer knows, drinking alcohol impedes means. Batsel began using steroids to the higher reasoning of the Prefrontal Battle of Waterloo), Colonel Rowan fell back on the military structure. bulk-up, which only exasperated his Cortex, making “anyone” who’s had feelings of self-importance and entitle- too much to drink more irrational and Though originally called “Bobbies,” after Sir Robert Peel, it wasn’t long ment. Batsel’s self-absorbed attitude unpredictable. The Prefrontal Cortex is and lifestyle led him down a slip- also the part of the brain most prone to before the term “Officer” was used in reference to those comprising the pery-slope of progressive misconduct getting tired and needing sleep, which – and eventually to criminal activity. is why our dreams can be so irrational, new police force. As a military man, Colonel Rowan was very aware of the (Police instructors can check out a and why we are more likely to commit video interview of Batsel by calling unethical acts when tired. nuances attached to the term “Officer.” Like a Knight, the Officer was held to Sandra Luther at the LERC, 517-322- 5624, ask for video #V0938). Part 2: The History of a significantly higher standard of con- duct and reasoning than was required How does a basically normal person, Police Ethics of the common soldier. who has a healthy brain and was If you go back to the 11th through Dealing with difficult people isn’t an raised to know right from wrong, 16th centuries, Knighthood was the easy thing to do for anybody. The slide into the Dark Side (the Low law enforcement paradigm. This average person operates by reciprocity, Brain)? Police Psychologist Dr. Kevin occurred as a result of the “Truce of impulsively meeting disrespect with M. Gilmartin has found that one of the God,” when the clergy seized upon disrespect in kind. Most people retali- central reasons for the deterioration of an opportunity between wars to trans- ate with aggression when aggressed values in good police officers is the form the military into an Order for upon. But the “Officer,” like a Knight, development of “Victim Thinking,” law enforcement. As a rule, a would is able to maintain himself, staying in also known as “Prison Thinking,” be Knight needed to pass 14 years of the High Brain. “Loss of Faith” or the case of the military tests, spiritual trials, and then “Amputated Spirit.” perform some great deed, before being The Higher Law expects that a police officer will maintain control of human Feeling like a victim (underpaid, accepted as worthy of Knighthood. under-appreciated, over-ruled, over- Completing one’s Knighthood usually weakness. “Such discipline asks much, and is very much against natural criticized and over-supervised) can included an elaborate ceremony and re- create overwhelming feelings of resent- baptism that exacted from the Knight predisposition,” says Whitesell. The problem with developing disciplined ment, cynicism, entitlement, and an a vow or oath to use their weapons uncontrollable desire for revenge, all chiefly for the protection of the weak police today is, instead of having 14 years of training as in the days of Lower Brain emotions that block High and defenseless, and to follow a code Brain thinking – allowing people to of conduct called Chivalry, setting the the Knights, now we have about 20 weeks. Given such restraint, we must rationalize behaviors that are clearly Knights up as examples for righteous unacceptable. Victim Thinking is living. still find a way to develop ethical and disciplined police officers, but we have responsible for all manner of police Much later in history, in 1829, Sir certainly seen failings, and as few as corruption, and can also be seen in Robert Peel was charged with the task they may be, they disgrace the Order. such irrational acts of violence as bul- of forming a new, more democratic, The graph on this page show what lied children shooting-up their schools police force for the city of London, Low Brain failings cause the majority (Continued on Page 3) TUEBOR 3 (Continued from Page 2) things that we should be concerned about.” “My bottom line is that self- beings from trying to esteem isn’t really worth the effort,” act like gods. The says Baumeister, “Self-control is cliche, of course, much more powerful.” The correla- is power corrupts. tion is that having REVERENCE for But it corrupts in a something bigger than you gives you very particular way.