Personal Reflection

Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement by Kevin M. Gilmartin, Ph.D. is a book that seeks to inform and instruct those seeking to be in law enforcement, law enforcement professionals and their families of the realities of a career in law enforcement- professionally and personally. And how to best prepare for emotional survival of “on-duty and off-duty” life. It also compares and contrasts what happens to officers at the beginning of this journey and what typical happens to officers overtime; focusing mainly on what happens to officers that don’t know the techniques of emotional survival. Though it

Upon arrival, Officer Wheeler activated his (BWC1) body worn camera which was later uploaded to evidence.com. As our patrol vehicle pulled up to St. Luke’s emergency room entrance, I viewed a male later identified as (RV1) Devinelle Lavaughn Broussard with a cellphone in his hand attempting to prevent a female, later identified as (B1) Eleasia Ashanti Fraise, from throwing a (EVD1) red brick. I next saw Fraise throw the brick at a parked (D1) silver BMW, located along the south side walk. The brick fell to the ground and Fraise went to picked it back up. Fraise picked the brick up and moved in the direction of our patrol vehicle with the brick at shoulder height. I parked the patrol vehicle and immediately got out drawing my firearm to a low ready. Officer Broussard stepped out of the vehicle and drew firearm pointing it at Fraise (View Officer Wheeler’s statement for further details). Officer Wheeler and I gave commands to Fraise to drop the brick. Fraise immediately complied and dropped the brick. I holstered my firearm

Although many believe that law enforcement agents are usually men and women that are emotionless individuals that do not sympathize and feel what the ‘wrongly’ accused victims have felt, yet they have not seen the silent side of the effects being in the force against crime, leaving a deep impact in officers and such. PTSD in the body of police officers isn’t widely known, but it is a tolling factor in their career. This is a problem that is slowly taking surge, much like a tumor or a virus.

It is safe to say that one of the most arduous and taxing, both physically and mentally, occupations in the country right now would be that of a police officer. Just imagine having to witness half of the atrocities these brave men and women must endure through, knowing that to them it is “just another day at the office.” Unfortunately, police officers are not, by any means, impervious to these scenes and some are even traumatized by it. This is why it is up to their fellow officers, their brothers and sisters of the badge, to assist them in coping with their experiences. After all, who else could understand what they are going through if not the people they trust with their own lives out on the streets?

As a police officer, the major objectives are to maintain order, enforce the law, protect one’s property, and to save lives. In addition, police are divided into two roles based on how they perform their duties. The two roles of a police officer are a public servant and a crime fighter. A police officer whose role as a public servant is to serve all types of people, as well as criminals. Public servants regularly provide advice and make judgments as to the degree of risk they should take with the public. Many decisions involving risk are relatively easy to make, but others are complex and significant consequences (Kernaghan and Langford, 2016). These risks may involve using force and the consequences could be media backlash or a potential termination. Public servants abide by the oath and uphold the integrity and honor of the organization as an officer. Also, public servant officers like to play it safe because they like to be known as ordinary citizens who like to go home to their

Growing up as a police officers daughter, I began to understand at a young age what it took to be a guardian of the citizens. My father took that police officer oath seriously because he decided to become member of the Houston SWAT team. Now that I'm older, and advancing my career in order to become a police officer, I am beginning to see my fathers perspective as what being a police officer and a member of the SWAT team really means instead of the cookie-cutter, 1980s Hollywood version. The book “Into the Kill Zone” by David Klinger, offers a cops eye view of deadly force, by including snippets of real officers views, including my fathers, of what it really takes to be a police officer. Not only is being an officers’ daughter important to me, understanding what it really means behind the trigger in deadly situations can do to a person mentally, physically, and emotionally. The main point I have gathered from this book and in my daily life, is that being a police officer is a truly rewarding job but unless you have an outlet to release your stress, troubles or frustrations, you're job will be just a job— not a career.

Performing well under distressing circumstances is not easy. Yet in a few callings, it can be of fundamental significance that one has the capacity do as such. Case in point, when police officers are confronted with a furnished and hazardous attacker, they are required to act rapidly and viably to shield themselves and other individuals from damage. Getting included in such circumstances is unpleasant (Anderson, Litzenberger, and Plecas, 2002). Although police officers are required to perform well under stressful circumstances, a

Police officers are in a very dangerous environment each and everyday. Think about the dangers that you could stumble upon working with criminals, armed angry people, drunk, high

Law enforcement officers face a plethora of dangerous situations day in and day out and make split second decisions with little to no advice. They must exercise due diligence and good judgment when enforcing the law. They face dangerous subjects and conditions that are never the same no matter how routine citizens may think a particular event or call may be. The environment in which law enforcement officers are compelled to work in is tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving. While

Knowing that greatness and beauty can be lost or forfeited as a result of violence and crime motivates me to do all I can to protect those affected by it. I have extensive experience in protective services. I am Marine veteran while during my tenure there I completed to separate tours in Iraq. I worked for The Memphis City School’s police department. My duties included but were not limited to: ensuring the safety and security of both faculty and

In July of 2005, I completed the State Police Instructor Training Course. This training significantly influenced my communication skills in a profound way. It provided new awareness about how I communicate both verbally and in written form. I utilized the skills acquired while presenting risk data to Command Staff members and employees of the Attorney General’s Office at the quarterly Risk Analysis Core Group (RAQG) Panel meetings. Additionally, I regularly conduct the M.A.P.P.S Supervisor Course to newly promoted sergeants. The M.A.P.P.S Course is two days of instruction that I sometimes conduct alone. Obviously, this is a very demanding task, but I have met the challenge with enthusiasm. The course is held at least four times a year. Consequently, I further refine my oral communication skills each time I instruct a course. Additionally, I negotiate the annual waiver between ITB and the M.A.P.P.S. vendor to secure funding for the system. This requires separate meetings with employees from the vendor and the ITB Bureau Chief. I facilitate these meetings and express the Division’s future goals for the M.A.P.P.S Application. Once funding is secured for the fiscal year, I solely manage the projects with the vendor to ensure quality

As the commander of the operations division of a police department, I would have a responsibility to the officers in my command, to take their concerns, regarding job related stress, very seriously. Law enforcement is one of the most stressful jobs in our country, and job related stress has detrimental effects on the officers (Bohm, 2010) We, as a society, and more specifically, as police supervisors, are asking these officers to go face dangers and traumatic, life threatening, life altering events on a daily basis. It would, and is imperative, that we equip them with the best safety equipment available, and an open line of communication with the command staff of the department. Although there may not be much we can do to address the other issues which are associated with the job, but we can do these things for the officers.

As an officer at Houston Police Department in patrol operations, I was assigned to the Westside Patrol Division, Westside Command Station. My area of responsibility was comprised diverse, blue collar communities of people from Southeast Asian, Hispanic, African-American, Pacific Island, and Middle Eastern origin. These communities, with their vast differences in language, culture, religious tolerances, customs, courtesies, and perceptions, offered unique challenges to law enforcement, along with their youth in varying stages of cultural transition and assimilation. One of my proudest achievements during this time was the trust that I developed with the local Vietnamese community and being able to educate the community on the role, authority, and the limits of law enforcement power. The darkest moments of this time was my involvement in two officers involved shootings, both fatal. However, these incidents brought pivotal change to me on a personal level. These events led me to be a more efficient and cautious Homicide Investigator when conducting officer involved shooting investigations, and to seek training in courses such as Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Debriefings, Compassionate Care, and other courses to aid my fellow law enforcement officers in issues related to Post-Traumatic Stress, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Vicarious Trauma, and

In today’s world, security is important for many reasons. The security officers of today not only deal with property protection they also deal with protection of people. Most people do not see all the work they do. Safety measures are a huge part of the job; reporting lights out, contacting persons, and blocked fire doors are just a few things these professionals do. There are many dangers in the line of work too. Contacting people that are drunk, fighting, or vandalizing property can lead to the officer having to fight for his life or a life of a third party. For this protection, the security officers can be placed in dangerous situations. Some of these situations are dealing with drug dealers, thieves, and persons under the influence of drugs and alcohol. While this is just a short list of the problems faced, it is also the greatest risk of harm to anybody wearing a badge.

Friederich Nietzsche wrote, “Whoever fights monsters should seek to it that in the process he does not become a monster”. This aptly applies to police officers who face unexpected and potentially dangerous situations every day. Police officers are confronted with destructive and negative behavior on a regular basis. Law enforcement is one of the most stressful and demanding professions in the United States. Characteristics of police work are stressful because a situation can change at any time. An FBI report shows that approximately twelve out of every one hundred or 60,000 police officers are assaulted each year (Stevens, p. 587). Combined with many other factors,