Officer Safety
Based on the scenario given, “an officer being on duty in a cell block alone for an amount of time during a shift change”, could cause safety issues. Especially when one considers the additional information that the officer was up most of the night with a sick child and working overtime throughout the week.
In “25 Horrible things that happen if you don’t get enough sleep,” Lauren F. Friedman (2014) contends that, “Everyone knows that it's important to get enough sleep — but you may not realize just how many things can go wrong when you don't” (n.p.). The article further elaborates that being sleep deprived can cause one to not be at the top of their game (Friedman, 2014). For example, one can have a delayed reaction time that
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So many different circumstances can transpire in a prison setting for an officer who has had a good night’s rest. To put an officer who is sleep deprived into a scenario that is dangerous could cost him or someone else their life.
Not only is the officer sleep deprived, but he is also worried about his sick child. Worrying can also cause the officer to have anxiety. Someone who has anxiety can suffer a short memory loss. In a crisis situation, it may be difficult to recall the proper way of handling a dangerous situation. Along with short term memory loss, an officer can also have anxiety. Anxiety can affect the body in different methods. Along with memory loss, it could cause shaking of the hands, nausea, headache, or irritable bowel, to name a few.
Another safety issue that could arise, is if the officer chose to carry his cell phone while working. In the circumstance of a sick child, the officer may have felt the need to keep the cell phone close in case of an emergency at home. If an inmate discovered that the officer had a cell phone on his person, along with being in an isolated area, could give the inmate opportunity to act on this scenario in a split
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Therefore, if the officer is sleep deprived, and physically tired, he should think critically about whether he has the ability to perform his job efficiently. Taking the time off to get the proper rest his body needs, could be the responsible decision in order to keep everyone safe.
The role of the correction officer is not like most careers. The correction officer prepares each work day with the unknowing of what will transpire throughout the shift. It is so important that the come to work refreshed, stress free and ready to tackle whatever is needed. It is also important that the facility provides the tools to assure the officer’s safety as well as the inmates. The article, Video Advancements, written by G.F. Guercio, states that “v ideo-based search tools facilitate looking into areas that are not easily accessible, or difficult to see, increasing the efficiency, effectiveness and safety of search operations, says Levine, and thus the security of the facility”. Therefore having the video cameras is an essential tool that can ease the stress of the officer’s ability to perform his
Unfortunately, our captain quickly squashed the officers’ petition and advised them to maintain their 8 hour shift. That being said, I noticed many officers put in requests to transfer out to other stations that still offers power shifts. Our station is currently low on manpower (officers and supervisors), and I can see the strain and exhaustion on everyone’s face during roll call. Police executives must find innovative ways to retain officers at accommodate their
After his shift and even during his shift, he would take notes of everything that happened to him during that shift. He would take quotes of other cops and go off of what they said and clarify their reasoning. Have you ever heard the saying “in one ear and out the other” when your parents are scolding you for forgetting to do something? For police officers this is a good thing to have but not for hearing, but for remembering certain events. Who would forget a twelve person shooting? Officer Moskos did. He only remembered it because he looked back at his notes a few months later from that incident occurred. For cops already dealing with a difficult job his/her “best friend” is the ability to forget the events. If you dwell on the event itself, it can only hurt you in the long
The way correction officers are treated in prison is dreadful. “A corrections officer was seriously burned Monday morning in an attack by an inmate at the Green Bay Correctional Institution” (Roberts, 2016). This topic interest me because most of my life my brother has described the working conditions of correction officers in prison. I remember him telling me how one officer had his finger bitten off by an inmate. Correction officers are the guards who work in prison to enforce prisoners, so that inmates do not find themselves constantly in trouble. In addition, the officers ensure inmates’ safety. Despite the fact that the officers want to secure the inmate 's safety, people are unaware of the hardships officers face every day. A great deal of the rigorous challenges guards go through are never mentioned on the news or make it to newspapers. Correction officers are rarely mentioned within society, even though they are a huge part of the law enforcement. There is a
The impact of rotating shift work on police officers in terms of fatigue, increased stress, and other long term medical problems cannot be overstated. In 2011, an in-depth research project, “Sleep disorders, health, and safety in police officers” (JAMA, 2011), was conducted involving a group of North American police officers in regards to the sleep disorders and the health and safety of the officers participating. The study involved 4,957 officers that worked rotating shifts over a period of approximately two years. The findings were startling and revealed that 3,930 officers (79.3%) were overweight or obese. Another 40.7% tested positive for at least one (1) sleep disorder and the majority of those that tested positive for a disorder had not previously been diagnosed with any sleep condition. 28.5% of the officers reported excessive sleepiness during the study while another 45.9% of the officers reported falling asleep at the wheel at least one (1) to two (2) times a month. Participants were also found to exhibit other adverse work related issues such as displaying uncontrolled anger at suspects and increased rates of absenteeism. The study concluded that, “sleep disorders were common and were significantly associated with increased risk of self-reported adverse health, performance, and safety outcomes” (JAMA, 2011, p. 2). Participants involved in the study reported higher levels of citizen complaints against officers that tested positive for sleep disorders. According to some research, the increase in complaints may be attributed to the fact that officers suffering from excessive sleepiness may be unable to “govern appropriate behavioral responses to negative emotional stimuli” based on their levels of fatigue (JAMA, 2011, p....
Being an officer who protects and serves is already quite terrifying. Having to be with inmates that have killed or assaulted people are the worst of the worst. A correctional officer has big responsibilities to keep themselves safe and their families safe when they go home later that day. You have to think about what goes through the minds of the inmates when you have to keep them in check, or watch over them. Do they want to kill you, your family, show up at your house.
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...
A typical day for a Correctional Officer would be the preparing of inmates for court appearances. They also receive new inmates to the facility brought in by the Sheriffs Department. Each new inmate must be photographed and fingerprinted upon immediate arrival to the Pre Trial Centre. They are then stripped and fully searched inside and out. With that ...
the psychological health of police, fire, and ambulance officers.” International Journal of Stress Management, Vol. 11, pp. 227-44.
First, stress in the lives of police officers often result in poor performance from sleep deprivation and panic. Sleep deprivation is one effect that stress can have on officers. The fatigue that stress causes can very literally kill the affected officer. Many times, officers hold anxiety inside them. When they are in bed, they are oftentimes let alone to think, which leads to many “racing thoughts” and “what if’s” (Koeling). Thinking about such things can keep officers awake for hours, leaving them fatigued and sleep-deprived when they report for work the next day. More causes of sleep deprivation are due to stressful, long shifts and odd hours (Casey). As a third-shift security guard for four years, Carl Koeling has had his share of sleep deprivation. In a recent interview, he said that when he stood a sleep-deprived watch, he remembers feeling “lightheaded and woozy” (Koeling). As a psychologist for thirty-eight years, Koeling also knows that fatigue caused by stress can also affect officers’ judgement, balance, and physical health (Koeling). It is vital that these three things be working properly for those in law enforcement, as the work they do often depends on good decision-making, decent balance, and high levels of physical fitness and well-being (Miller “Law Enforcement”). Panic is another effect that stress can have on police officers.
According to his perspective, he has not been scared waking up in the morning because he feels that if he does not do something wrong to another person or harm them then nothing would happen to him. He has all kind of support, and if he is trying to do good for a nation, why should one punish him. This officer inspired me if I ever get the opportunity to help one; I would gladly take that opportunity, and help at my best. He shared about his kids who are motivated by him and wants to a police officer like him. Significantly, if he would not have been a police officer then he would have joined the U.S. army because he always wanted to serve our nation and if he were not in the police department then he would have been serving the nation if he was selected into it. Taking a step forward and protect the nation is not easy. Police officers keep themselves active so, the society can sleep, travel and walk around the street safely. As officer Hansen had conveyed couple cases, some made him involve FBI. There were a lot of cases in which he needed help from the
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
sleep in America and its effects on performance. The articles gave different types of results from different kinds of data with different degrees of definiteness. In spite of their differences, both articles showed that lack of sleep is a cause for decreased performance and a detriment to a productive and healthy lifestyle.
If all of these important activities occur during sleep, why is it that people are so willing to short themselves of this vital activity? Although much about sleep still remains a mystery, research and experiments continue to show how important sleep is to each and every person. Throughout this paper, I will discuss sleep and the effects that it has on performance and health, especially among college students. A college student’s sleeping pattern is a reliable indicator of their level of performance in the classroom and other school-affiliated activities, as a lack of sleep leads to decreased performance. Sleep is directly related to the level of performance and health of an individual; the more rested a person is, the better that person will perform and feel (Dryer, 2006).
Officer Carl works a twelve-hour shift which starts from 8:00 clock in the morning to 8:00 clock in the evening, but at times he rotates shifts during the weekend. Officer Carl made me aware that being a police officer was his passion and he does not see himself doing any job than being a police officer. He further explained that helping people, apprehending individuals for a crime and lesson violations on the community and on the road was what makes him happier. Also, he said that the only thing he hates about his job was the lack of sleep, and the long hours shift makes him feels he doesn’t have enough strength and
If you decide to become a Police officer you must be available for shift work at any time of day and any day of the week, including holidays. Some Shifts can be longer than the standard eight-hour office day. The routine of the job can also be dangerous, as well as physically and e...