Officer Safety and the risks of policing - Essay Example

Officer Safety and the Risks of Policing of Affiliation: Officer Safety and the Risks of Policing Introduction Police remains one of the high-risk jobs in comparison to many other jobs. Ideally, in the line of duty, the police usually face a number of challenges, which include assaults. It is common knowledge that a police officer should always be combat ready to counter enemies who in most instances are usually unknown to them (IFPO, 2010). Based on the above prospects, it is substantively clear that other than the fear of physical harm, police officers are also exposed to different violent activities, which contributes significantly towards the mental stresses that the police officers usually experience as well as other effects on health that they put their lives against.

Indeed, in every aspect of their lives, it is evident that the lives of police officers are always endangered, both when on-duty and off-duty (Asbury and Jacobs, 2014). These points out clearly on the importance of officer safety and the risks associated with policing, requiring the development of appropriate strategies that would work to provide effective solutions to such risks. Many studies and researches have been conducted in examining both the mental and physical health of police officers, in order to identify the different conditions for which the officers have a greater risk.

Police officers are usually mandated to provide the public with security without taking into consideration the circumstances involved in the provision of such security (Asbury and Jacobs, 2014). This has indeed contributed substantively towards increased police causalities, mostly in the line of duty where the officers have always become victims to assaults, in some instances by the public while in others the criminals under their watch, vehicle crashes, stress, overexertion, and falls. Officers are always the first in crime scenes, when in possession with the least of information about the potential risks in such areas, and therefore, risks to which they expose themselves (Asbury and Jacobs, 2014).

Dependent of the various aspects pertaining to police safety and the risks associated with their job, it is important that much still needs to be done in order to improve police officers’ safety and health. Many studies have been conducted in order to get the most appropriate ways of improving the safety and health of police officers be it on or off duty, however, little success has been realized. Improving the safety and health of police officers involves an in-depth understanding of the range of health and safety risks that the police face in their profession (IFPO, 2010).

This is indeed a tedious task, as it requires the evaluation of casualty statistics as well as in-depth discussion with all the concerned departments within the police force, in order to come up with amicable solutions. Despite the steps taken in providing solutions, little success has been realized in the studies, as a number of questions with direct involvement in addressing the issue remain unanswered. Some of the questions include, which is the greatest risk associated with police safety and associated risks, and what is a risk to an officer, considering that their work is associated with exposure to risks at all times?

, (IFPO, 2010). If these questions could be addressed appropriately, then amicable solutions would be provided in addressing issues pertaining to police offer safety and the risks of policing. ReferencesAsbury, S., & Jacobs, E. (2014). Dynamic Risk Assessment The Practical Guide to Making Risk-Based Decisions with the 3-Level Risk Management Model.. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. IFPO, .. (2010). The Professional Protection Officer Practical Security Strategies and Emerging Trends.. Burlington: Elsevier Science & Technology.