NCJ Number
124552
Date Published
Unknown
Length
25 pages
Annotation
Information from document reviews and observations of seven Massachusetts police academy training programs formed the basis of an analysis of the role of AIDS as an occupational stressor for police.
Abstract
Police officer stress results from both real and perceived risks to a police officer's health and life. AIDS affects law enforcement personnel in several ways. Many suspects that police officers encounter fit the profiles of those at high risk for AIDS. In addition, the efforts of media and professional organizations to educate the public about AIDS have inadvertently created terror among many law enforcement and health care workers. The situations most likely to produce AIDS-related anxiety in police include street apprehensions, activities related to lock-ups, and the giving of first aid to victims. Police agencies have responded to officers' anxieties by issuing training bulletins and protocols. Police agencies also need to consider their handling of police officers with AIDS and must make police officers aware of the law relating to AIDS. 27 references.