Turn on prime-time TV and the chances are you’ll catch a few shows about the trials and triumphs of police work. Real-life men and women in uniform chasing suspects inspire glamorous tales of heroism and fast-paced excitement, but what is it really like to track the man ‘on the run’ and what does it take to be an effective police officer?

Norm Roy Bergen, former senior inspector of the Prince Albert Police Department, in Saskatchewan, Canada, enjoys watching cop shows as much as the next man, but says some of the most valued detective skills are nuances not always represented in the two-dimensional world.

Open communication is essential
Having good communication skills is essential to solving a crime. Bergen should know; during his time as senior inspector he solved 52% of his cases: the average national rate in Canada hovers somewhere in the teens and rarely rises above 40 percent.

Contrary to the furtive cop personae we so often see in the movies, Bergen says being a “secret squirrel” is the worst way to approach a case of any magnitude. If a police officer gets hung-up on being overly confidential, he may miss some of the best clues that can come from opening a dialogue with people on the streets.

Persistence is also essential, “as a detective I’ve been in high-speed chases, shoot-outs, but I’ve also been persistently at the door, circling the leg, tightening the noose, until [the suspect] surfaces.”

Tracking the 'long-lost'
Criminal cold cases rank amongst some of Bergen’s most memorable. When sleuthing after a suspect who thinks he long ago escaped the arm of the law, Bergen looked out for some tell-tale signs of guilt. It’s common, for example, that a guilty party undergoes a dramatic lifestyle change, such as adopting a religion, not long after the crime took place. Keeping your eyes, ears and mind open for such clues is essential.

What about the slick gadgets and gizmos in the movies? The cliché that a cop will simply slap a tracking device to a suspicious vehicle, for example, is over-used according to Bergen. The process is more complicated than the world of fiction suggests and often not worth the hassle. Basically, no technology is a substitute for solid investigative skills. A bad cop with all the toys in the world at his disposal is still a bad cop.

Talking to suspects
Bergen attributes much of his success to his interaction with the community. Effective communication skills not only present opportunities to learn from neighbours and community members, but can create a rapport with the criminal himself. Bergen’s dedication and personable nature has lead criminals to call him at home from jail and to talk and to negotiate. Just like in the movies!

This level of trust doesn’t come from aggressive and intimidating interrogation, as seen on TV. Bergen insists upon talking to a suspect like a human being, and acting like someone with whom a suspect can relate, on a human level. He claims most guilty people want to confess, to alleviate guilt. Bergen can recall times when the guilty party has confessed simply to brag about their criminal savvy. “He really can’t be that good if he’s sitting here with me!”

Know a clue when you see it
Body language is also a giveaway. Crossing legs or shifting around excessively can demonstrate things about a suspect that someone like Bergen, who spent 30 years as senior inspector, views as extremely telling. It may sound obvious but Bergen emphasizes the need to “open your mind....see what you are looking at.” Nothing should go over your head or be dismissed as “a lot of times you are surprised by what is a clue…so you should gather every shred of evidence even if it doesn’t look like evidence.”

So, while the adrenalin-driven games of cat and mouse we see on TV or in the movies may be accurate to a certain extent, in real life acute observation, good communication skills and sharp instincts help to make the best cop.