If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. Fear: It Kills! A Collection of Papers for Law Enforcement Survival International Association of Chiefs of Police Fear: It Kills! A Collection of Papers for Law Enforcement Survival () Supported by a Cooperative Agreement, between the Bureau of Justice Assistance and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, entitled "Deadly Force Training Program" 86wSN·CX·K040 Produced by International Association of Chiefs of Police 1110 N. Glebe Road, Suite 200 Arlington, VA 22201 Daniel N. Rosenblatt, Executive Director August 1990 125623 U.S. Department of JUstice National Institute of Justice This document has been reproduced person or organization originating It P le~act:y .as received from the In this document are those of th' 0 n s 0 View or opinions stated repr~sent the official position or P~I~Y~~o~~ tahndNdol not necessarily Jusbce. e at onal Institute of Permission to reproduce this ~. granted b~ ._Bbmatenal has been PubJ.ic Dornain/OJl:l/BJA U.S. DepE. of JUstlce to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reproduction outside of th N slon of the "Ii.' owner. e CJRS system requires permls- This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 86-SN­ CX-K040, awarded by The Bur.eau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, coor.dinates the activities of the following program offices and bureaus: Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of this &gency. Table of Contents Introduction 1 Advisory Board for the Deadly Force Training Program II 3 Comments from Trainees 4 Part 1: The Dynamics of Fear in Critical Incidents: 5 Implications for Training and Treatment by Roger M. Solomon, Ph.D Part 2: The Dynamics, of Police-Related Fears: 21 Reasonable and Unreasonable Fear by Ron McCarthy Part 3: The Climate of Fear in Law Enforcement 39 by Gordon N. Paul Part 4: The Fear Factor in Law Enforcement 43 Scott Mattison Part 5: Fear of Fear Itself 47 James J~ Psy.D Introduction The knowledge of fear and how it affects all persons - as well as knowing that fear actually can be a resource and strength to the threatened officer - is, in and of itself, a solution to fear. T.hink of a natural fear we all have: the fear of falling. If we stand on a narrow curb six inches above street ievel, we have no difficulty maintaining our equilibrium. We can even walk the narrow curb with ease and still keep a steady, unwavering balance. We are at ease internally, thus physically capable of accomplishing the simple act of walking the curb. Suddenly the curb rises 100 feet into the a.i:tI We become aware that we are standing on the same curb, but we are no longer at easc. We are truly terrified, and it is probable that we would waiver~ tremblet lose our balance, and fall. Steel workers walk the beams of a high-rise building under construction. a.nd are totally at ease doing so. We know they were not born to do this; they have an instinctive fear of falling. Training and repetition created an abHity for the steel worker to do his job under circumstances that are stHllifc-threatening, but the fear is controlled and used as a resource. The fear is now directed to an awareness of the threat and initiates a response based upon careful movements, constant observation of foot placement and wind factors, adherence to safety techniques that were learned, and reliance upon equipment. No doubt, many persons considering becoming steel workers have decided that the high wages and satisfaction of doing this type of unusual work were not Vlorth coping with the instinctive fears of heights and falling. And, no doubt, many decided to become steel workers and discovered they could not overcome the problem of fear, so they chose other careers. The apprentice steel worker had to make that decision early because he had to walk the beams everyday. The law enforcement officer who walks the curb at its daily 6- inch height can't measure his emotional suitability as early or as often as the steel worker. When the curb rises 100 feet into the air, and he knows that he isn't suited for the job, he may not leave. He may hope the curb never rises again; it will. When the curb rises, the police officer must have the skills, the reactions, the emotional training, the confidence, and the total understanding of the situation to deal with it properly. At other times, however, the question may be this~ Is the curb really 100 feet in the air or does it just seem so? Some fears are not real and can cause the officer to fall from the curb when it is only six inches off the ground. Law enforcement has changed dramatically over the years in being open and responsive to the citizens it serves, especially in this critical area of the recognition and discussion of fear. This collection of papers and the foundation for its development, the Deadly Force Training Program's module on fear, was made possible through funding by the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the Department of Justice. The BJA and the International Association of Chiefs of Police conducted ten deadly force training workshops to 673 law enforcement members of every rank, from field officer to chiefs of police. The workshops were held in all four sections of the United States. The entire total of 673 rated the topic of fear as the best portion of the program. Not a single participant criticized the "Fear" block of instruction. This is, of course, a very strong indication that law enforcement officers will willingly and enthusiastically discuss the subject of fear and try to improve the law enforcement reaction and response to fear. The concep~ of developing the training module on fear was suggested by Mr. Robert Lamb, a former police officer from the Atlantic City Police Department, and the director of the Seattle, Washington, Qffice of the U.S. Department of Justice, Community Relationr~ Sr,rvice. Mr. Lamb, an advisory board member of the BJA/IACP Deadly Force Training Program, was sure it was the right thing to do. He was right. Any questions or comments regarding this publication may be addressed to Ron McCarthy, Director, Deadly Force Training Program= c/o IACP, 1110 North Glebe Road, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22201; 703/243-6500. - Ron McCarthy 2 ----------------'"-- - Deadly Force Training Program n Advisory Board Perry L. Anderson, Jr., Chief of Police, Miami, Florida John Cooley, Supervisor-in-Charge, Training, Los Angeles Police: Departmen t, California John Disc, Attorney at Law, Detroit, Michigan James Fyfe, Ph.D., American University, Washington, D.C. Jim Ginger, Executive Director, Southern Police Institute, Louisville, Kentucky James F. Gartland II, Sheriff, Charles County, Maryland Reuben Greenbere:, Chief of Police. Charleston, South Carolina Glenn Kaminsky, Division Chief, Boulder, Colorado, Robert Lamb, Jr., Regional Director, Community Relations Service, U.S. Department of Justice, Seattle, Washington Frank Leahy, Director, Headquarters Operations, Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies Scott Mattison, Chief Deputy, Chisago County Sheriff's Department, Center City, Minnesota Roger Solomon, Ph.D., Washington State Patrol, Olympia, Washington Their guidance in the development of the Deadly Force Training Program is greatly appreciated. Phase! of the Deadly Force Training Program, which trained 340 police executives in the development and implementation of policy, and Phase II, which trained 673 law enforcement officers of all supervisory ranks, were the foundation for the development of FEAR: IT KILLS! This innovative approach would not have been possible without the enthusiastic support and encouragement of the Bureau of Justice Assistance program manager, Fred W. Becker, who was not afraid to break new ground. 3 Comments from Trainees AttendiJlIg the Fear Module of Instruction of the Deadly Force Training Program: "The section on fear is excellent. Thiis is the first time in over 18 years that I heard the topic addressed and it is so important to understand its role in police work." "It is a program that my supervisors or members 0/ our research and development should attend ... They need to look at these issues." "Olle 0/ the best programs! have attended ... ! think office.rs should know what happens psychologically during critical incidents and fear so that they can plan and handle these situations better." "Add Fear into training of recruits and in-service." "Dynamics of fear should be taught to all hands." "How to recognize fear is something that every officer should be familiar with ... This is good information to help officers in keeping themselves together emotionally." "! would recommend this program to city council members... to those with 5 years experience or more." "More supervisors should be trained in this. Every P.O. or head 0/ any department needs this in/ormation." "It opens your eyes to things you had never thought of." "[learned how to handle the second guessing! still sometimes experience to this day regarding a shooting in which my partner was killed. The subject of fear needs to be recognized and addressed in police academies and in-service training." "This is a solid base of information to develop training from." "This concept of fear must be incorporated into our training." "This is a contemporary topic which concerns law enforcement everywhere and is necessary to modernize attitudes.