To the editor:

Words are very powerful. They can incite riots and chaos and they can restore order and calm. We give speeches because words have such tremendous meaning and the power to inspire others. From revolutionary rhetoric to our written constitutions, we rely on the power and meaning of words. A single “yes” or “no” vote can actually change a community.

Psychologists around the world have known for decades that if we change someone’s job title, their performance changes. The perception of them also changes. For example, if a pauper becomes a prince, a private becomes a sergeant, or a vice president becomes a president, what appears to be a simple new title will change the behavior of the individual and their social status to those around them. When someone is promoted or demoted, their job title changes and so do our perceptions.

Community relations with the police are currently a major issue in cities around the country, and around the world. If police departments developed a highly trained community liaison “squad” of police officers and gave them the title “peace officers,” it will save lives on both sides of the badge. They would be full police officers with full police powers. Police officers have been called peace officers in our past.

In a domestic dispute, neighborhood argument, minor riot, or even gang-related activities, who do you think the public would respond to better, a “police” officer or a “peace” officer? It is all about perception. Think about how you would respond or your family and friends if faced with such situations. What have scientific studies told us and common sense tell us?

If “peace officer” programs were linked with the youth in a community, then an entire generation will grow up knowing what to expect when a peace officer arrives on the scene. The name change can’t hurt, and can help every community across the country. It will save many lives. Words have that much power.

John Wm. Sisson, Nashville

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