Video Playback: This Call Again?!

One of the most frequent challenges that comes up in our class discussions are repeat calls for service. 

A call goes out to respond to a disturbance, for example. Officers arrive. They investigate, advise of the consequences, and the disturbance quiets for the moment. But hours later, or the following week, another call comes in to the same address. Then again the next week and again with the next with no end in sight. This understandably frustrates officers and depletes valuable resources. 

Even within the same encounter an officer might meet their objective on the surface - like calming the disturbance - but the underlying issue is still simmering underneath, ready to flare up again. 

To prevent situations from boiling over or happening again and again, we can take the opportunity not just to stop the problem in front of us, but to address what’s driving it. That’s where Insight Policing comes in.

By noticing conflict behavior, verifying it, and getting curious about what’s behind it, we can open lines of communication to reveal the root of the issue. This leads to lasting resolution — and fewer repeat calls.

Proactive, curiosity-based communication is a skill you've been building, and with practice it becomes a powerful tool for resolving conflict and reducing repeat calls — one interaction at a time.

In our newest Insight Policing Video Playback, Senior Trainer, Lt. Mike Delaney, and I highlight the challenges of leaving conflict behavior unaddressed and not getting to the root of the problem by walking through what starts as a simple trespassing call — and turns into a standoff