NCJ Number
140494
Journal
Texas Police Journal Volume: 40 Issue: 11 Dated: (December 1992) Pages: 1-3
Date Published
1992
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The key to being a successful police officer, according to this author, is balancing the desire to be an officer with the needs of a personal life.
Abstract
Comparing modern police officers to the Perfect Scholar- Divine Warriors of early feudal Japan, he urges law enforcement officers to master and control their "warrior" side, while simultaneously nurturing and developing their "scholarly" side. Unlike obsessed officers, who often suffer from failed marriages, alcohol and drug abuse, and strained relations with family and friends, the warrior officer will be able to achieve moderation in all pursuits. Some veteran officers have a ritual they follow when leaving their station every day; the ritual helps them to relax and to make the transition into their personal lives. They make a conscious effort to reduce their stress and to leave their work behind when off duty. The warrior officer, unlike the obsessive officer, is able to assess his weaknesses, strengths, partners, and limits, and most important, to accept his own mortality.