Command voice - LEO

Have you recieved "Command Voice" training?

  • Yes, Academy

    Votes: 26 42.6%

  • Yes, Military

    Votes: 19 31.1%

  • Yes, from mentors

    Votes: 10 16.4%

  • No

    Votes: 13 21.3%
  • Total voters
    61
A

armedandsafe

New member
I don't want to hijack the thread on aggressive officers, so I am starting a poll, just because I'm curious.

I'm asking the LEO on this forum, have you recieved training in using "Command Voice?" Those of you who have will recognise what I'm asking and most of those who haven't won't know what in the world I'm talking about. :D

Pops
 
SIR! PLEASE STEP BACK FROM THE KEYBOARD <grin>.
In other words, yes.

I'm long out of any LE related work but someone surprised me a while back and I automatically responded w/command voice. My wife laughed later but the homeless guy backed right off :D
 
"Command Voice" training
Click to expand...

Is that were they teach the officer to repeat the same command over and over and over and over?

When I think about it, kinda makes sense, but if I'm watching something like Cops, it wears on me a bit. Well... it wore on me a bit... don't much watch that type of show anymore, even though I did enjoy seeing lowlifes getting arrested.
 
Not directly LEO here, but I got my training from those who currently work or have retired from the field, as my part-time job (Bail Enforcement) requires me to use the same/similar techniques when apprehending a defendant.

I have to admit, it was uncomfortable for me to use the skills I learned (I've never been a very confrontational person). Nowadays, it becomes a second nature. (Have 2 young boys to raise too, so it becomes rather commonplace LOL).

-38SnubFan
 
Edit: Oops, just noticed the LEO requirement listed above. Please discount my vote...


Voted academy. Did 4 years of JROTC in high school, and had plans to go career military with it. Learned command voice my freshman year when I was made a squad leader and assistant drill team commander.

A booming, authoritative voice is fun in certain situations... :D
 
Last edited:
Jfrey, the reason I put the LEO requirement in there for the vote was to tie it to the previous thread on overly aggresive attitudes on the part of CHP officers. I was just curious.

I'm enjoying the comparison to raising kids. I just retired from herding kids (school bus driver.:D:D:D )

Pops
 
This is one of the hardest things to teach Security Forces newbies in the Air Force. Most of the time we're working with 18-20 Y/O's, it's one of the toughest things to get them to do properly. It's definitely an important skill as the balance of calm and chaos rests on the partrolman being in charge and giving that impression from the begining.
 
We were told about it in basic academy training and then it came up again during in service classes. Anyone with street time learned how effective a good one was and how useless a poor one was.
 
Nope, but I taught it to NCO candidates/trainees while in the Queen's Service. The 'voice' is about getting people to do what you want by being confident in yourself and being the one who will make a decision. Most people can't or don't want to make a decision and will do what the decision maker tells them to do. It's actually part of 'Leadership 101'.
"...Please discount my vote..." This isn't a democracy!
 
Not an LEO, but I've been trained on "command voice" in the military--originally, in the context of military drill and basic officership, but also (as the counterinsurgency goes on) in a more LE-like escalation of force context, too....:eek:

Kids: I don't often raise my voice with my children, preferring first reasoning/golden rule (you wouldn't you like it if your brother hit you in the head, would you?), then expressed disappointment, and finally a good shaming/quiet chewing out....BUT, the few times I've used the command voice, they've invariably started crying.:D
 
Kids: I don't often raise my voice with my children...
Click to expand...

Well, you can't, or it loses effectiveness. :)

To me, the voice isn't for situations where reasoning might do what needs to be done. I've always used it simply to STOP the action when nothing else will effectively and immediately do the job, such as when a 3-year-old just starts to dart away in a busy parking lot when there's a car coming. When the kid hears that tone of voice, he knows it's important and he knows he'd better stop Right Now. More to the point, done right, a good command voice does make everyone stop in shock for a moment whether they're the ones being addressed or not.

I figure a good cop probably uses the voice analogously to the above: not too often, rarely or never where reason or another method will work, and mostly to quickly and effectively stop the action when nothing else will do the job.

My .02! :)

pax
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top