Command voice - LEO

armedandsafe · April 6, 2008, 01:15 PM

I don't want to hijack the thread on aggressive officers, so I am starting a poll, just because I'm curious.

I'm asking the LEO on this forum, have you recieved training in using "Command Voice?" Those of you who have will recognise what I'm asking and most of those who haven't won't know what in the world I'm talking about.

Pops

pax · April 6, 2008, 01:17 PM

Not a LEO, but I got training in using a "command voice" during the very first defensive firearms class I ever took, from Marty Hayes at the Firearms Academy of Seattle.

Good and necessary stuff. (But most parents already know it ...

)

pax

bestbod85 · April 6, 2008, 02:58 PM

yes, during Corrections officer training

Whirlwind06 · April 7, 2008, 11:08 AM

Yes, learned it while raising 2 kids

ZeSpectre · April 7, 2008, 11:57 AM

SIR! PLEASE STEP BACK FROM THE KEYBOARD <grin>.
In other words, yes.

I'm long out of any LE related work but someone surprised me a while back and I automatically responded w/command voice. My wife laughed later but the homeless guy backed right off

TwoXForr · April 7, 2008, 12:57 PM

Not any formal training, just kinda developed naturally over the career.

grymster2007 · April 7, 2008, 03:01 PM

Quote:

"Command Voice" training

Is that were they teach the officer to repeat the same command over and over and over and over?

When I think about it, kinda makes sense, but if I'm watching something like Cops, it wears on me a bit. Well... it wore on me a bit... don't much watch that type of show anymore, even though I did enjoy seeing lowlifes getting arrested.

Creature · April 7, 2008, 03:35 PM

Perfected mine in the Military.

38SnubFan · April 7, 2008, 10:03 PM

Not directly LEO here, but I got my training from those who currently work or have retired from the field, as my part-time job (Bail Enforcement) requires me to use the same/similar techniques when apprehending a defendant.

I have to admit, it was uncomfortable for me to use the skills I learned (I've never been a very confrontational person). Nowadays, it becomes a second nature. (Have 2 young boys to raise too, so it becomes rather commonplace LOL).

-38SnubFan

Sarge · April 7, 2008, 10:19 PM

I checked 'academy' circa 1980.

It is a tool to be used sparingly.

jfrey123 · April 7, 2008, 10:49 PM

Edit: Oops, just noticed the LEO requirement listed above. Please discount my vote...

Voted academy. Did 4 years of JROTC in high school, and had plans to go career military with it. Learned command voice my freshman year when I was made a squad leader and assistant drill team commander.

A booming, authoritative voice is fun in certain situations...

armedandsafe · April 8, 2008, 08:48 PM

Jfrey, the reason I put the LEO requirement in there for the vote was to tie it to the previous thread on overly aggresive attitudes on the part of CHP officers. I was just curious.

I'm enjoying the comparison to raising kids. I just retired from herding kids (school bus driver.

)

Pops

ChewToy · April 11, 2008, 12:04 PM

This is one of the hardest things to teach Security Forces newbies in the Air Force. Most of the time we're working with 18-20 Y/O's, it's one of the toughest things to get them to do properly. It's definitely an important skill as the balance of calm and chaos rests on the partrolman being in charge and giving that impression from the begining.

scorpiusdeus · April 11, 2008, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Yes, learned it while raising 2 kids

Best reply yet.

Aquanewt · April 11, 2008, 07:51 PM

We were told about it in basic academy training and then it came up again during in service classes. Anyone with street time learned how effective a good one was and how useless a poor one was.

T. O'Heir · April 13, 2008, 01:43 AM

Nope, but I taught it to NCO candidates/trainees while in the Queen's Service. The 'voice' is about getting people to do what you want by being confident in yourself and being the one who will make a decision. Most people can't or don't want to make a decision and will do what the decision maker tells them to do. It's actually part of 'Leadership 101'.
"...Please discount my vote..." This isn't a democracy!

chrisandclauida2 · April 13, 2008, 04:44 AM

your body language and voice i.e. verbal commands are the first steps on the continuum of force.

gordo_gun_guy · April 13, 2008, 08:53 AM

Not an LEO, but I've been trained on "command voice" in the military--originally, in the context of military drill and basic officership, but also (as the counterinsurgency goes on) in a more LE-like escalation of force context, too....

Kids: I don't often raise my voice with my children, preferring first reasoning/golden rule (you wouldn't you like it if your brother hit you in the head, would you?), then expressed disappointment, and finally a good shaming/quiet chewing out....BUT, the few times I've used the command voice, they've invariably started crying.

pax · April 13, 2008, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Kids: I don't often raise my voice with my children...

Well, you can't, or it loses effectiveness.

To me, the voice isn't for situations where reasoning might do what needs to be done. I've always used it simply to STOP the action when nothing else will effectively and immediately do the job, such as when a 3-year-old just starts to dart away in a busy parking lot when there's a car coming. When the kid hears that tone of voice, he knows it's important and he knows he'd better stop Right Now. More to the point, done right, a good command voice does make everyone stop in shock for a moment whether they're the ones being addressed or not.

I figure a good cop probably uses the voice analogously to the above: not too often, rarely or never where reason or another method will work, and mostly to quickly and effectively stop the action when nothing else will do the job.

My .02!

pax

armedandsafe · April 13, 2008, 04:17 PM

Quote:

My .02!

I think you misplaced the decimal point to the left in that comment.

Pops

Timbow · April 13, 2008, 11:12 PM

That's all they preached in drill in the academy. It doesn't take long to figure out when you need to use it and when you don't. It's always best to start out at as low a level as possible then escalate as necessary based on the situation. Of course if the subject is armed and the situation is deadly force, the continuum is lost and you do what you gotta do to survive and protect the public.

tc556guy · April 22, 2008, 12:01 AM

Yeah, its pretty much drummed into you during your initial officer survival training that you MUST control any situation you get involved in. Command voice is the first step in the use of force wheel.

Tanzer · April 22, 2008, 05:56 AM

Not LEO. Trained in crisis intervention as part of the CPI (Crisis Prevention/Intervention) unit @ a shcool (just kidding) school for "at risk" (insert descriptive language here). Later went into elementary (and managed to see CPI implemented - really needed it here). Meanwhile trained w/ and ex FBI supervisory trainer who also worked w/ the local AG's office.
Kinda' Remember my drill seargent also; "Alright you weak little maggots! Yer gonna be runnin a bit faster today! You aint disgracing me, your momma or your country by fallin behind! Any o' yew larvae got any questions?

djc7 · April 23, 2008, 05:18 PM

Yes. I got that training in the Air Force (Security Forces). Plus, I observe it occasionally from my wife when I upset her.

johnnypi45 · April 25, 2008, 10:20 AM

I have learned it in the Air Force. I'm normally an extremely passive person, and let me tell you, this really put me out of my "comfort zone" but probably for the better. Working basic training and similar situations, really made me come out of my shell some. I even find myself talking louder in my normal voice than I used to.

View Poll Results: Have you recieved "Command Voice" training?
Yes, Academy	26	42.62%
Yes, Military	19	31.15%
Yes, from mentors	10	16.39%
No	13	21.31%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 61. You may not vote on this poll

April 6, 2008, 01:15 PM	#1
armedandsafe Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2005 Location: Moses Lake WA Posts: 1,001	Command voice - LEO I don't want to hijack the thread on aggressive officers, so I am starting a poll, just because I'm curious. I'm asking the LEO on this forum, have you recieved training in using "Command Voice?" Those of you who have will recognise what I'm asking and most of those who haven't won't know what in the world I'm talking about. Pops __________________ Armed and Safe: Not just a theory If it time to bury them, it is time to dig them up. Remember, "Behind every blade of grass."

April 6, 2008, 01:17 PM	#2
pax Senior Member Join Date: May 16, 2000 Location: In a state of flux Posts: 7,520	Not a LEO, but I got training in using a "command voice" during the very first defensive firearms class I ever took, from Marty Hayes at the Firearms Academy of Seattle. Good and necessary stuff. (But most parents already know it ... ) pax __________________ Kathy Jackson My personal website: Cornered Cat

April 7, 2008, 12:57 PM	#6
TwoXForr Senior Member Join Date: March 26, 2007 Location: PA Posts: 464	Not any formal training, just kinda developed naturally over the career. __________________ All America lies at the end of the wilderness road, and our past is not a dead past, but still lives in us. Our forefathers had civilization inside themselves, the wild outside. We live in the civilization they created, but within us the wilderness still lingers. What they dreamed, we live, and what they lived, we dream.

April 7, 2008, 10:03 PM	#9
38SnubFan Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2004 Location: Harrisburg, PA USA Posts: 118	Not directly LEO here, but I got my training from those who currently work or have retired from the field, as my part-time job (Bail Enforcement) requires me to use the same/similar techniques when apprehending a defendant. I have to admit, it was uncomfortable for me to use the skills I learned (I've never been a very confrontational person). Nowadays, it becomes a second nature. (Have 2 young boys to raise too, so it becomes rather commonplace LOL). -38SnubFan __________________ Sure, you can have my gun...BULLETS FIRST! "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men and women stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -A token of appreciation for the good cops. "Good cheer and steady aim are always fashionable." "Will...if need be!" ΜΟΛΩΝ ΑΛΒΕ!

April 6, 2008, 02:58 PM	#3
bestbod85 Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2006 Posts: 161	yes, during Corrections officer training

April 7, 2008, 11:08 AM	#4
Whirlwind06 Senior Member Join Date: March 3, 2006 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 998	Yes, learned it while raising 2 kids

April 7, 2008, 11:57 AM	#5
ZeSpectre Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Shenandoah Valley Posts: 3,276	SIR! PLEASE STEP BACK FROM THE KEYBOARD <grin>. In other words, yes. I'm long out of any LE related work but someone surprised me a while back and I automatically responded w/command voice. My wife laughed later but the homeless guy backed right off

April 7, 2008, 03:35 PM	#8
Creature Junior member Join Date: April 8, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,769	Perfected mine in the Military.

April 7, 2008, 10:19 PM	#10
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	I checked 'academy' circa 1980. It is a tool to be used sparingly. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

April 7, 2008, 10:49 PM	#11
jfrey123 Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2006 Location: Reno, NV. Posts: 1,026	Edit: Oops, just noticed the LEO requirement listed above. Please discount my vote... Voted academy. Did 4 years of JROTC in high school, and had plans to go career military with it. Learned command voice my freshman year when I was made a squad leader and assistant drill team commander. A booming, authoritative voice is fun in certain situations... __________________ Rock out with your Glock out! Last edited by jfrey123; April 7, 2008 at 10:51 PM. Reason: Oopsie added.

April 8, 2008, 08:48 PM	#12
armedandsafe Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2005 Location: Moses Lake WA Posts: 1,001	Jfrey, the reason I put the LEO requirement in there for the vote was to tie it to the previous thread on overly aggresive attitudes on the part of CHP officers. I was just curious. I'm enjoying the comparison to raising kids. I just retired from herding kids (school bus driver. ) Pops __________________ Armed and Safe: Not just a theory If it time to bury them, it is time to dig them up. Remember, "Behind every blade of grass."

April 11, 2008, 12:04 PM	#13
ChewToy Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2007 Location: North Pole, Alaska Posts: 108	This is one of the hardest things to teach Security Forces newbies in the Air Force. Most of the time we're working with 18-20 Y/O's, it's one of the toughest things to get them to do properly. It's definitely an important skill as the balance of calm and chaos rests on the partrolman being in charge and giving that impression from the begining.

April 11, 2008, 07:51 PM	#15
Aquanewt Member Join Date: January 22, 2002 Location: Baltimore Posts: 61	We were told about it in basic academy training and then it came up again during in service classes. Anyone with street time learned how effective a good one was and how useless a poor one was.

April 13, 2008, 01:43 AM	#16
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Nope, but I taught it to NCO candidates/trainees while in the Queen's Service. The 'voice' is about getting people to do what you want by being confident in yourself and being the one who will make a decision. Most people can't or don't want to make a decision and will do what the decision maker tells them to do. It's actually part of 'Leadership 101'. "...Please discount my vote..." This isn't a democracy! __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

April 13, 2008, 04:44 AM	#17
chrisandclauida2 Senior Member Join Date: September 21, 2005 Posts: 312	your body language and voice i.e. verbal commands are the first steps on the continuum of force.

April 13, 2008, 08:53 AM	#18
gordo_gun_guy Senior Member Join Date: July 31, 2007 Posts: 250	Not an LEO, but I've been trained on "command voice" in the military--originally, in the context of military drill and basic officership, but also (as the counterinsurgency goes on) in a more LE-like escalation of force context, too.... Kids: I don't often raise my voice with my children, preferring first reasoning/golden rule (you wouldn't you like it if your brother hit you in the head, would you?), then expressed disappointment, and finally a good shaming/quiet chewing out....BUT, the few times I've used the command voice, they've invariably started crying. __________________ Gordo In need of a new pithy quote....

April 13, 2008, 11:12 PM	#21
Timbow Senior Member Join Date: January 27, 2008 Posts: 167	That's all they preached in drill in the academy. It doesn't take long to figure out when you need to use it and when you don't. It's always best to start out at as low a level as possible then escalate as necessary based on the situation. Of course if the subject is armed and the situation is deadly force, the continuum is lost and you do what you gotta do to survive and protect the public.

April 22, 2008, 12:01 AM	#22
tc556guy Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2000 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 763	Yeah, its pretty much drummed into you during your initial officer survival training that you MUST control any situation you get involved in. Command voice is the first step in the use of force wheel. __________________ Information posted is personal opinion and should not be considered information released in an official capacity

April 22, 2008, 05:56 AM	#23
Tanzer Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2007 Posts: 884	Not LEO. Trained in crisis intervention as part of the CPI (Crisis Prevention/Intervention) unit @ a shcool (just kidding) school for "at risk" (insert descriptive language here). Later went into elementary (and managed to see CPI implemented - really needed it here). Meanwhile trained w/ and ex FBI supervisory trainer who also worked w/ the local AG's office. Kinda' Remember my drill seargent also; "Alright you weak little maggots! Yer gonna be runnin a bit faster today! You aint disgracing me, your momma or your country by fallin behind! Any o' yew larvae got any questions? __________________ Only the ignorant find ignorance to be bliss. Only those of us who know better will suffer from it.

April 23, 2008, 05:18 PM	#24
djc7 Member Join Date: April 14, 2008 Posts: 32	Yes. I got that training in the Air Force (Security Forces). Plus, I observe it occasionally from my wife when I upset her.

April 25, 2008, 10:20 AM	#25
johnnypi45 Member Join Date: April 12, 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 81	I have learned it in the Air Force. I'm normally an extremely passive person, and let me tell you, this really put me out of my "comfort zone" but probably for the better. Working basic training and similar situations, really made me come out of my shell some. I even find myself talking louder in my normal voice than I used to.