The importance of emotional intelligence for policing

THE field of law enforcement is replete with good deeds and acts of compassion on one side of the spectrum. While brutality, excessive use of force and lack of empathy are rife on the other extreme of the expanse. On the positive side, for instance, in February last year, a woman Sub-Inspector K Sirisha of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, revealed her human side when she carried the corpse of an unknown person for two kilometres and also performed the last rites when the local people refused to accept the body and conduct the final ceremonies. Likewise, in Chennai city, in November last year, amidst torrential rains and waterlogging, TP Chatram Police Station Inspector Rajeshwari hauled an unconscious man on her shoulder to an autorickshaw and expeditiously shifted him to a hospital. While, on the negative side, a Special Sub-Inspector of police in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu, despite the yells and pleas of the bystanders, beat a 47-year-old farmer to death near Pappinaickanpatti check-post. In the first two episodes, the women police officers epitomised grace and compassion due to an embodiment of high levels of Emotional Intelligence (EI). The latter, who failed to control his emotions in the Salem district, exhibited a total lack of EI.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to comprehend, detect, manage, and handle emotions. Individuals with high emotional intelligence can discern their feelings and those of others. And deploy that knowledge to think and behave appropriately by distinguishing and labelling emotions. Even though EI first surfaced in 1964, it gained popularity in the 1995 best-selling book Emotional Intelligence, authored by Daniel Goleman. Goleman explained EI as the ability to understand and manage our own emotions and those around us.

Emotional intelligence is vital for law enforcement personnel as they need to acquire the ability to express and control their emotions and have the skill to understand, infer and respond to the feelings of others. Police officers who understand and rely on EI have pleasing manners and steer away from controversies, misconduct and other legal transgressions. Police officers with emotional intelligence have better mental health, strong leadership skills, and outstanding job performance. EI is also essential to maximise individual and professional success. Emotional intelligence and mindset training can enable law enforcement to focus on the task at hand and make better decisions under pressure. Besides, EI can help police officers manage stress, balance their lives and influence others to swivel around to their point of view through understanding and seamless modification of emotions.

Further, EI is a significant factor in day-to-day police work because a policeman’s job involves dealing with hostile and aggressive criminal elements while maintaining good rapport and relationships with law-abiding citizens. A policeman’s job also entails examining witnesses and comforting the victims. All of which requires good interpersonal skills, a high latitude of empathy and excellent communication skills. If a police officer can regulate his emotions and also comprehend the emotions of others, such an officer would be able to remain calm, collected and relaxed even in the face of the gravest provocation. Because when a policeman comes across an agitated man and recognises the place from where his wrath is arising, it would be easy to empathise with the plight of the individual, even when it seems ridiculous. When a police officer empathises and accepts even a smattering of the outburst of the other, the outcome of the interaction most likely is a peaceful resolution to the encounter.

Furthermore, EI skills are crucial for efficient and effective maintenance of law and order. More so during crowd control, civil protests, riots, demonstrations, and arrests. During my tenure as ADGP L&O last year, I saw some situations evolve and eventually go out of control because the police officers on the scene become emotionally entangled in an argument with the public, which then blew out of proportions into a physical confrontation, warranting the use of force, tear gas or lethal weapons. Police officers with EI skills, on the other hand, recognise triggers of confrontation and violence immediately and apply their EI skills to manage crises or conflict situations. Being proactive, they nip things in the bud. EI skills can go a long way in preventing excessive use of force and misuse of firearms by some trigger happy police personnel.

Police personnel with high intrinsic attributes of EI often turn out to be good samaritans. During the COVID lockdown in April of 2020, Syed Abuthahir, a 23-year-old constable of the Tiruchy district, transported a stranded 24-year-old pregnant woman needing urgent medical attention to the hospital. Similarly, in March 2021, Inspector Rajeshwari of Chennai helped an abandoned woman deliver a son and also enabled her to start a new life. Likewise, Benny, a Sub Inspector of Chengamanad station in Kerala, noticing the predicament of an impoverished 85-year-old woman, decided to give her monthly monetary assistance of Rs 2,000 from his salary.

In contrast, police personnel with low EI skills are highly vulnerable to misconduct, high handedness and brutality. Police officers with high EI can regulate their emotions better and are less impulsive and irrational. In comparison, police personnel with low EI are highly susceptible to reckless and risky behaviour due to their inability to understand the behaviour of others due to a lack of empathy which predisposes them to police misconduct and high handedness. Hence, it is urgent to train every officer in EI as it is an essential component for law enforcement. Unlike IQ, we can improve the EI of police officers through training. Its benefits include lesser use of excessive force, more satisfied citizens, better public opinion and image for the police.