NCJ Number
227098
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 78 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2009 Pages: 9-13
Date Published
May 2009
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article examines the concept of spiritually preparing police officers for their profession as clergy are prepared for parish ministry.
Abstract
Findings suggest that failure to appreciate the spiritual life substantially contributes to the detrimental effects of policing on law enforcement officers. The direct result of the occupational stress of police officers is on the interior lives of the officers. There appears to be a general absence of the kinds of conceptual resources necessary to deal with the problems in law enforcement. The public in general is largely unfamiliar with the horror and heartbreak that officers see every day. It is the constant presence of some of these forces that can prove so devastating. To ignore these realities is to ignore the lives of the men and women concerned and the meaningfulness of those lives. Without a return to an awareness and appreciation of those spiritual realities in the lives of law enforcement officers and other first responders is to impoverish and endanger the very souls of these dedicated individuals who have willingly placed themselves in harm's way to protect their fellow human beings. 11 endnotes