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Cop Stress
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Bill Kurtis Interview
The following is an interview with Bill Kurtis regarding
Cop Counselors and the Police Protective Fund’s
efforts to distribute this video nationwide.
By Joshua Meeks
Our show is a way to short circuit that process. It What prompted you to address this issue?
brings people together without bringing them
together, if you know what I mean. It sounds funny, We recently got back from Columbine where we did
television is often criticized, but it really is a great the third year anniversary episode. What we found
way to learn. You can see what someone else is going was that everyone in the community is suffering from
through. Television can communicate from one unit a form of PTSD, from the Supreme Court justice who
to another, one city to another. was running the investigation to the families of those
killed. It just doesn’t go away.
Police Officers with PTSD can get counseling, but
frankly the healing power is in listening to other The message of “Cop Counselors” is that like those
officers tell their story. When an officer hears one of
civilians at Columbine, police officers have to realize
his colleagues expressing feelings similar to his own,
that they too are vulnerable. You said “problem
it helps to relieve the pressure. We wanted this solvers,” before. Police officers are expected to be
project to speak to those heroes. They are
officers who might not expected to save
recognize their illness. others by running into
It’s incredibly important that every police fire. It’s terribly
We look for problem frustrating when it
solvers to fill the role
department in the country show this tape
doesn’t happen that
of Police Officer. because too many officers are unable to way, when they can’t
Problem solvers are accept their limitations. Providing this solve every problem.
not always They see the worst of
comfortable going to tape to department’s is as valuable as the worst. It’s
someone else and bulletproof vests. incredibly important
saying that they have that every police unit in
a problem. the country show this tape because too many
officers are unable to accept their limitations.
Did you attempt to direct the message of Cop
Counselors to the families and friends of cops What do you think of NAVPO’s effort to
-- people who may be able to encourage them distribute Cop Counselors to police officers?
to share their feelings?
It’s as valuable as bulletproof vests. Efforts like this
Yes, you described it nicely. My definition of will help to shield the psychology of police officers.
journalism is to communicate problems to intelligent When officers see this program, they will learn to
people who are going to solve those problems. recognize the PTSD warning signs in themselves and
others. If you know the signs and are willing to speak
So what is “Cop Counselors’” message for law up when you see them, you may save an officer’s
enforcers? life.
Look, you’re not invincible and you don’t have to be. Watching this video and learning more about PTSD
You don’t have to take it home with you. I have a son is just as important as learning techniques of self-
who is schizophrenic and the most comforting thing defense. If an officer doesn’t find ways to deal with
that the doctors say to me is, ‘you’re not to blame. the frustrating ills of society, he and his family will
You didn’t cause the problem. ’ That’s the message suffer when he carries his troubles home at the end
for me that got through. of the day.
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Cop Stress
by Joshua Meeks
Police officers are a tight knit group and if you plan to tell them
something they don’t want to hear, you’d better send a police officer
to do it. Steve Albrecht, a veteran of the San Diego Police Department
and a talented writer, has been filling that role for nearly twenty years.
Steve Albrecht
He has written extensively about the kind of practical, no-nonsense
law enforcement tactics that keep officers alive and on the streets.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of officers out there who don’t want to be told that they need to
change their ways. But Steve’s advice isn’t the same stale, technical style
found in many law enforcement manuals. In fact, he writes in such a loose,
stand-around-after-your-shift way, that even stubborn fourth and fifth year
officers can learn from it.
During his time with the SDPD, Albrecht wrote a column for his union paper,
The Informant. Entitled, “Street Work” his column addressed the types of
issues that experienced officers might overlook. From the simple act of
buckling your safety belt to dangerous dealings with methamphetamine “Officers often have no idea what support
addicts, his advice is directed at those simple, no-brainer mistakes that is available to them.”
get officers killed. When publications like Police Magazine, Police and
Security News and Law and Order Magazine recognized the benefits of Albrecht’s work, his
advice found a national stage.
“It’s the small details that will save your life,” Albrecht replies when asked what piece of
advice seems the most relevant for today’s police officers. Along with John Morrison (a man
that Albrecht describes as a tactical genius), Albrecht wrote “Contact and Cover” a book
that analyzes law enforcement tactics and is still used at the Federal Law Enforcement
Training Center. “John’s idea was a simple one but it works. When two officers are working
together, one talks to the
suspect while the other
watches his partner.” This
Supplement Your Training: Albrecht’s type of pairing seems simple
enough, but when done with
books “Streetwork” and “Surviving Street a rigid attention to protocol,
Patrol” are available on Amazon.com. a bad decision is half as likely
to be made. The result is a
Also look to find his courses at greater level of safety for the
ONLINEPOLICEACADEMY.org community, the officers and
the suspect.
When asked about NAVPO’s efforts to distribute the Bill Kurtis production, “Cop Counselors,”
Albrecht was fully supportive. “Spreading the word about cop counseling helps prevent
suicides by officers who have no idea what resources are available to them.” Citing as an
example, SDPD’s confidential counseling program F.O.C.U.S., Albrecht says the program
allows officers to take personal responsibility for their mental health. “Before FOCUS, we
lost a lot of cops after tragic events, including a 1978 airline crash, killing about 170 people.
Eight cops retired due to stress over that incident. But in 1984, after James Huberty killed
21 people at a nearby McDonalds, mostly little kids, we didn’t lose a single officer to stress.
FOCUS was instrumental after that tragedy in providing counseling and retaining officers.”
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“COPSHOCK” BY ALLEN R. KATES
By Joshua Meeks
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