Schaumburg retired cop reveals how to interact with today's police officers

Whether a traffic stop, domestic dispute, or perceived threat, if you are interacting with police, it is important to establish a non-threatening environment. Police officers want to promote safety so during any interaction with the public the key is to keep a situation from spiraling out of control to the point where it poses a threat to police or to the average citizen. Here is advice from John Good, a retired suburban Chicago police officer who has seen it all during his 41-years of experience.

Advice for a traffic stop

Pulling over a driver is stressful for everyone, so here are some tips for taking stress out of the event:

• Pull your vehicle over as quickly and safely as possible.

• Do not exit your vehicle unless you are requested to do so.

• If you have tinted windows, roll them down so the officer can see inside. Turn on your interior lights at night.

• Keep your hands on the steering wheel.

• Ask for permission before reaching for anything, including your driver's license and proof of insurance. The police officer will request these at some point.

• Stay calm.

Advice for a domestic dispute

According to domesticshelters.org: "Domestic violence has been found to constitute the single largest category of police calls in some cities. When police officers respond, they know the situation can be volatile for both them and the abuser's victim. That's because the killer in almost one third of female homicides is an intimate partner, and 22 percent of officer "line of duty" deaths in recent years occurred while responding to domestic violence calls."

Michael P. LaRiviere, a police officer who does domestic violence training for national organizations, including the National Sheriffs' Association, notes that "What the [police death] stats don't really capture is all the law enforcement of officers that are killed in the line of duty on traffic stops, serving protection orders or serving warrants [to domestic violence offenders/"

While policies differ from city to city, it can be helpful to understand how police are trained to respond. Domestic violence calls are considered a high priority because they can lead to a life-threatening situation. A little-known fact is that many departments will continue to respond even if the victim cancels the request.

Here is what to expect when police respond to a domestic dispute.

• Officers are trained to apply discretion during a domestic dispute call, so lights and sirens are usually not employed so officers can observe and listen before announcing their presence. This can improve everyone's safety and expose important evidence, such as an active confrontation.

• In most cases two officers will be sent due to the many tasks that need to be addressed.

• Police officers will want to gather and talk to everyone in the home.

• Once on scene, keeping the abuser and victim out of sight and hearing of each other can increase the odds of each person speaking candidly without the influence of the other. It also helps officers determine if firearms are on the premises and to remove them; 79 percent of cases in a study of 358 police law enforcement agencies by the Police Executive Research Forum involved finding and confiscating firearms.

• Collecting evidence is another priority. Many agencies require officers to take pictures of the victim's injuries and the crime scene; interview and obtain written, audio or video statements from the parties, neighbors, or witnesses; and create detailed occurrence reports whether an arrest is made.

• Keep in mind that the police are trained to de-escalate what is often a heated and dangerous situation.

When to contact police

Contacting 9-1-I is often the first starting point for asking for help, but 9-1-1 should only be contacted in an emergency, to stop a crime, if your life is threatened, or to save someone else's life.

In a nonemergency situation, you can call your local police department to report a crime or to ask for assistance in a nonemergency, such as a noisy party, or if someone is posing a threat.

When you call the police, they will ask you questions to figure out how best to help you. They will ask for your name, your phone number, details about the emergency, the location, and what is happening. Be as specific as you can to determine whether a police office should be dispatched.

Never be afraid to interact with police. They genuinely want to watch out for your welfare, so keep an open mind when collaborating with any police department.

John Good, is a Schaumburg resident and a retired 41-year veteran of a suburban Chicago police department, and the author of "Blood on the Badge."