Reassurance
Reducing fear and anxiety by explicitly stating positive outcomes. Telling subjects they won't be harmed, explaining that help is available, and creating psychological safety during high-stress encounters.
NYPD Patrol Guide Reference
Building Voluntary Compliance (PG 221-01)
"The goal is to gain the voluntary compliance of the subject, when appropriate and consistent with personal safety, to reduce or eliminate the necessity to use force."
Source: NYPD Patrol Guide, Force Guidelines
Fear Reduction: Subjects in crisis often fear for their lives. Explicitly stating "We're not going to hurt you" can dramatically reduce defensive behavior.
Voluntary Compliance: Reassurance creates the psychological conditions for voluntary compliance by removing the perception that compliance leads to harm.
Promise Keeping: Any reassurances given must be honored. Breaking a promise destroys trust and can escalate future encounters.
Best Practice Examples
These clips demonstrate officers providing reassurance that reduces fear and builds trust with subjects in crisis.
Directly Addressing Fear of Death
"Nope, we're not trying to kill you, Ishmael. Alright, you're good. My hand is up."
Repeated Reassurance with Promise
"Alright, I promise, Ishmael. We're not gonna kill you."
Addressing Multiple Fears
"No one's gonna blow you up. No one's gonna, you know, shoot you. We don't want to hurt you, alright?"
Opportunities for Improvement
These clips show high-stress encounters where reassurance was missing. Note: These are armed confrontations where some urgency is necessary, but adding reassurance could have created opportunities for compliance.
Commands Without Safety Assurance
"Sir! Put down the gun right now! Put down the fucking gun! Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Put down the gun!"
High Volume Without Comfort
"Get on the fucking ground right now! Get on the fucking ground! Yo! Get on the fucking ground right now! Get on the ground!"
Repetition Without Positive Framing
"Put the knife down! Put the knife down! Put the knife down! 3-1 and 3-0. Put the knife down! Put the knife down, sir! Sir, put the fucking knife down!"
How These Situations Could Be Improved
Adding Reassurance to High-Stress Commands
Command Only...
Command + Reassurance...
Key Takeaways
💚 Address the Primary Fear
Subjects in crisis often fear death. Saying "I'm not going to hurt you" directly addresses their core concern and opens the door to compliance.
🔄 Repeat as Needed
Anxious subjects may not hear or believe reassurance the first time. Be patient and repeat it calmly. "I've told you five times" is better than never saying it.
🤝 Make Promises You Can Keep
"If you put that down, I promise you won't be hurt" is only effective if true. Never make reassurances you can't honor.
🎯 Paint a Positive Future
Don't just say what won't happen. Say what will: "Put the knife down and we'll get you the help you need."
🗣 Match Words and Body Language
"I'm not going to hurt you" is more believable when said with lowered weapons (if tactically possible), open hands, or a calm voice.
👥 Name Them
"Ishmael, we're not going to hurt you" is more personal and believable than "Sir, we're not going to hurt you."
Discussion Questions for Training Sessions
In the "best practice" clips, how many times did the officer say "we're not going to kill you"? Why repeat it?
When is it tactically inappropriate to offer reassurance? Are there situations where it could be dangerous?
How do you reassure someone when you genuinely don't know what will happen next?
What's the difference between reassurance and negotiation? When does one become the other?
In the "needs improvement" clips, where could reassurance have been inserted without losing tactical advantage?
How do you maintain credibility if a previous encounter's reassurances weren't honored by other officers?