CPCA WELLNESS CORNER
California Police Chiefs ’ Association ‘ s Officer and Resiliency Committee is committed to providing CPCA members with a best-inclass platform and resources ; to promote Officer Wellness and to raise awareness using a multitargeted approach . One of the strategies is to provide its members with a regular column in the California Police Chief magazine . Content will include Q & A received from the membership as well as national subject matter expert contributors on all aspects of Officer Wellness and Resiliency . We welcome you to the new “ Wellness Corner ” column . We hope you will find this helpful .
Recommendations for Law Enforcement on Coping with Fears of Ambush and
Other Unprovoked Attacks
By : Neil Gang , Chief of Police – Pinole PD , CPCA Officer Wellness and Resiliency Committee , Chairperson
NOTE : Due to space limitations , this is a redacted version of the article . The full version of this article , including the detailed recommendations , is available here : https :// www . californiapolicechiefs . org / ambush
AUTHORS :
David Black , Ph . D ., CEO and Founder of Cordico , Chief Psychologist of the California Police Chiefs Association Wellness Committee
John Carli , Chief of Police , Vacaville , California Gordon Graham , Founder of Lexipol ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS : Shahram Ardalan , Ph . D ., ABPP , Former Chair of the ABPP Ethics Committee Robin Black , Ph . D ., Federal Bureau of Investigation Robert Cipriano , Ph . D ., ABPP , Police Psychologist Joseph Etherton , Ph . D ., Research Psychologist Joel Fay , Ph . D ., ABPP , Police Psychologist Chief Neil Gang , Chair of the California Police ChiefsAssociation Wellness Committee Kristina Reynoso , Ph . D ., Police Psychologist Craig Wetterer , Ph . D ., J . D ., Forensic Psychologist
Law enforcement professionals are extraordinarily tough and
resilient individuals who face routine dangers far beyond what the average person ever encounters . The average person does not possess the courage , capabilities , or inner strength required to deal with what law enforcement sees and experiences daily . The average person is not willing to engage the most dangerous individuals , respond to the most high-risk situations , or run towards shots fired . Yet that is precisely what those who serve and protect our communities do , and they do it in service of those they have never met , to protect the lives of people whose names they do not know .
Attacks on police have surged recently , but law enforcement officers have long been victims of assault , with 552,222 officers assaulted from 2009 to 2018 , including 21,954 firearm assaults on officers , and another 90,549 assaults on officers with a knife or other dangerous weapon . Even worse , those who serve and protect are sometimes purposefully targeted for deadly ambush , and these devastating incidents become seared into our hearts and minds for all time . We will never forget the officers ambushed in Compton , Dallas , and countless other locations forever marked by these attacks . Ambushes and other acts of targeted violence directed at law enforcement can leave those who serve and protect very understandably anxious , worried , and fearful of being the next target ; this is a natural consequence of both human empathy and prioritizing officer safety . As thousands of agencies nationwide work to maintain citizen safety while their leaders strive to support civil discourse and trust in law enforcement , frontline workers suffer waves of negative emotions , accusations , and judgments .
“ Those who serve and protect form the foundation of our safe , civil , and just society ; when they are attacked , we are all forever changed .”
The full version of this article summarizes a set of recommendations for law enforcement seeking to cope with the stress and fear of being purposefully targeted for ambush and other unprovoked attacks . Many of these principles are applicable not just to fears of being ambushed or otherwise physically attacked , but also to much broader concerns about being vilified as a profession , feeling unsupported , experiencing verbal attacks , overt disrespect , and the chronic stressors associated with law enforcement work in general .
Many police psychologists , law enforcement experts , and other resources were consulted in preparing this article . Still , not all recommendations will be a good fit for all individuals , so please rely upon your own best judgment when deciding which recommendations , you choose to utilize .
30 CALIFORNIA POLICE CHIEF | www . californiapolicechiefs . org