Behavioral Indicators During a Police Interdiction
Abstract
Police officers rely on a variety of verbal and visual behavioral cues to guide their decision making during an encounter. This report specifically focuses on how police officers rely on behavioral cues in their decision-making process. Police officers engage in a cycle of decision making that includes observing their environment, making assessments, predicting what may happen, and taking or planning an action. We found that officers make six different types of assessments and predictions based on visual and verbal cues. These include Demeanor, Compliance, Deceit, Criminality, Flight, and Threat. We also found that police rely more on visual than verbal indicators when making assessments. This report, in combination with the other research conducted under Just Doesn t Look Right (JDLR), creates a foundation for the development of training for teaching law enforcement and security personnel to utilize behavioral indicators in a safe and effective manner. Further research is needed to identify the reliability and validity of the findings documented in this report.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA620182
Entities
People
- Christopher Strange
- Michael Mcclary
- Nathan C. Meehan
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory