NCJ Number
197083
Date Published
2002
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This chapter provides an overview of the evolution, as well as the state of the art, of psychological/behavioral science in its application for the support of police officers involved in the rigors of 21st-century policing.
Abstract
"In the old days," when police officers were exposed to the trauma inherent in their work, they perceived no other options than denying it, repressing it, drinking it (and themselves) to death, or slowly deteriorating physically and emotionally. The majority of the innovations in addressing and countering the effects of stress for police officers have occurred in the past 25 years. These innovations include employee assistance programs, stress units whose focus is the prevention and relieving of officer stress, chaplains who are available to nourish the spiritual resources of officers in dealing with stress, departmental mental health professionals, stress awareness training, post-incident debriefings, and specialized treatment for officers. There are hundreds of programs across the country that address the psychological needs of thousands of police officers; however, there are well over 600,000 officers in over 18,000 police agencies who do not have the care they need for continued mental health under the stresses of their jobs and personal lives. As individuals and as agencies, the impact of stress in policing is still hidden under the instinct for denial. Many agencies do not give priority to the allocation of resources for the care of their own, even in the face of the resignation, early retirement, dismissal, or disability of experienced personnel. The tools for preventing and countering the effects of police stress are available as never before. It is up to police agencies and their community supporters to develop the will, the mechanics, and the resources for using these tools for the benefit of officers and the safety of the community. 4 references