By Kristen Ziman For the Beacon-News October 12, 2012 1:12PM <\/p>\n
HEATHER EIDSON\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER New, improved mug of Aurora Police Lt. Kristen Ziman, columnist for The Beacon News. <\/p>\n
storyidforme: 38341265 tmspicid: 13712563 fileheaderid: 6318206 <\/p>\n
Updated: October 12, 2012 1:12PM <\/p>\n
As a police officer, my job description has changed over the years but the one thing that still fascinates me about policing is human behavior. <\/p>\n
I was never a psychology major in college but I have come to believe that those entering law enforcement should, at the very least, minor in behavioral science. <\/p>\n
When I worked the street, I was puzzled by the way different people reacted to similar situations. I found myself viewing the world as a laboratory and every human encounter was an experiment in social behavior. <\/p>\n
I started to analyze the ways in which some people reacted to a traffic ticket. Some would be extremely argumentative and rude while others would receive it politely and respectfully. Of course, you might say that a police officers demeanor sets the tone for the interaction and I cant disagree, so perhaps that is not the best example. <\/p>\n
I noted that when responding to traumatic incidents, some crime victims were emotionally strong while others seemed to break down when faced with a similar scenario. Although I noted that people handle death and trauma quite differently, Ill reserve my commentary because reactions to these situations are at the core of emotion and there are many variables involved. <\/p>\n
Rather, Im referring to incidents where there is a notable hardship incurred other than loss of life. For example, in responding to burglary victims, it was fascinating to have a front row seat into the layers of emotion that surface when a person was faced with this type of an invasion. Some saw it as a devastating and debilitating blow to their security and peace of mind. Others put it in perspective and even found a way to be grateful that there was no human life harmed. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Excerpt from: By Kristen Ziman For the Beacon-News October 12, 2012 1:12PM HEATHER EIDSON\/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER New, improved mug of Aurora Police Lt. Kristen Ziman, columnist for The Beacon News Continue reading
\nGrace under pressure: Resilience is a rare but valuable character trait<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"