Stress Management For Law Enforcement

In many law enforcement agencies across the country, the "shield" is the official term for an officer's badge. With the nominal meaning of "shield" being a protective barrier, the subtitle of this book, Behind the Shield, signifies a look past the thin blue line and deep into the heart of the law enforcement officer.

Today, stress and trauma in law enforcement are more prevalent than ever before. Stress and trauma are produced not only from events in the field that police officers across the country face, but also from internal departmental events and policies that are actually responsible for the officer's employment and well-being. Law enforcement men and women face daily challenges that most American citizens could not fathom. It is during and after such challenging events that over-scrutinizing of officers and lack of support may be so prevalent and damaging.

Excessive supervision, second guessing, and internal investigations, coupled with the specters of death and despair, eat away at the very physical and psychological foundation of the officer. The mental health of law enforcement personnel should be of the highest priority as it directly affects the quality of service and protection citizens receive and often demand.

Readers of this book will learn what law enforcement officers really experience on a daily basis, including:

How officers actually feel, from the inside out, while coping with the enemy within.
How, in some departments, police suicides actually outnumber line-of-duty police killings, and why.
How police families are torn apart from the results of stress and trauma.
How a spouse lives with the burdens of loneliness and fear of the loss of his or her loved one.

This book discusses the analogy of a breaking point that comes from the many stress and trauma factors inherent throughout police work. Personal experiences and reflections gleaned through honest responses to questions posed reveal officers' states of mind. Finally, this book explores the coping mechanisms, supervisory goals and behaviors, and rehabilitation programs presently in place that enable the police officer to continue functioning as a public servant and protector.

For as many heroes as are in law enforcement, there are those standing behind them ready to catch them as they fall victim and succumb to the tribulations within their profession. They are the families, peers, psychologists and psychiatrists, and other mental health professionals who are dedicated to restoring the mental well-being of the officers they represent. Many of these people, profiled in this book, today offer their professional services within established programs by working in support units such as critical incident debriefing teams, or volunteering as peer counselors.

When the young adults, sometimes family members or neighbors, enter into the world of law enforcement, they are entitled to support, for they are the part of society that is sent forward to serve and protect. This service comes with a heavy price. These men and women are asked by society to lay down their lives so that others may live, work and play in peace, free from the harmful elements that detract from a safe environment.