Law enforcement officials should build their interaction with veterans on the basis of fairness, impartiality, and moral and ethical standards of internal and external communication - then many conflict situations can be avoided.
«There is a stereotype that soldiers should be strong and brave. One of their biggest fears is that they will be perceived as weak or cowardly. You should not put veterans in a situation where they will be forced to confirm their personal courage. It is worth understanding: if you drive a combat veteran «into a corner» without leaving him an alternative way out, most often he will choose to fight,» they note in «"Accessibility Guide"».
Veterans should be treated with respect, they do not tolerate half-truths or insincere talk. By treating them as equals, as people who serve society and the Motherland, who may not have been understood or appreciated, law enforcement officials have a better chance of earning the trust of veterans, de-escalating dangerous situations, and creating conditions for cooperation, because they also protect people, serve the country, and risk their lives.
Do not claim to understand a veteran unless you have combat experience. It is clear that law enforcement officers have many things in common with combatants: they face danger, make life-or-death decisions, serve, contribute to the security of the country, understand the concepts of honor, courage, and duty, and have witnessed humanity’s capacity for evil and cruelty. However, when communicating with veterans, law enforcement officers must be careful not to equate their own experiences with what veterans may have experienced. On the other hand, having this experience will help law enforcement officers demonstrate empathy, recognize, and reflect some of the deeper emotions veterans may be experiencing in a crisis. In any case, active listening techniques should be used to effectively demonstrate understanding of veterans’ experiences and emotional states.
A feature of the veteran community is a certain distrust of people who do not have combat experience. The community is characterized by a strong self-identification. That is why it is extremely important and often necessary to involve other veterans in communication with veterans, in particular leaders of the veteran movement or, if appropriate, former commanders.
When performing appropriate actions by law enforcement officials, it is mandatory to involve specialized mental health professionals, representatives of the veteran or volunteer movement, in working with veterans.
Some questions to ask a veteran to establish interaction:
How long were you in the war? Where did you serve? (how long did the events of the war affect the person)
What was your military specialty? (questions to understand skills acquired during the war)
How was your time in the unit? Were there any positive moments? (bring back positive memories)
How long have you been back? What is it like to be back? (reintegration takes time, the longer it takes, the more likely it is that the person has already adapted to civilian life)
Do you communicate with your brothers/sisters? (to understand the strength of your connection with your brothers/sisters, the veteran community)
However, these questions should not be asked to a veteran in a state of crisis, when they do not really want to talk about their war experience.
When working to prevent crimes by veterans, prevention of violations is of great importance - working with the families of military personnel and veterans, and cooperating with the veteran community.
Given that up to 10% of Ukraine's population will have combat experience, it is very important to organize training for law enforcement officials on how to interact with veterans, how not to provoke conflicts or how to properly resolve them, and what topics should not be touched upon. Everyone should be able to recognize the onset of a flashback — a memory of a traumatic event that the veteran seems to be experiencing again, recognize it, and know how to act.