How Police Officers (and Other Authority Figures) Can Defuse Distrust
Summary:
This article highlights how police officers can reduce distrust by using transparency statements—brief, authentic explanations of their intentions offered at the very start of an interaction. These early, benevolent clarifications help neutralize fear and foster trust, especially in communities that may already feel vulnerable or suspicious.
Danielson Domain: Domain 2: The Classroom Environment — Specifically 2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport.
In this Boston Globe article, Andrea Dittman (University of Southern California) and Kyle Dobson (University of Virginia) report on what they found in more than 500 hours shadowing police officers making their rounds on foot and in squad cars. One cold January evening, an officer pulled up beside a man huddled on a park bench, rolled down the window, and said, “Hey, are you OK?” The man immediately tensed up with suspicion.
Dittman and Dobson frequently saw this kind of immediate disconnect between the officer’s good intentions and a community member’s fear of trouble. Officers feel like they’re being respectful and polite, but their words are often taken as a threat – especially by people of color and those who have had negative interactions with law enforcement.
Researchers have found that the first 45 words exchanged in a cop’s encounter with a citizen can predict how the whole scenario plays out. Officers often start with a trust deficit, so interactions get off to a bad start. But if the officer conveys personal concern and gives the reason for the conversation, the dynamic quickly changes. “Knowing this,” say Dittman and Dobson, “officers can use these earliest moments to neutralize the idea that they’re a threat, prevent escalation, and facilitate a more-positive interaction.”
The choice of words is important. Joking around, even using what seems like a neutral question – “How are you?” or “Can I talk to you for a minute?” – because of the power imbalance, puts people on edge. What works much better is a transparency statement – a simple sentence that quickly and clearly explains why the interaction has been initiated. “While it sounds simple,” say Dittman and Dobson, “our studies with real people and police officers show that a transparency statement can make a difference.”
It's not a script, and officers need to adapt their choice of words depending on the situation. An example:
“Hi, I’m Officer Smith, how’s it going? I’m out here walking around just trying to get to know my beat and my community. Is it OK if I talk to you for a minute?”
For transparency statements to be effective, say Dittman and Dobson, they need to contain four key elements:
Timing – The statement happens right up front, setting the tone for the interaction from the outset;
Benevolence – Conveying an honest, positive rationale for the interaction, ideally to help the community and specific individuals;
Genuine – Feeling authentic;
Personal and addressing the situation at hand, in the first person – “I’m worried about your safety” – versus institutional – “Our department has a new initiative to get to know community residents.”
Researchers have found that when police officers use well-formulated transparency statements, community members are more relaxed and talk more during the interaction, using words associated with rapport and trust-building. Surveys also found that people felt less threatened by the officer.
Training cops in transparency statements takes “mere minutes,” say Dittman and Dobson, “though making it second nature takes practice.” They and their colleagues are training officers in one city and testing outcomes across the department and community. “Transparency statements are a simple concept, and that’s part of their beauty,” they say. “Law enforcement officers face a high cognitive load when they’re out in the field trying to assess uncertain situations in real time. Having a simple template to follow that’s been proven to work can make their jobs easier and help community members breathe easier.”
“A Simple Statement That Can Help Cops Win People’s Trust” by Andrea Dittman and Kyle Dobson in The Boston Globe, June 15, 2025
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