Resiliency Training for Officers in
Georgia
Buddy Johnson
The least common denominator and most valuable resource in any police organization are its personnel . The quality of service a police department provides its community is directly related to the quality of its personnel . Agencies across the country expend considerable resources each year to identify , recruit , and select the most qualified candidates .
Over the course of their career , officers are engaged in a staggering number of traumatic events . Isolated , extremely traumatic incidents such as an officer-involved shooting , vehicle pursuit resulting in an injury or death , or a gruesome crime scene can have an immediate and significant impact on an individual . At the same time , the cumulative effect of frequent , less impactful events is just as damaging as a very serious , isolated incident . For example , imagine extending your arms out from the body holding five-pound weights . At first , the weights can be held with ease . However , the longer the small weights are held the harder it is to keep the arms extended . Stress from small incidents has a similar impact on an individual . The stress from events such as the adversarial nature of the legal system , inability to resolve a victim ’ s pain and feelings of insecurity , baseless complaints , constant need to defend their actions , and conflicting administrative directives becomes very heavy . Compound this with the recent social unrest , rhetoric blaming police for societal issues , and political efforts to defund police agencies the cumulative effect can be overwhelming . Over time , this stress compounds to create post traumatic issues that lead to social , mental , and physical health issues in our officers .
For decades , we have read about police cynicism , machismo , authoritarianism , burnout , and fatigue . When stress ‘ bottles-up ’; the pressure must be released . Many individuals simply choose to opt out of the profession after their first few years . While some officers learn positive approaches to let off steam such as hobbies and exercise , others ignore or dismiss the symptoms . Eventually , the problem manifests itself in those who stay on the job in a variety of behavioral issues including a poor work ethic and inappropriate on and off-duty behavior . Some abuse alcohol , prescription drugs , or other self-medication options . Research has demonstrated police officers are an elevated risk of experiencing depression , anxiety , heart disease , diabetes , stokes , and other chronic diseases .
The most troubling statistic is the number of officers who choose to take their own lives each year . In 2019 , the number of police officers who committed suicide ( n = 228 ) was almost twice as high as the number killed in the line of duty ( n = 132 ). All of these consequences come at a huge operational and financial cost to organizations . 1
The police profession has failed to prepare officers how to maintain a
52 FALL . 2020