NCJ Number
104144
Date Published
1986
Length
22 pages
Annotation
Using illustrations from the author's 17 years' experience with the Los Angeles Police Department, this chapter examines critical issues facing the police psychologist in police training.
Abstract
The first issue in training is selection of an appropriate model. While police requirements for accountability and discipline have traditionally resulted in a military model, increasing emphasis on police professionalism and changing police roles are contributing to the adoption of less authoritarian and more interactive models. Because police must be able to work effectively with people, they must both know themselves and be provided with psychological training to develop their interaction and crisis resolution skills, particularly those needed for working with victims. As more women join the police, specialized training is needed to help them successfully meet the demands of physical, self-defense, and academy training and to deal with their sometimes hostile male colleagues. While an informal peer counseling system has existed within police departments, training in peer counseling can increase the effectiveness of this method of dealing with job-and family-related problems. In addition, supervisory and management training can aid middle-managers in recognizing early signs of emotional distress in their subordinates, provide them with brief assessment and intervention techniques, and teach them referral skills. Finally, lifelong physical fitness and wellness training can provide a tool for stress management among officers. Programs such as these, in which the psychologist plays a key role, are doing much to help police fulfill their roles and deal with the many problems of police work. 171 references.