NCJ Number
117390
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 56 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1989) Pages: 21-22,24 27-28,30-31
Date Published
1989
Length
7 pages
Annotation
These six articles examine the sources and signs of police job stress and suggest ways for reducing stress in police agencies.
Abstract
A police chief notes that 14 of the 38 members of his police academy class have left the service due to disability, death, and dismissal; 9 have had alcohol dependency programs; and a disproportionate number have experienced marital problems, including divorce. Three physicians describe the post-traumatic stress disorder and note that its symptoms may begin either immediately after a severe trauma or build gradually as mild stressors are repeated over prolonged periods of time. Additional papers recommend a method for screening out psychologically unsuitable police officers and recommend measures to reduce stress in police work. These include the establishment of a debriefing system to lessen the tension after a work shift, allowing little or no rotating of duty shifts or beats, discouraging the constant rotation of supervisors, training supervisors to recognize problems and initiate remedial actions, and providing and encouraging confidential access to family and personal health agencies outside the department. Footnotes.