Impact of Stress on Police Officers - Report Example

Impact of Stress on Police Officers Table of Contents 2 2.Introduction 2 3.Possible causes for stress 3 4.Stress management 4 5.Proposed Solutions of NYC Patrolmens Benevolent Association 6 6.Bibliography 7 1. Abstract The purpose of the present study is to understand the impact of stress on the police officers performance in their routine life as well as on health and discuss the possible solutions to trim down the strain level. Usually the problem of elevated stress is escorted by an assortment of substantial reactions. (G A Goolkasian, 1985) These symptoms might be attributing of other physical or psychological disorders. Due to the intense work, risk prone profession and long duty hours the police officers job is an easy target for stress. The Stress in police officers is also allied with the repression of the immune system, making officers disease prone is more usual site these days. Dealing with constant stress has endangered officer’s life with proximities of developing cancer, gastrointestinal, skin diseases, neuron and emotional disorders. (Gerald Matthews, 2000) The humans response to tackle stress are further classified into duo patterns, Positive and Negative. The Positive pattern is defined that the appropriate work stress be capable of motivating the law officers latent and enhances their performance while on the other hand, the extremity of work stress impacts in negative and majorly control career performance and personal life. (Gerald Matthews, 2000) 2. Introduction Police profession is a psychologically demanding work environment packed with soaring risks, towering demands & uncertainty in work encounters, depression and high risk of fatality. It is well acknowledged that police officers and their families endure elevated degree of stress as compared to other professions. (Ellison, 2004) As per a survey, it has been revealed that in New York City only, around 21 police officers committed suicide during the fiscal year 1994-95. (Dennis Jay Kenney, 1999) These raising suicidal tendencies have formed the impulsion for the research & development of suitable resolution of the dilemma revealed via soaring number of suicides amongst the largest metropolitan police force of USA. (Ellison, 2004) The constant pressure for the effectual imposition of law enforcement leads officers in risk prone situation for attaining diseases like “high blood-pressure, insomnia, increased levels of destructive stress hormones, heart problems, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and even suicide.” (Dennis Jay Kenney, 1999) Some caution indications of a stressed out officer might comprises of a reduced communication with family or friends, exhaustion, quick temperament and excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs. Usually, a police officer spends an average of 14 hours/day on duty. This constant exposure to long duty hours results in high level of frustration and depressive or negative approach towards life. (Miletich, 1990) 3. Possible causes for stress Shift Stress Deployment in long Shifts impacts significantly on an officers family leading the officer into a jeopardy situation. This element is well acknowledged to be one of the key components of a soaring divorce rate amid police officers. (Mtthews, 1979) The national average for divorce in a US civilian family is around 39–44 %, whilst in the law enforcing officers the divorce rate is in close proximity to 68%-74 %. Studies show that the most responsible cause for this is due to the strained relationships. (Kruger, 2002 ) The problem while working in shifts gets worse where the both husband and wife are working. The spouses and families are impacted most via officers shift work from the end-less shift rotation to the sleepless nights. (Blau, 1994) Some workers are ought to be dragged into a depressing, self-perpetuating succession of deprived family life, reduced job performance in addition with pitiable health. (Miletich, 1990) This vicious cycle ultimately leads to the inferior self-esteem, hopelessness, divorce and ultimately job loss of the officer. The law enforcement career is an intense and interesting career. It has the potential to be one of the worst jobs that anyone can have, but also has the potential to be the most rewarding profession there is. (Madonna, 2002) 4. Stress management The MAP {Members Assistance Program} for the diminution of stress for NYPD Officers and their Families comprises of a “synergistic assistance program” that capitalize on the use of the entire accessible resources impacting the lives of NYPD officers. A lot of law enforcement agencies together with the New York Police Department offer professional assistance accessible to police officers to take care of stress-related issues. (www.nycpba.org) Police officers have made negligible utilization of the department’s professional services. The professional police officers are said to believe that on every occasion one link in the social order they represent be unsuccessful to support them, the officers be apt to suspect all of the representatives of their community. Consequently, the NYPD officers assumed the Police Department’s support services had the potential to betray confidential matters; they tended not to use those services. (Mtthews, 1979) The diminution of stress for “New York City Police Officers” and their Families project has fruitfully established distrust of support services by police officers are possible to be altered. The methodology utilized by MAP in New York City took a methodical approach in the development of a well-built volunteer peer support program and embraced all the assets offered by mechanisms of the police ethnicity. The MAP organized volunteer peer support program restored in law enforcement personnel a renewed sense of trust. Trust is vital to aid police officers formulate the decision that it is not dangerous for them to solicit for assistance when experiencing stress in their lives and in their chosen profession. (www.nycpba.org) The successebility of the “Map Program” to trim down the level of strain amidst the law enforcement officers in expressions of fiscal liabilities, efficiency and momentum in the implementation are consequential from the initial research accomplished by the “MAP Director, William Genet.” The study conducted by the William Genet on strain diminution plans have delivered the required information to facilitate the growth and rapid execution of a novel approach towards escalating suicidal tendencies in the law enforcement department. (www.nycpba.org) The “MAP program” requisites the conception of collaboration will in the midst of civilians, personal as well as in governmental agencies and in all designations of the law regulation department’s multifarious bureaucratic systems. The “MAP project” portrays that a victorious “stress reduction program” might only be structured, realized, assessed and accustomed devoid of a lengthy process of improvement. A load of useful knowledge delivered by the investigation reports, federal in addition with state government credentials and instances obtained via private sector endows with theoretical main points for executing the effectual “peer support programs.” (www.nycpba.org) 5. Proposed Solutions of NYC Patrolmens Benevolent Association The “Stress Reduction Program” {SRP} has discovered the below detailed way outs to tackle with the all-purpose in addition with precise hindrances: (www.nycpba.org) Secured “personnel agreements” with law enforcement departments comprising that are related with utilization of firearms. Execution of the contracts to guarantee the confidentiality of a1l joining officers. A contract to be done with the NYPD to maintain all records in safe custody at an “off-site location” for the support of police officers indulging in receiving the benefits of the “Peer Support Program” {PSP}. A manifestation by MAP personnel’s’ to explain that the secrecy will not be compromised. Strategically approach towards developing a system to enhance contact with neuro practitioners. (www.nycpba.org) 6. Bibliography Blau, T. H. (1994). Psychological Services for Law Enforcement: Psychological Services for Law Enforcement. John Wiley and Sons. Dennis Jay Kenney, R. P. (1999). Police and Policing: Contemporary Issues. Greenwood Publishing Group. Ellison, K. W. (2004). Stress and the Police Officer. Charles C. Thomas. G A Goolkasian, R. W. (1985). Coping with Police Stress. National Institute of Justice. Gerald Matthews, D. R. (2000). Human Performance: Cognition, Stress, and Individual Differences. Psychology Press. Kruger, K. J. (2002 ). Dealing with Domestic Violence in Law Enforcement Relationships. Madonna, J. M. (2002). Treating Police Stress: The Work and the Words of Peer Counselors. C.C. Thomas. Miletich, J. J. (1990). Police, Firefighter, and Paramedic Stress: An Annotated Bibliography. Greenwood Press. Mtthews, C. J. (1979). Police Stress - A selected Bibliography Concerning Police Stress and the Pshycological Evaluation and counselling of Police. Centre of Criminology. www.nycpba.org. (n.d.). Read More