NewsletterJanuary 7, 2014
in this issue
The Deadliest Job in Policing
Fitness Tip
Brake Lights Halfway to Eternity: Officer Suicide
The Bait Question in the Age of Computer Technology

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In this issue we continue to bring you important training topics of current interest. 


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The Deadliest Job in Policing

  

By Jim Donahue. 
 

Reprinted from Officer,com

 

A cop who is writing a ticket outside his car is 400% more likely to die than a cop who is inside his car. That isn't a projection or a theory. Those are names on the Wall.

 

Recently, I had the experience of preparing for an in-service class for an agency in South Florida. The subject matter was teaching them the tactical and practical implications of moving from handwritten traffic tickets to using of handheld computers (a/k/a ticket writers). The students were all seasoned cops in the traffic unit.

 

I am not going to name the department because it could be any one of many agencies across the country. Putting the finger on their officers is also inconsequential. I've been witness to similar attitudes and behaviors in dozens of departments. These guys could have come from anywhere. So, as cops, they are not unique. They are like most of the rest of us.

 

To be fair, these cops are special to me. They are my friends. I know them now. I have a personal stake in seeing them survive and succeed. They were good students: they showed up on time, they were sober and they stayed awake for most of the class. What more could an instructor ask?  


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Fitness Tip 

Shoulder injuries are 1 of the top 3 injuries for first responders, causing an average of 21 days lost work. Protect the shoulder by adding isolated external rotation exercises that will target the smaller muscles of the rotator cuff that are often neglected. 

 

 

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Brake Lights Halfway to Eternity: Officer Suicide  

  

By Dr. Dorothy McCoy

 

I have been following the research in officer suicide since 2006, when I was a Lead Instructor at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.  I am convinced that we can significantly reduce the number of officers lost each year.

 

The death of an officer is a personal tragedy that ripples throughout the entire community. Suicide comes as a jolting shock to everyone touched by the tragedy. The individuals left behind are deeply wounded. The officer suicide rate is a national tragedy.  We can work together to find effective solutions.  We can offer our officers reasonable options to their concerns. We can offer our unwavering support.

 

If you would like to be a powerful advocate for officers at risk, learn more about the resources offered by your agency or organization and the options available.  We can reduce the occurrence of officer suicide by understanding the underlying factors and by influencing those factors. PTSD and other stress related disorders can be treated.

 

Alcohol use can be targeted.  Supportive services can be provided for troubled officers and their families. Communication throughout the agency can be optimized. Members of the law enforcement community can be educated to recognize and initiate aggressive action against suicide. Suicide and its underlying factors are our enemies and we must be willing to take a courageous and steadfast position. 
 
Establishing Rapport with a Suspect  
 
 

We all know someone whom we respect and admire. It may be a teacher, coach, pastor, scout master, friend or parent. Assume that we committed a crime of  some sort and this admired individual sat down and said: 

 

"We both know you made a mistake and we also both know that theright thing to do is to tell the truth. For everyone concerned let people know why this thing happened. Did you plan this out, or did it just happen on the spur of the moment? I don't' think that you would ever plan something like this out, it was just the spur of the moment, wasn't it?" 

 

Because of the established trust and respect felt toward this individual, we would very likely listen to his statements, nod our head in agreement, and confess that what we did happened on the spur of the moment.

 

On the other hand, if the person who said these words was a stranger whom we believed was just out to punish us and did not care about our well being, reputation or self-image, we would likely challenge the individual to prove our guilt and continue to deny involvement in the offense. The difference between these two situations is that in the first the communicator has an established rapport with the suspect.

 

 In most professional interactions (physician, attorney, therapists, investigator) rapport is defined as "a relationship marked by trust and conformity." In other words, if my doctor recommends that I get a particular medical test I will schedule the test because I trust the advice of my physician and perceive her/him as looking out for my best interests and acting as an advocate for me. 

 

For obvious legal reasons, an investigator should not make statements designed to convince a suspect that he or she is acting as an advocate for the suspect. However, to be effective the investigator must try to legally convince the suspect that he is someone who can be trusted and is a fair and objective person.


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