Experience of Offender – Redux
In a previous entry, we looked at the impact of the experience of offenders during their assault on law enforcement officers. The data for the analysis can be found in the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance report entitled “Violent Encounters: A Study of Felonious Assaults on Our Nation’s Law Enforcement Officers.” It’s available for download here: Violent Encounters (225)
Background Info – There were 43 offenders who participated in the study. These offenders were interviewed (while incarcerated) in an attempt to better understand their mindset and reasoning prior to and during their assault on law enforcement. The particular area of focus for this analysis is criminal experience, and how it was used by the offender.
Summary of Previous Entry - Of the 43 offenders, 41 of them had been previously incarcerated. Of those, 12 had been arrested 10 times or more, and the remaining 29 had been arrested between 2 and 5 prior to imprisonment. Offenders reported to the researchers that their previous arrests allow them to develop familiarity with various law enforcement procedures. They also observed different law enforcement officers. By carefully analyzing the behavior of law enforcement, offenders were able to evaluate all law enforcement officers they came in contact with (regardless of job or agency assigned). Specifically, offenders learned to appraise how officers approach suspects, how officers handcuff and search suspects, and how officers transport prisoners.
One interpretation of the data would suggest that offenders use their experience with law enforcement to assist in the planning of their assault. The reported motivation for offenders to assault law enforcement was overwhelmingly to escape. I explored this theory in the last entry.
There is a second interpretation that suggests a slightly more nuanced application of experience. As previously stated, offenders use experience to appraise law enforcement officers. As one offender reported “I knew who was working which shift, when vice was working, who the lazy officers were, and who the hot dogs were.”
How can offenders leverage their understanding of law enforcement practices and law enforcement behavior? If offenders are able to determine which officers are “lazy” or which officers seem unaware of their surrounding, they may also determine the victim of their assault. There are additional resources that support this. The primary one is entitled “Offender’s Perceptual Shorthand: what messages are law enforcement officers sending to offenders?” It was written by Edward Davis in 1999 and published in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin.
In short, the report finds that officers send signals to potential assailants through their walk, their actions, and their general attitude. Offenders who intended or contemplated violence cue off these indicators to select their targets.
The truth is somewhere between these two points. Criminals do observe and evaluate law enforcement procedure and use this knowledge to benefit their illegal activities. They also use their experience to determine which officers are “hard targets” and which officers would be easier to overcome. Law enforcement leadership needs to acknowledge and understand the implications of these simple truths. Criminals acknowledge that officers that follow procedures and treat them in a no-nonsense manner present a more difficult threat to them. Likewise, officers who seem over-friendly or unaware of their surroundings present an easier target for felonious assault.
Jedburgh Corp offers a wide range of courses specifically designed to leverage this data, and provide the most effective Law Enforcement Training available. Contact us at info@Jedburgh-USA.com to provide feedback on the blog, or discuss your training needs. Also, feel free to post your comments.
