The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | June 2023
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about advancement , favoritism and inequitable disciplinary practices . If you are at the command level and you recognize what I ’ m talking about , now is the time to right the ship . Your people are not going to stay if they are not getting a fair s hot at advancement , promotion , continuing education opportunities , or even backing them up when they need you . If your department is more of an example of what not to do , don ’ t complain about losing personnel to other departments or the private sector .
And keep in mind , the reputation of the department is also a big factor in recruitment . People talk all the time , and the police world is a close-knit community . Not to corporatize policing , because that is the last thing we should be doing , but your department must have good credibility and branding . Officers should want to lateral to your department , recruits should want to be a part of your agency , and the public should be happy to have your officers maintaining law and order .
DESTIGMATIZING SEEKING HELP It ’ s time to take officer health and wellness seriously , and that means it is high time to stop eating our own . Stop throwing good officers way when they need the backing of the department the most . Being a police officer is not just a career and a calling — it is an identity . If your department is consistently pushing officers out who need treatment for depression , PTSD , anxiety or substance use , what message does that send to other officers who are struggling ? They will suffer in silence , quit your agency , or worse yet , take their own life . That is unacceptable !
When a cop hurts their back or blows out their knee , they are allowed to come back and resume work once the injury is healed . Why is it not the same for PTSD or depression ? What is so different about these individuals ? The answer is nothing . They are not a liability , they are an asset — even more so because by allowing them to get well and come back to the job , you have set an example for the whole department . You show that yes , the job is stressful , and yes , the job contributed to you needing time off for treatment , but we want you back . We want you to show others that it is okay to get treatment , that it is not the end of an officer ’ s career or identity , and you are part of the blue family .
I can attest to seeing officers come back to the job stronger than before after various events such as PTSD , depression , and even coming close to suicide . By coming back , they set an example for others in the department . By welcoming them back , the department demonstrates its support for their officers .
MAXIMIZING YOUR INVESTMENT Consider this : How much time and money does it take to hire and train a new officer ? What is the return on investment if that officer leaves shortly after they get through their probationary period ?
Recruiting new officers is a daunting task today , so if you are not working on your retention efforts , your open positions will continue to grow , your overtime costs will grow , your ability to fully staff shifts will drop , and your morale will continue to plummet . If you truly want to be the reason they don ’ t quit , work to cerate an environment that promotes officers supporting one another and reaching out to each other . Remember , nobody gets through a law enforcement career without collecting trauma , but it is the support they have that can make a difference .
There are dedicated officers who are willing to do the job day in and day out , but they need to know they have your support and you have their back . The question is , do you ?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nicholas Greco IV , MS , BCETS , CATSM , FAAETS , is president and founder of C3 Education and Research , Inc . Nick has over 25 years of experience training civilians and law enforcement . He has directed , managed and presented on over 550 training programs globally across various topics including depression , bipolar disorder , schizophrenia , verbal de-escalation techniques , post-traumatic stress disorder , burnout and vicarious traumatization . Nick has authored over 325 book reviews and has authored or co-authored over 35 articles in psychiatry and psychology .
He is a subject matter expert for Police1 / Lexipol and Calibre Press , as well as a CIT instructor for the Chicago Police Department , CIT Coordinator and Lead CIT Trainer for the Lake County Sheriff ’ s CIT Program as well as other agencies . Nick is a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association ( ILEETA ), IACP , IPSA , LETOA and CIT International , Committee Chair for the IPSA Mental Health Committee , and a member of the Wellness support team for Survivors of the Blue Suicide ( SBS ).
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