Discover Policing

Essential Skills and Traits for Police, Part I

Trust. Having it. Not having it. Low trust situations. High trust situations. You probably already know that trust is important in any situation. When trust is present, things run smoothly. When trust is absent, communication breaks down and conflict occurs.  Trust is especially important in public safety. Building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve is the cornerstone of successful policing. There are three key elements of trust and trust building.

PERCEPTION

Facts and studies show that public perception of the police is positive overall. People generally trust that law enforcement operates with the highest integrity and for the good of all. In some cases, however, the actions of a few officers are magnified to the extent that that overall trust gets called into question. So how do we reinforce the awareness that law enforcement remains a dedicated body of officers whose mission it is to protect and serve?

CREDIBILITY

Trust must be present in law enforcement in order for the public to perceive it. You can’t see something that’s not there in the first place. It is vital for officers up and down the ranks to be credible people. That means exuding the highest character, level of competence, intentions, skills and intent of reaching the best scenario (win-win) outcomes.

BEHAVIOR

So let’s say you’re a credible officer who has all the character traits outlined above. How do you communicate this credibility to others? Behavior. Because the credibility, built on trust, is already built into your character, your actions will communicate trust in any given situation.

Here are 13 behaviors that high-trust leaders exude in any given situation:

1. Honesty. Telling it like it is. No manipulating or hiding the facts.
2. Respect. Giving it to others and showing you care. It comes from the heart.
3. Make it simple. This goes along with honesty. Keep things open and real.
4. Make things right. When you are wrong, apologize. Don’t cover things up.
5. Loyalty. Don’t talk about others behind their backs. Give due credit to others.
6. Get results. Know what can be done and get it done. Enough said.
7. Grow. We all want to get better. Consider feedback.
8. Reality check. Get in the face of tough issues. Never hide.
9. Lay out expectations. Never assume they are known. Talk about them.
10. Be accountable. Hold yourself and others accountable for actions.
11. Listen. Don’t interrupt. Genuine listening builds understanding and trust.
12. Make/Keep commitments. Say what you’re going to do and do what you’re going to say.
13. Always hold out the olive branch. Give trust freely. Never withhold it.

CIRCLE OF TRUST

To gain trust, you have to understand what it is and what it looks like to other people from the outside. Once you have trust, exude it, show others you have it. Give trust to others. In the end, if the trust shared is truthful and real, people will latch onto it, exude that same trust back and the circle of trust will be complete.

This post is the first in a series outlining essential skills and traits of effective law enforcement officers.

Source: Stephen M. R. Covey, “Policing at the Speed of Trust,” The Police Chief 78 (October 2011): 58–70.