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Personal Side of Policing Response

Personal Side of Policing Response


Joel Rodriguez

CJS/210 Fundamentals of Policing:


January 15, 2015

Harvey Smith

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Personal Side of Policing Response

How does stress affect the policing community?


-Stress affects the policing community in many ways. Long hours can contribute to escalated
stress among police officers. Fatigue can cause officer's to lose focus easily, and when your job
requires you to be vigilant and alert this may increase stress levels. Some officer's may
experience stressful situations and life or death circumstances. Even though this is expected
when being an officer of the law, it can often lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
This is a very serious problem, and the outcome is not always good. While helping the
community can be very rewarding, it can also be very stressful to the officer. In recent times, the
job of an officer has become increasingly more difficult due to negativity portrayed in the media
and people's false presumptions of all police officers and actions that they have taken to protect
themselves and the community. (Grant, H. B., & Terry, K. J. 2008)

How does police culture support police officers in evolving job situations?
-Police culture supports police officer's in evolving job situations in many ways. Police officer's
are often dealing with the same kinds of stress. They can relate and bond with their fellow police
officer's, which can often get them through tough times. It tends to be easier in stressful
situations when you know that someone relates to how you feel. It is a very rewarding feeling
when you can have special bonds with your coworkers and know that you can always lean on
them and talk to them. Often times, departments become like small communities or families. In
times of stress it can be extremely beneficial to the officer's and their family.

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Personal Side of Policing Response


What resources exist to help officers handle stress?
-There are many resources that exist to help officers handle stress. Some departments have their
own psychiatrists who can help with stressful situations. If an officer feels overwhelmed due to a
stressful situation they can seek professional help individually or with a group of officers dealing
with similar situations. Government benefits are also used in situations of stress. Officers can
seek professional help privately with healthcare that is provided by their departments. If stress
gets too overwhelming, officers are entitled to paid sick time and vacation time.

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Personal Side of Policing Response


References
Grant, H. B., & Terry, K. J. (2008). Law enforcement in the 21st century (2nd ed).Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Walker, S., & Katz, C. M. (2011). The police in America: An introduction (7th ed.).New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

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