Providing a Confidential Response for Law Enforcement Personnel and Reality-Based Training Solutions That Can Change and Save Lives ©
The Facts
The facts are in, and the costs are high!
Law Enforcement Personnel face many types of danger in their chosen profession. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Fund in Washington, D.C., on average, somewhere in America, a Law Enforcement Officer is killed in the line-of-duty every 54 hours. Officers often pay another price that doesn’t make the headlines or the evening news, yet one that still destroys lives. Stress among Law Enforcement Personnel often affects relationships leading to domestic violence and marriages ending in divorce, at an annual rate of nearly seven times that of the general population. Stress can generate problems with alcohol and prescription drug abuse. Stress also leads to disruption of normal sleeping patterns, poor eating habits and nutrition, paranoia, fear, anger and depression. In addition to the day-to-day stresses, many are exposed to trauma and critical incidents causing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Recent research concludes that 65% of law enforcement personnel show sign and symptoms of PTSD. And this can lead to officer suicide at a rate of one every other day. This act is preventable, but intervention is not always available and if the officer is successful, a wave of grief, anger, disbelief and a reduction in morale affects the co-workers.
Education and Training are keys to reducing stress. Research in 2016 by the P S U Crisis Management and Training Group and The University of Central Florida – College of Medicine showed that a new law enforcement recruit receives between two and four hours of reality-based stress and trauma awareness training at the academy. And seasoned personnel only receive on-going stress and trauma awareness training if they are forced to take a class due to personal and behavior issues.
“It’s a proven fact that more officers died from their own hand and health related problems than are killed-in the line-of-duty. It’s time to face reality and provide the training officers need to survive this stressful profession.”
Lt. Joseph Caroll, NYPD