Whether or not an officer acts accordingly is heavily questioned by the media and the public. The warrior mindset in policing has gained societal disapproval as a result of the events of police brutality that have come to light; however, the warrior mindset is not a new concept. In fact, the popular image of police in America as warrior cops has and continues to be reinforced by movies, tv shows, the media, and public officials; however, this crime- fighter image is a myth. Officers are portrayed as actively pursuing kidnappers, serial killers, and drug lords, but the majority of their work actually consists of dealing with noncriminal matters. This includes the following: traffic infractions, paperwork, noise complaints, patrol, helping people in distress. Police legitimacy and trust among the communities they protect and serve are at an all-time low. There appears to be a deep divide between officers and certain communities, particularly minority communities. Although the role of police officers has changed through their tactics, there is still room for improvement in their mindset because it is dependent on how they react to various types of crime, situations, and interactions with individuals.
What is a warrior mindset?
The warrior mindset refers to the mental tenacity and attitude that officers, like soldiers, are taught to adopt in the face of a life-threatening struggle. This has easily encouraged police to adopt a us vs. them mentality, as well as to regard members of the public as enemies. This mindset is seen throughout the ways in which police officers are trained and the tactics implemented for them to use. For example, officers are trained in military-style academics where they are locked in intermittent and unpredictable combat. The problem with this training style is that 90-95 percent of their training deals with five to ten percent of their job. Training recruits to approach situations as a war benefits no one, and the mission of officers and soldiers are different. While soldiers conquer, an officer’s mission is to protect. Another important factor is that soldiers enter communities as an outside, occupying force. Officers, on the other hand, are members of the community.
Furthermore, police departments across the United States faced backlash for how officers addressed Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020. Officers were heavily militarized with the following: helmets, vests, batons ready in hand, face shields. They presented themselves at the peaceful protests as if they were ready for war. For decades, criminal justice experts have warned that warrior-like police tactics escalate conflict at protests instead of defusing it.
What is a guardian mindset?
In contrast to the warrior mindset, the guardian mindset provides solutions in law enforcement and emphasizes the importance of service and community protection. It is a critical component of the concept of community policing, and it is ultimately what encourages officers to focus on more than just enforcing the law, but also on building relationships with the communities they serve. In other words, the guardian mentality values communication over commands, cooperation over compliance, and legitimacy over authority.
In essence, the warrior mindset is useful for a variety of purposes and situations; however, it should not be the primary mindset driving an officer’s role. Officers must lean toward being guardians in order to repair their relationships with members of their community.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group Blog. If you are in need of legal help, the CIMA Law Group is a law firm in Phoenix, Arizona which possesses expertise in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
CIMA Law Group Blog 