Situational Awareness of the people on the ground or a person of interest
What, where, why and how, is this trained to support the educational embedding process
Mentality
The Mentality of the Criminology and Security Professional.
These professionals realize that they are working in a very responsible career and must realize and accept that they function in the world of violence and crime. Therefore, they are making decisions on ‘life-impacting’ and/or ‘life & death’ situations. The Security Professionals must take their job function as seriously as any other industry that is involved in fields of working with life and death situations.
For example; Surgeons must practice to prime their fingers to keep them nimble as the hands hold the scalpel as they literally hold the life of others in their hands. So too, must Security Professionals do such with their mind – as their mind is their scalpel. Security Professionals, therefore, must be skilled in people interaction skills and use training tools daily to keep their mind as sharp as a pin. (Kirsten 2018)
For the criminology and security professional, the brain must be primed
The professional realizes that their brain is their greatest asset and uses physiological methods to prime their brain to react instinctively. When the knowledge is embedded, the neuro-chemistry is being stimulated and all the senses are alive and tuned into the conversation, while listening to the person’s language and watching their reactions. Thus, heightened situational awareness is the state-of-mind hosting the right mentality, being stimulated with adrenaline and other neuro-chemicals. This training method of knowledge being used instinctively is based on Neuro-education ‘Watch and Learn’. ‘Do – Experience – Embed’.
How: The security professional uses devices to learn and apply the knowledge in the field, such as laptops, tablets and smart-phones. The HIM method applies this information in the field by using a blended method of media and instruction for the professional to experience the application of knowledge real-time.
Why: The reliability of the information can only be done by validating the information quickly by mastering the skill-craft of reading people using this training method. Simply because, this knowledge must be embedded physiologically to be used instinctively since decisions could be made rapidly as lives could depend on the reaction speed
When: Security Managers, daily evaluate – interview – investigate (using investigative interviewing). They are in a constant state of evaluation.
Acts of Crime or Terror can occur at any time. Perhaps, there is an issue going on without the professional being aware. The mission of professionals must be in a constant state of heightened situational awareness and assessing the situation, position and implications of actions that could impact on collateral damage. Subsequently, there are times that professionals need to react within seconds and therefore, need to be in a constant state of heightened situational awareness. They would need to evaluate the situation to clarify the position and consider what how the implications result on different plans of action.
Specific job functions demand the mastering of the skills for their longevity and the lives of others
You have no idea who can read you. Your pet hates, weaknesses, strengths and even when you are lying is on full public view to those who can read you’. When the criminal can read the operative better than the operative reading them, then, the collateral damage would be life impacting or death.
Peoples’ lives depend on their ability to hide their true emotions and intentions.
More than likely the Investigator, Hostage Negotiator and Undercover Operative is compromising one of three issues, namely; Moral Fibre – Political Affiliations – Religious Beliefs
Human Engineering and Information Extraction
(Lie, Deception Detection and Investigative interviewing)
Criminologists and Security Professionals must be able to read people. This is their first and most important skill-sets to acquire and skill-craft to master.
Some say, ‘’I know how to read people’’
You may be able to read people but do keep in mind that you have no idea who can read you better while you are reading them. Your pet hates, secret desires and especially when you are lying or hiding something is on full public view. (Kirsten 2018)
When a person is biased or racist they would not be able to read people and derive successful results as their true emotions will reflect in their body language and tone of voice. The interviewee will instinctively pick up on their beliefs and not part with sufficient and reliable information. Therefore, if you know that the professional is racist or bias, then know you cannot rely on their assessments.
Furthermore, one may be schooled in lie, deception detection and investigative interviewing in the West, but could be misread or misunderstood by another culture. People may react differently with cultural behaviour (conduct and cultural communication) which makes for confusion as body language is different with regards such . Also, distinct cultures’ behavior interpret actions and respond emotionally differently. Therefore, not knowing this knowledge impedes your level of situational awareness when you evaluate – interview – investigate (using advanced investigative interviewing methods)
Lastly for those that rely purely on body language. A person could be reacting to a thought instead of a question or situation as people do think faster than they speak or listen to others. One may conclude that a person does not want to be in conversation with others as their feet are facing the door. Perhaps, that person is dying to go to the loo. Therefore, we must be in conversation with another to determine a precise reading.
There is a big but now, – but do they know, what information they must seek when they are reading people, as it must be in-line with current challenges. They must be aware of a situation in theatre.
MOST IMPORTANT. There are many theories and methods on lie detection, however, to know if some is lying is relatively easy and well researched by many. The problem is not knowing if someone is lying but more importantly – The WHY?
To comprehend the true situation
- Why are they volunteering information?
- Why are they hiding something?
- What are their intentions?
- How do they think?
How do you know if someone is capable of snapping, becoming the lone-wolf and doing horrendous damage? How do you identify and monitor people that are being radicalized, perhaps xenophobic, part of organized crime working in concert voluntarily or under duress with others as they are being bullied blackmailed or extorted?
When one is a true professional and working in this sector, one must realize that one is working with life impacting or perhaps life & death situations. Being intellectually arrogant dictates the mentality of a non – professional. A true professional is humble enough to know that they must undergo continuous learning to acquire new generation skill-sets and to master skill-craft. You know you met a professional when they can display the fact that they are in a constant state of continuous learning or mastering the skill-sets of lie, deception detection and investigative interviewing – as it is people that do horrific things – not the weapons. Situational awareness is simply knowing where others truly stand and not knowing the true situation will deliver wasted time, effort, disappointment and collateral damage.
People lie or deceive for a variety of reasons.
There are many reasons why people lie or hide information or even volunteer information for their own hidden agendas. (There are many descriptive words in the dictionary)
How does lie, deception detection & investigative interviewing work?
Imagine that a person is the lie detector machine and you are the examiner. Initially questions are asked to determine the base-line of the person. You would see the graph rhythm that reflects the person’s heartbeat, pulse rate, or any changes in the physical anatomy. When the person finds it difficult to answer, then, the anatomy responds because of adrenalin stimulation and in-turn people react involuntary.
People react involuntary with their eyes, face and hands (Neurology – Nervous System), as well as, at times with their language. (Freudian slip). Asking the right questions at the right time for the right reason triggers these involuntary reactions mentioned above.
If the reaction contradicts or support the reply, depending on the question, one could assume that that person is lying, hiding something or telling the truth.
Most important is to determine the ‘Why’ people are lying, hiding or why they are sharing information. Using questioning formulas, one can discover ‘why’ the person is lying or hiding something and/ or what that person’s ‘fear’ is. The ‘fear factor’ is used to manipulate a hostile witness.
There are many theories on investigative interviewing and outline methods such as verbal and non-verbal cues, length of time for interview, etc. It should be considered that all people are unique, and a more open-minded method must be used in investigative interviewing. When we comprehend the fact that when we are reading people. we are in fact working with their chemistry and our own. We can calm them down or make them feel emotions and can do so with expressions, specific words, tone of voice or event just a single sound.
We use these mechanics on ourselves to prepare, enlighten and embed the knowledge
The point to all the information above is for you – the reader, is for you to primary focus your study on the ethnic cultural behavior in your location, besides others that you may encounter.