NCJ Number
106697
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 35 Issue: 8 Dated: (August 1987) Pages: 78-80
Date Published
1987
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Police officers are at risk of acquiring AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) through noncasual contact with the body fluids of AIDS carriers, but this does not warrant police officers' prejudging persons as AIDS carriers and withholding police services from them.
Abstract
Officers' duties include the giving of first aid to accident and crime victims as well as exposure to malevolent AIDS carriers who may attempt to infect officers. Officers' risk of exposure to mobile AIDS carriers can produce unfounded fear and unreasonable protective behaviors among police officers. One approach to limiting such exposure was implemented in San Antonio, Tex. The Director of Health wrote all known AIDS patients in his jurisdiction a letter charging them to refrain from all sexual intercourse with any persons not having a confirmed diagnosis of AIDS, from the giving of blood, and from the sharing of intravenous needles. They were informed that failure to comply with the letter's mandates would constitute a third-degree felony. The difficulty of enforcing this policy is obvious. Historically, attempts to quarantine and control the actions of persons with infectious diseases have had limited effectiveness. Police officers must deal with the threat of AIDS in an informed, practical manner that will not seriously compromise their performance of mandated services to citizens.