FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
CHIEF JOHN ZEBROWSKI SAYREVILLE PD
The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | October 2021
Under normal conditions , the responsibilities carried out by our officers on a daily basis require hyper-vigilance for even the most routine responses . Police officers are accustomed to carrying out their duties under the most critical of circumstances . They are prepared to run into schools during an active shooter situation , evacuate buildings during bomb threats and apprehend individuals who would do them harm . However , when society is disrupted it leans heavily on law enforcement for help .
The COVID / 19 pandemic has created a range of unforeseen and unprecedented challenges for us as agency leaders . None more so than maintaining the well-being of our officers .
Although there is little precedence for a COVID / 19 pandemic response there are those who point to two historically significant crises that impacted police practices for some guidance ; the HIV epidemic and the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 . During the HIV epidemic of the 80 ’ s police officers were responsible for policing within an environment that misperceived the threat and overestimated the risk , particularly towards contracting HIV through individual public contact . The September 11 attacks draw similarities through a more global lens . After the attacks officers responsibilities seemed to grow exponentially from protecting lives on a local level to guarding against terrorists and other hate group attacks .
With that said , these crises taught us that despite their ability to handle a higher degree of stressors due to their training and experience our officers can reach a point where additional stress causes trauma resulting in various mental and physical symptoms related to anxiety and stress . Such manifestations can also impact the officer ’ s job performance and satisfaction ; even to the point of questioning their loyalty to the agency and their peers , as well as , lead to acts of misconduct .
Against that backdrop , several valuable lessons were learned . First , preparation remains a key component to avoid stress overload . That begins with having a comprehensive operations plan that outlines roles , responsibilities and satisfies the logistic pipeline to keep our officers informed and safe . Secondly , we must continue to train , albeit in a safe manner , our officers on their response to present or future unforeseen pandemics . Finally , we must provide the necessary support for our officers to be resilient .
Hopefully , we are closer to resuming normal policing activities rather than maintaining the current “ new normal .” Yet , there still seems be a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the nature of the COVID virus and its comparatively long duration indicating this crisis has not passed . Thus , it remains our collective effort and responsibility to learn more about the impact of the pandemic on our officers and how best to ensure they have the coping skills to remain healthy and productive .
I look forward to continued opportunities to share experiences and take part in continued discussions amongst our membership to that end .
Chief John Zebrowski NJSACOP President
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