Checkpoint: Police Stress External Stress-This stress is produced by real threats or dangers, for example: gun runs and auto pursuits. I believe this type of stress would affect an officer’s job by carrying the fear of being injured or killed in the line of duty. This type of stress would possibly affect an officer’s social life and personal life because of the fear the family has to carry with them of their loved one being in danger on a daily basis. In order to manage or reduce these fears an officer would need to participate in any and all training programs.
This will allow for reassurance within the family. Organizational Stress-This is produced by inherent in quasi-military character of police services, stress from within the department, being as odd hours of work, working holidays and strict discipline imposed onto the officers. This would also cause conflict with the officer’s social and personal life because it would cause the conflict at home. This would make it almost impossible to plan family events and not being there.
There are not too many things an officer could do to help reduce or manage this type of stress; this is something that comes with this line of work. Personal Stress-Is produced by interpersonal characteristics by belonging to a police organization, Personal stress can be as simple as relationships with other officers with in the department. This can affect an officer’s job because not being able to get along with other officers makes it hard to work as a team. It would in fact affect their social life because most officers have a relationship outside of the department.
For an officer personal life in my opinion there would not be much affect at all with this. The only way I know of to help manage this type of stress would be to communicate with other officers about any problems that may accrue. Operational Stress- This is the daily need to confront the tragedies of urban life: the need to deal with, criminals, the mentally disturbed, and the drug addicted; the need to engage in dangerous activity to protect a public that appears to be unappreciative.
An officer’s job is affected by the worry of being able to accomplish these tasks on a day to day basis. In my opinion I feel that an officer’s personal life and social life would be affected by this because due to the emotional attachment an officer may have to a citizen in need of help. In order to manage this type of stress an office may get more involved with other organizations to help citizens in need.
