Conflicting Information

What do I do if something I learn in the Academy, some future training class, or hear from a legal expert conflicts with something else I have learned?

If this has happened to you, it will. Below is a slide I included in every Search and Seizure course I taught. Students have a way of taking some of what they learn from classes and misapplying the information, misunderstanding information, or misquoting the information they are exposed to in courses and training. What happens is that there is usually not much discrepancy between what is being taught and the practices and policies of most police departments. It is possible that the exact information may not be relayed correctly between the parties. When you come across a situation like this, here are some tips.

1. Ask for clarification.

2. Go back and review the policy you think is in conflict and make sure you haven’t misunderstood it.

3. Never accuse someone of being “wrong”.

4. Be respectful and inquisitive.

5. Understand that there is sometimes more than one way to do something, and both conflicting issues could be correct.

6. Do not try to quote Lorenz to win your argument!

Thus, I created the following slide for all of the classes I teach to police officers.