Analysis of Critical Thinking Skills in Police Work: ABC/123 Report

This report examines the application of critical thinking skills within the context of a police simulation, focusing on decision-making processes. The report begins by defining critical thinking and contrasting it with general thinking, then describes the critical thinking skills used during a police simulation, highlighting the factors considered, such as the driver's behavior and the context of the situation. The analysis includes an assessment of how the student's initial reactions were modified through critical evaluation of the available evidence. Furthermore, the report explores the role of critical thinking in law enforcement, emphasizing the importance of analyzing information, active listening, and ethical considerations. It also identifies personal and professional barriers that can impede critical thinking, such as bias, conflicts of interest, and lack of training. Finally, the report suggests strategies for improving personal thought processes and encourages officers to adopt creative solutions based on the needs of the community.

Thinking Versus Critical Thinking 1
Thinking Versus Critical Thinking

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Thinking Versus Critical Thinking
Critical thinking refers to the process which involves intentional thinking of higher level
related to defining of problem, examining the available evidence and alternatives and making a
suitable choice based on rationale. This may also be indicated as a cognitive process which
deploys thinking strategies which are deployed for gathering and analysis of facts along with
evaluating their relevance based on which possible actions ought to be taken so as to accomplish
a predetermined goal. The objective of this paper is to highlight the critical thinking skills which
I used for decision making during the police simulation along with indicating measures to make
improvements in the personal though process. Also, the usage of critical thinking by police
officers is also highlighted coupled with indicating the personal barriers inhibiting the same.
In critical thinking process, it is required that the police officers must be creative and deploy
analytical thinking in the wake of existing circumstances along with relevant historical facts. In
the context of a traffic stop, there are a host of considerations which the officer on duty would
have to consider. Most people are ignorant about the same and view the officer on duty as a
moving target. Typically officers are trained to deal with various situations based on a
methodical approach with requisite discretion available for decision making. In the given
scenario, there are multiple factors at play which ought to be considered. These include the
messy state of vehicle, prior tickets, vehicle damage, reason for delay and also the speed has
been exceeded in a school zone.
During the simulation, my first reaction was to rely on the reaction of the driven when
questioned by the officer. This provided me a gut feeling that the defaulting driver should only
be given a verbal warning. However, when the same scenario was analyzed based on the

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provided facts and critical thinking, then the final decision was altered. During the first instance,
I realized his situation whereby he had to look after a baby and yet not be late for work. Further,
the messed up state of the car did not cause much concern as it may be attributed to shortage of
time owing to which a host of eating activities for the driver would be performed in the car. The
subsequent decisions were based on the safety of the surrounding people along with existence of
previous tickets.
With regards to law enforcement, critical thinking plays a vital role. These skills are required
so that the available information and evidence may be rationally analyzed to ascertain the
sufficiency and accuracy of the same. Also, the inter-connected nature of the various concept can
be enabled through critical thinking tools. It is essential that police officers must be active
listeners and use the available discretion in a prudent manner. Further, police officers often need
to segregate truth and lies from clients and the potential implications of the same. In order to
improve the personal thought processes, it makes sense to take regular notes and deploy their
discretion prudently based on sound rationale. Further, in order to enhance the overall thought
process, a conscious effort needs to be made on part of individuals to engage in critical thinking
by collecting all relevant data and then basing the decision on the same. The reviewing of key
facts to make decision is essential. Further, attempts should be made by police officers to deploy
their discretion and work out creative solutions based on the needs of the people and underlying
society.
It is noteworthy there are some professional and personal barriers which inhibit critical
thinking on part of police officers. One of this is the existence of bias and prejudice towards a
particular gender, race, country of origin, religion etc. In this scenario, the decision is driven by

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the underlying demographic parameter rather than the facts and information available.
Additional, conflict of interests may also impede the critical thinking of police officers. This is
because there is incentive for the police officer to act in an unethical manner without considering
the demands of the school. Further, lack of training and experience may also impede the
application of critical thinking since the police officer would not be sure the extent to which the
information given by the person at fault is true or not.
References
You Make the Call: Discretion in Criminal Justice Police Patrol Simulation. Retrieved from:
https://newconnect.mheducation.com/flow/connect.html