I continue to see people proudly post pictures on LinkedIn (the only social media platform I am on) showing recruits in a police academy all standing at attention, the male recruits all with shaved heads, while “Drill Instructors” are screaming and yelling at these new officers. The photos are often accompanied by a comment on what a great job these “Drill Instructors” are doing.
Why do we think that having police recruits shave their heads and stand at attention on Day 1 of a police academy while police trainers dressed like military drill instructors scream and yell at them and berate them is good training? Why do we in any way think this leads to training people to be professionals who know how to effectively communicate with people in their agency and community members on the street? Why do we believe that this somehow trains people for critical thinking, decision making and problem solving?
How do we make the link between this behaviour and helping develop men and women entering the policing profession to be dextrous, adaptive, problem solvers? Why do we then get mad at these officers when they act like robots out in the street, when that is exactly what they are being taught?
Teaching men and women entering the profession that they need to take abuse from people in a position of authority is not a valuable leadership lesson. Teaching men and women entering the profession that when he or she gets into a position of authority that they can treat people like this is the cause of many citizen complaints and some of the strain between some members of the profession and the citizens they are sworn to serve.
Why do we still use physical exercise to punish recruits when they commit some violation of the rules or simply do something to piss off the instructor cadre? Why does it surprise us when officers have a negative association to physical exercise when it was used as punishment during the 4 to 6 months of an academy?
Effective stress exposure training is not about screaming and yelling at people starting Day 1 of the Academy. Effective stress exposure training is not about physically punishing recruits for every minor infraction or digression. Effective stress exposure training is not about instructors beating the crap out of recruits during scenarios or “RedMan Drills”. Effective stress exposure training is well thought out and incremental building on physical, mental and psychological skills once they have been taught and done in appropriate context.
The job of a trainer in the Academy is not to be a disciplinarian. It is to instill discipline in the men and women entering the profession. The role of a trainer is to teach, coach, train, mentor, and model professional behavior. You can have high standards and work people hard without running a boot camp style, or “stress” academy. The job of Academy trainers is to help train the men and women entering the profession for critical thinking, not just compliance. The role of an academy trainer is to help the men and women entering the profession to begin their journey of becoming dextrous, adaptive problem solvers.
Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Once you know better, do better.” We know better, so let’s do better.
Take care.
Brian Willis
Winning Mind Training – Providing practical training to law enforcement professionals in the areas of instructor development, Performance Enhancement Imagery, leadership and mindset.
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