DEVELOPMENT OF LAW ENFORCERS’ COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN ТHE USA

Abstract

Based on the study of the experience of training law enforcement officers in the United States, there has been stressed in the article on the need to improve the police training considering development of communicative and interpersonal skills. These skills as well as creative thinking, problem-solving and decision-making skills are among the most needed for the professional efficiency of every law enforcement officer. The author considers that a new law enforcement agency serving the social needs and protecting the rights of citizens requires modern approaches to the police training. So, as the community-oriented policing is an important aspect of law enforcement work, police training academies should train their officers to interact effectively with public. Coming from the USA research outcomes, the core interpersonal competencies for law enforcement officers are identified as following: ability to use good judgment and to problem solve; capacity for empathy and compassion; capacity for multi-tasking; ability to demonstrate courage and to take responsibility; ability to be resourceful and show initiative; demonstrating assertiveness; possess and demonstrate integrity; capacity for engaging in teamwork and ability to collaborate. The contemporary methodologies like problem-based learning, communications-based instructions, and practical scenario training providing development of law enforcers’ communicative and interpersonal skills are analyzed in the article. Within training programs these methods integrate many of the educational results such as: thinking critically with the ability to analyze complex problems; locate, assess, and utilize significant educational resources; display outstanding skills related to written and oral communications; and develop into life-long learners by using their intellectual and content knowledge. The author says that the experience of the USA police training according to the mentioned sphere can be crucially useful for the police reform process in Ukraine.

Кеу words: communication skills; interpersonal skills; law enforcers; police training; the USA.