A Study on the ‘Police Theater’ for Cultivating‘Police Professionalism’

This study aims to explore the effectiveness of ‘police theater’ as a program for fostering ‘police professionalism.’ It begins by reviewing Boal’s ‘Forum Theatre’ and Aristotle’s concept of ‘Catharsis’, examining how these ideas are received today and discussing the significance of police theater in this context. The study then identifies commonalities between the ‘police theater method’ and the ‘Forum Theatre format’, analyzing how participants’ experiences of catharsis contribute to cultivating ‘police professionalism’. The analysis reveals that trainees recognized the importance of ‘understanding people’ and ‘practical skills’ as essential elements of police professionalism through police theater. For instance, participants experienced frustration when realizing that actions lacking respect for citizens and unskilled handling of police equipment could contribute to public distrust in authority. However, post-performance interviews, peer Q&A sessions, and encouragement and coaching from leaders offered participants opportunities to regain confidence and re-establish their identity as police officers. This suggests that police theater functions as a mechanism for eliciting catharsis while aligning with the format of Forum Theatre. In sum, police trainees experienced relief from fear and anxiety through the methods of police theater and the facilitator’s leadership, which allowed participants to establish their ‘police professionalism’.