Communicating effectively is very important in police work, and this is especially true during confrontations with suspects. Studies conducted for the Force Science Research Center have identified two types of commands and how they can potentially affect the outcome of a use of force encounter.
Alpha Commands
During non-stressful situations, officers usually communicate by giving alpha commands. Alpha commands are easily understood by the suspect and they are typically action oriented. For example: “Drop the gun”, “Don’t move”, “Stay in the car”. Alpha commands do not require much thought on the part of the suspect, who may be intoxicated, so they are more likely to elicit compliance.
Beta Commands
As the stress level increases, officers can become emotional and feel like they are losing control. Under high stress, officers are likely to resort to cursing and using beta commands. Beta commands do not clearly communicate what the officer expects or wants the suspect to do, which can lead to confusion for both the officer and the suspect. Examples: “Don’t make me hurt you”, “Do you want to go to jail”, “Don’t be stupid”. The officer may interpret the suspect’s confusion over the beta commands as resistance and escalate a situation that could have been resolved with lower levels of force. The suspect may sense that the officer is not in control and be encouraged to resist the arrest or assault the officer. During interviews with suspects who have killed or assaulted officers, the FBI has discovered that many suspects admit that when officers failed to take control of the situation, they decided to take control themselves.
Solution
To help overcome this potential problem, we need to educate officers about the different types of commands and then make sure they are using alpha commands during all use of force and defensive tactics training. Stress inoculation during reality-based scenario training is the most effective way to prevent officers from switching to beta commands under pressure.
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