If you’ve been in this business long enough, you’ve probably worked with that one cop who wears their emotions on their sleeve. You know who I’m talking about. Everybody knows that officer who shows up at a scene and makes matters worse.
Or maybe you’ve lost your cool once or twice with members of the public. Let’s face it: We’re still human and humans have emotions. Keeping our emotions in check while on duty can be challenging, but we must do so.
We’re talking about heightened emotional responses such as anger or gross overreaction. Bad things can happen when an officer loses his or her temperature and overreacts to a situation. Emotional responses are not objective or rational responses. We’ve seen it, we’ve heard it, all of us. Emotionally charged reactions can embarrass or undermine the agency and its members.
It impacts how the public views our law enforcement profession. Please be self-aware. Learn to recognize your emotional triggers. Don’t take insults personally. People can only get under your skin if you let them. Have a professional strategy for dealing with uncooperative people and stressful situations.
Get more tips from Gordon here.
NEXT: Have you ever wondered how emotional intelligence can make you a better officer? In this Policing Matters podcast episode, we explore how this essential skill can transform your approach to policing and help you excel on and off duty. Listen to the full episode.
