Every person has intuition, and every peace officer either follows it to their great benefit or ignores it at their peril.

Intuition is critically important in law enforcement. It’s not only often a matter of life and death, but it is also essential for officer safety, making split-second decisions under stress and realizing your greatest good and highest potential.

What is intuition?

“Intuition is the innate knowledge gifted to us by nature…” – Shimi Kang, M.D.

I was several miles outside of my jurisdiction, returning after booking a prisoner in the county jail. There was nearly standstill traffic, and I was certain my sergeant was wondering what was taking so long for me to get back in service.

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, my attention was drawn to the car ahead of me in another lane with a female driver and male passenger. There was nothing unusual about the car, just something about the male passenger that kept my attention fixed on him. I maneuvered to get directly behind the car. Something inside was telling me to stop the car, even though I was in another city and miles from my jurisdiction. The intuition to stop the car and contact the male passenger was getting more intense.

I followed the car until the driver failed to signal for a turn. I initiated a traffic stop, and as I got out of my car to approach, I had the strong urge to stay at my car and call for cover. None of this made sense, but I was following my gut instincts.

Remaining at my car, I yelled for the driver to get out. Instead, the male passenger got out and casually started walking away. I ordered him to get back in the car, and he took off running. I radioed the description and direction of the passenger while I drew down on the driver, who came out. Once she was secured, I approached the car and saw a loaded handgun on the front passenger seat. It turns out the passenger was a parolee at large.

How many times have you had a hunch, a gut feeling, an impression, an urge to do or not do something, a sudden insight, or a sense of impending danger or that something just isn’t right? How often do you just observe someone and immediately inside know they’re a criminal and are up to no good? How often are you inwardly nudged to go somewhere, to ask a specific question, to pursue a certain course of action or to wait before you act? How often do you hear your “inner voice”? All of this is your intuition speaking to you, guiding you, helping and protecting you.

As an officer for 30 years, I had these experiences daily — as I’m sure you do as well. However, it took time for me to understand just how valuable my intuition was and the ways to develop and follow it. Whenever I did, things turned out well. I was able to solve crimes no one else could. I was able to be far more effective, useful and positively impactful.

Intuition is a powerful, essential resource — your interior guidance system that will never fail you. Intuition taps into our subconscious awareness, where insights, impressions, hunches, instincts and that inner voice originate.

The word intuition comes from the Latin verb intueri, which means “to look inside.” The “inside” is your subconscious — the part of your mind that is constantly observing and taking in information you’re not even aware of, and then stores that information where it influences your thoughts, emotions and behaviors without you being actively aware of it.

Your intuition is always trying to get your attention and guide you. As part of your essential interior survival system, it is never wrong, for it always has your best interests at heart.

The more you follow your intuition, the more adept you’ll become at recognizing it.

Other examples of intuition

In the fourth year of a cold homicide investigation, where a man’s head and hands were cut off, I discovered that a possible suspect had moved out of California to Arkansas six months after my murder, where he was subsequently arrested for a serious crime. I had the intuition to ask for the report of that investigation from the Arkansas State Police. I didn’t know why and had no idea what I might discover. Within that extensive case file was one sentence where a cousin of the suspect mentioned how the suspect often talked of crimes he had committed. I traveled to Arkansas and interviewed the cousin, who told me that the suspect had told him about cutting up my victim.

In another cold case — a serious child molestation case from 20 years earlier with no confession, no known witnesses and no DNA — I had the strong intuition to do a witness check by knocking on neighbors’ doors where the suspect had lived and where the crimes occurred. This led to me finding an actual witness to the molestation and recovering several naked photos of my victim inside the suspect’s new home.

Ways to develop and use your intuition

The first step to developing your intuition is to become more aware that it is always working for you, as it arises from your subconscious. Listen to your inner voice, your hunches and insights. Your intuition is connected with your heart, so often it comes with a strong feeling or emotion, rather than merely a passing thought.

As you sense your intuition telling you something — do it. Don’t try to make sense of it or rationalize it. Don’t try to talk your way out of it or convince yourself that it’s nothing. Recognize that it is your inner guidance system urging you to do something that will always be in your best interest. The more you follow your intuition, the more adept you’ll become at recognizing it. Have the courage to consistently follow your heart and your intuition.

Secondly, regular meditation (five to 10 minutes a day) will significantly enhance your ability to recognize and develop your intuition. (See my article “Mindfulness and meditation for effective policing” at apbweb.com/2021/07/mindfulness-and-meditation-for-effective-policing.)

I have been meditating every morning for the past 40 years, and I can attest that developing the daily habit of meditation is the best gift you could ever give yourself. It not only has significant health benefits and will keep you more centered and at peace, but it also strengthens the connection between your subconscious and your conscious awareness. It’s an extremely effective way to clear the channel for your intuition to influence you.

Conclusion

Your intuition is the most important influence — not only to keep you safe but to enable you to be most effective. Proactively develop and follow your intuition and see where it leads you. “There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action…. Keep the channel open.” — Martha Graham