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Advantages of being a police officer and disadvantages
Advantages of being a police officer and disadvantages
Advantages of being a police officer and disadvantages
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Police Trauma and Addictions Tabel of Contents Introduction………………………………………………1 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder………………………….2 Substance Use and Abuse………………………………..3 Alcohol Abuse Chart…………………………………….3 Trauma Strass Interventions……………………………..4 Conclusion……………………………………………….4 Bibliography……………………………………………..5 A study of 852 police officers found that nearly 50 percent of male and 40 percent of female officers consumed excessive amounts of alcohol. Excessive amounts of alcohol is defined as more than 8 drinks per week at least twice a month or over 28 drinks a month for males and more than 6 drinks per week at least twice a month or 14 drinks a month for females and that nearly 90 percent of all officers consumed alcohol to some degree. Law enforcement officers face traumatic incidents daily. These events are unexpected and sudden and they are well beyond the bounds of normal experience. These incidents can have profound physical, emotional, and psychological impacts on officers, even for the best-trained, experienced, and seasoned officers. I have researched this topic because I want people to better understand the physical and emotional demands that a police officer must meet every day and the affects from the stress of it. In the following report I cover the topics of post traumatic stress disorder, substance use and abuse, trauma/stress interventions, and the effects of them on police departments and their officers. There are an estimate 623,000 police officers employes in the United States. It haas been argued that police officers are at increased risk for mortality as a result of their occupation. The average age of death for a police officer is 66 years old. (Law Enforcement Wellness Association) The ability to cope with stressful incidents is a personal journey that depends on an officer's past experiences with trauma. Appropriate development of coping strategies for stress is the ability to talk to family, friends, and other officers and to be able to recognize the dangers of ignoring signs and symptoms of post-incident stress. Regardless of an officer's personal experiences with traumatic incidents, avoiding, ignoring, or burying the emotional aftermath of a traumatic event can lead to serious short- and long-term consequences. Many officers believe that substance use and abuse is the best way to cope with their otherwise unbearabl... ... middle of paper ... ...sp; All members of the law enforcement community have an important role to play when it comes to evaluating, intervening, and treating trauma and addiction. When officers suffer the aftermath of trauma, they are not alone. Many officers may see themselves as weak or abnormal if they seek help, and believe that admitting psychological or emotional pain will result in disciplinary action and, perhaps, job dismissal. Not only do the officers suffer from their trauma but, importantly, their colleagues, the families they love, and the public they have sworn to protect and serve all suffer. Bibliography FBI Law enforcement Bulletin. “Critical Incident Stress In Law Enforcement.” [Online] February/March 1996. www.fbi.gov/publications/leb/1996.txt. National Center for PTSD. “Post Tramatic Stress Disorder.” [Online] February 2005. www.ncptsd.org/facts/general/fs_what_is_ptsd.htlm. Law Enforcement Wellness Association. “Police Psychological Trauma.” [Online] www.cophealth.com/article/articles_psychtrauma.html. Law Enforcement Wellness Association. “Dying From the Job; The Mortality Risk For Police Officers.” [Online] www.cophealth.com/article/articles_dying_a.html.
The article continues to interview friends of the officer saying that support is being poured out, this validates that valiance is in all police and everyday
Chief Concerns. Police Use of Force: The Essentials of Officer Aftercare. Anderson, Beverly J. 2005. http://www.mpeap.com/staff/bevarticle1.pdf
To begin with police officers faces more dangers than the average American citizen, “generally police are about three times as likely to be killed on the job as the average American” (Blako). “Some of the most important hazards police face are assaults, vehicle crashes, being struck by vehicles, stress, overexertion, and falls” (LaTourrette). Traffic stops make up a majority of the police deaths, but most of those deaths do not have to do with responding to the scene of a crime or the pursuit of a criminal suspect. Most would believe police have the most dangerous jobs in the world, yet many do not die in the line of duty. Police shows like Cops give the American population a false sense of danger when it comes day to day work of an officer. They only show the action to keep viewers interested because if you watching the normal stopping of a citizen to get a speeding ticket or to tell them a lights out the show would not be on anymore. If you do see an everyday traffic stop it is because something bad is about to happen like an oncoming vehicle probably not paying attention resul...
Working in corrections has been associated with higher stress rates due to the unpredictable nature of the field (Parker, 2006). Correctional officers are forced into dangerous situations without adequate protection as a result of the prison environment, which can further lead to physi...
the psychological health of police, fire, and ambulance officers.” International Journal of Stress Management, Vol. 11, pp. 227-44.
In order to effectively break the cycle of crime and poverty that many individuals in the county jail system are victimized by due to unresolved psychological issues (such as trauma), we must work to treat and rehabilitate those incarcerated. The importance of reentry treatment for trauma issues of inmates is deeply enmeshed in evidence based practice and trauma informed practice. There is a direct correlation between trauma treatment for inmates and lowered recidivism. In order to ensure that there is a lower incidence of reoffence it is imperative to explore the root precipitant of the offenses. Unresolved trauma leads to poor impulse control, anger outbursts, depressive symptoms and increased likelihood of substance abuse. In addressing
If we take a quick overview of police work and look at the research we can see what are some the biggest stresses. Having you partner killed in the line of duty, lack of support by the department/bosses, shiftwork and disruption of family time/family rituals and the daily grind of dealing with the stupidity of the public (Adams 399). The police officer, under the stress of responding to an armed robbery or a break-in height...
What is the purpose of police officers? Are they here to provide safety for the people or are they here to just mess up their lives? All around the country the statement “protect and serve” can be seen on any police vehicle and any police building. But more often times than not the question arises, who are they truly protecting? Themselves or the helpless citizens of The United States of America. Over the past century crimes rates have sky rocketed; although these crimes are not being committed by your everyday criminals they 're being committed by the police officers that are suppose to be protecting the people. The reasoning behind these crimes remains unknown, but, there are always two sides to every story.
Corrections work is made for special people. “Corrections officers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder at more than double the rate of military veterans in the US” (Lisitsina, 2015). This is an astonishing thought knowing what war is like across the world and the impact it has on our soldiers. This knowledge makes it difficult on new corrections officers heading into their new positions in jails and prisons. PTSD is a major health problem that can lead to suicide. A study, “found that corrections officers have a suicide rate that is twice as high as the rate of police officers and the general population” (Pitarro, 2017). When officers are put in high stress positions they also become, “less effective at their jobs and they are more likely to display withdrawal symptoms of increased absenteeism, tardiness, and an anticipation of turnover” (Tewksbury and Higgins, 2006). Needless to say, the job can lead to a series of mental health issues and consequences for the officers, which puts them at
The role of criminal justice professionals is to preserve and uphold the Constitution by enforcing laws, protecting citizen’s rights and promoting justice for all. Police officers in the field of duty must be able to discern situations to be able to act in the most appropriate manner as it relates to their job. In this case study, Officer Smith is threatened with being penalized for making a decision he thinks is good community policing, but his Lieutenant feels he violated protocol. Officer Smith responds to a domestic dispute between an intoxicated husband and wife. Normal procedure would be to arrest the husband and put him in jail until the decision is made whether or not to press charges. Instead, Officer Smith decides to intervene and asks the couple questions about if they love each other, and why they are physically assaulting each other. They respond they do love each other, but the alcohol makes them violent towards one another. Officer Smith then recommends counseling for the couple, as an alternative to putting the husband in jail. The couple agrees to
In the article “Applying Differential Coercion and Social Support Theory to Police Officer’s Misconduct”, authors Zavala and Kurtz strive to provide a connection between police officer misconduct and the emerging theory of differential coercion and social support. This is done by giving a brief description outlining the main components of differential coercion and social support theory and then examining coercive forcers, social support, intimate partner violent (IPV), and alcohol consumption among police officers (2016). The authors are able to measure these factors by using data collected from the Police Stress and Domestic Violence in Police Families in Baltimore, Maryland in 1997 – 1999. Furthermore, after running their analysis, the authors
Moonlighting can prove to be a serious threat to officer safety. With fewer resources and increased fatigue, officers may be at greater risk for serious injury. Many officers are killed while moonlighting as private security (AIMS 1991). According to Brazil military statistics, the majority of military police killed in Brazil, were killed while moonlighting (Macaulay 2007). About nine percent of officers killed in the past decade in the USA were killed while off-duty. Though the report does not specify the officer's function beyond their status as off-duty, based upon the reported circumstance of the officer's death, thirty five cases could conceivable have occurred while moonlighting (FBI 2011). A search of the The Officer Down Memorial Page finds 61 deaths over the past few decades that occurred while the officer was moonlighting (ODMP 2011).
Today 's police officer in the United States has evolved in many ways from when the first police department, the Philadelphia Police Department, formed in 1751. Police officers now go through extensive training, are better educated, physically fit, and have access to vast technologies in the fight against crime. Yet even with these additional attributes, the primary role of the police officer has remained the same, to serve and protect. The people who take up this profession do it knowing that it will involve working in high stress environments, rotating work shifts, long periods way from family and friends, and instances of life and death. These officers dedicate themselves to helping others and work to make their community a safer place. It 's a profession that requires ethics, honor, integrity, and professionalism if you wish to succeed as a police officer.
Each year the number of cop deaths increase every year. The average age of the deceased law enforcement officer was 09 years of age with 13 years of experience. Which the chance of being killed is 6 out of 10 officers when dealing with assaults. The average rate of an officer killed accidently in the line of death in 2009, was 35 years old and with an average of serving 9 years!
The functions they perform are varied in nature and thus they have to be on their toes all the time. Excessive work load affects their health. Some of the police persons succumb to smoking and drinking to release their work pressure. If they are not leading a healthy life it’s impossible for them to give their best to this profession.