NCJ Number
148005
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 42 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1994) Pages: 79-81
Date Published
1994
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Two small police departments in Arizona enjoy the services of a retired psychologist who volunteers several hours a week.
Abstract
The psychologist assists the agencies in pre-employment screening, hostage negotiation training, family counseling, and pre-employment interviews. With experience in school and court services, the psychologist was able to fill the agencies' need for specialized services, without breaking their budgets. The cases the psychologist sees are not reviewed by the police chief, a policy which has succeeded in establishing trust and rapport among the officers. The psychologist is exempted from policies regarding volunteers and is out of the chain of command; he does not wear a uniform or carry any sort of police identification. These steps have also helped him overcome the officers' initial suspicions. He provides short-term counseling to help officers deal with some of the stress they experience in their jobs; long-term problems are referred to the appropriate outside agencies.