Stress is part of daily life and in some cases it is inevitable and has positive implications. Positive stress include physical exertion that is vital for cardiovascular health. Additionally, stress helps people increases their efforts to meet set targets. However, police stress has adverse consequences because it is related to negative pressure associated with their work. According to Burke (2016), law enforcement personnel work in highly stressful conditions, and since they are humans, they are affected by their exposure to pain, human indecency. There are several factors that contribute to stress in law enforcement. These include the risky nature of the job, the administrative structure of policy organizations, insufficient organizational support. Failure to cope with these stressors can have serious consequences on the health of law enforcement personnel (Burke, 2016). Stress can affect the health of law enforcement personnel by contributing to ulcers, high blood pressure, heart diseases, digestive disorders, and headaches. Furthermore, job-related stress can lead to depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The inherent nature of police work is the leading cause of stress among law enforcement personnel. Volanti (2014) claims that monthly shift rotations alters body rhythms, which in turn diminishes productivity. Changes from a day shift to a night one, or to a graveyard assignment needs biological adaptation, and it also muddles their personal lives. Furthermore, role conflicts between the job responsibilities such as serving the public, maintaining ethical standards, and enforcing the law, and personal obligations as a spouse or parent contribute to stress (Burke, 2016). Furthermore, exposure to criminal elements such as gangs, smugglers, and drug dealer makes policing a stressful job. Law enforcement personal such as detectives and investigators may live in constant fear of reprisals from criminal elements. They also fear for the safety of their families because some criminal organizations may harm them as a form of revenge or to blackmail the police to prevent them from performing their duties. Since they are not provided with support to deal with how their professional responsibilities endanger their personal lives, law enforcement personnel experience high stress levels as they attempt to balance professional and personal commitments (Burke, 2016). According to Volanti et al., (2017), the fragmented nature of police work is another significant stressor. In most cases, law enforcement personnel rarely have the opportunities to follow cases to conclusion. Law enforcement personnel may fail to conclude a case due to resources constraints or through orders may superiors to stop the case. Furthermore, the failure to obtain feedback or follow-up information creates additional stress because its makes the job unrewarding and creates a sense of lack of control ( Violanti, 2014) . The administrative structure and organization of police work is also another notable stressor. Law enforcement personnel are rarely involved in the formulation of policies and procedures that affect their personal and professional lives. For example, they ae seldom involved in duty assignment, which may conflict with their personal lives. Another aspect of police administrative policies is internal investigation practices that create the notion of distrust and being watched all the time even during off-duty hours (Burke, 2016). Even one-officer patrol cars contribute to stress because it creates a sense of reduced safety. In case of an ambush, it is difficult for a single police officer to respond. Thus, personnel in one-officer patrol cars constantly experience safety related anxiety. The notion that criminals have more rights than them is also another feature of police administrative policies that contribute to stress (Burke, 2016). The lack of organizational support also contributes to stress ( Violanti, 2014) . Law enforcement personal are seldom rewarded for a good performance. In any job, the lack of rewards create demotivation because they feel that their services are not valued. Other features of police administrative policies and procedures that contribute to stress include inadequate training and excessive paper work. Insufficient training makes it for law enforcement personnel to respond to demanding and risky situations, while excessive paper work create additional responsibilities ( Violanti, 2014). The relationship between law enforcement and the criminal justice system is also another source of stress (Volanti et al., 2017). Responsibilities such as court appearances to provide testimony interfere with their work assignments, individual time, and sleeping patterns. Court decisions that deny them police discretion and the perceived leniency of the courts towards criminals exerts pressure on law enforcement. Practices such as releasing criminals on bail, parole, or probation leads to the notion that the courts undermine policing. Law enforce personnel may feel that these court practices endanger their lives because criminals on parole on bail may undermine investigations or even seek revenge.
Burke (2016) cites the perceived negative attitude towards law enforcement personnel as another stressor. In most societies, public opinion towards the police in negative. This negative attitude towards the police means that the pubic seldom provide support to the police in the form of intelligence gathering and community policing, which complicates their work. Negative attitudes towards the police from the public stems for unfavorable or distorted news coverage on incidents involving the police. When a negative incident involving the police occurs, the news media always gives it extensive coverage, which portrays the police as ineffective, unfair, in some instances criminals (Volanti et al., 2017). This negative perception in the media stresses police officers who believe that they are performing their duties effectively and responsibly. Female and minority law enforcement personnel face additional stress compared to their counterparts due to racial and gender discrimination. Volanti et al., (2017) states that women are even exposed to more stress because their abilities to perform policing duties is often questioned by peers, supervisors and even the public despite research indicating the opposite. This vie is supported by Burke (2016) who notes that their need to prove their abilities to peers, supervisor and the public is a significant stressor for female law enforcement personnel. For minority law enforcement personnel, perceived or real discrimination in job assignments and promotions can be a significant stressor. Racial discrimination is still pervasive in law enforcement agencies and personnel from racial minorities may experience discrimination. From peers, supervisors, and the public. The continuous exposure to people in pain or distress is also a cause of stress in law enforcement (Volanti, 2014). Dealing with human indecency is part of policing, which exposes them to emotional distress. Law enforcement personnel investigate gruesome murders, take part in recovery efforts during accidents, and other crimes such as assault and rape. In these case, police officers may come across distressing crimes that exposes them to disorders such as PTSD. Coupled with the need to control their emotions, law enforcement personnel must fake numbness in order to perform their duties effectively (Volanti, 2014). The emotional toll on their mental health is significant. Even when provoke, law enforcement personnel must keep calm because they are tasked with protecting the public. These demands conflict with their need to protect themselves from harm. Other sources of stress n law enforcement include the presence of a gun even during of duty hours, boredom coupled with the need to remain alert, and the responsibility to safeguard other peoples’ lives. Exposure to stress in law enforcement affects the professional and personal lives of officers. Professionally, the high stress levels affect their productivity (Volanti et al., 2017). When a law enforcement officer is experiencing high stress levels, the chances of concentrating on the job are lower. This has the implication of endangering the safety of the officer and the public. Low productivity also increases the likelihood of being fired from the job. High stress levels among law enforcement personnel has also been linked to excessive drinking and alcoholism, which contributes to poor performance and loss of employment. However, it is the area of personal life where high stress levels affect law enforcement personnel the most. High stress levels associated with policing is responsible for the depressions that has been blamed for the high suicide rates among the police compared to the general population (Burke, 2016). As noted earlier in this paper, high stress levels in law enforcement is also associated with excessive drinking. Although systematic studies have not linked thigh job stress of the police with excessive drinking, indirect research has established a relationship between these two variables. High rates of divorce among law enforcement personnel is another negative impact of high stress levels associated with police work. Research studies have reported unusually elevated divorce rates among the police (Burke, 2016). Though some critics have claimed that these rates are exaggerated, surveys conducted on law enforcement personnel indicate that police-related stress lowers the quality of family relationships. According to Volanti et al., (2017), law enforcement work has been blamed for interfering with family social events, creating a negative public image, and limiting non-police friendships. Additionally, shifts that do not consider family needs, taking job pressure to their homes, and spousal concern over officer’s safety are some of the factors that have contributed to high divorce rates among the police (Burke, 2016). According to Volanti et al., (2017), high stress levels associated with law enforcement expose officers to the risk of physical illnesses such as high blood pressure, heart conditions, harmful hormones, insomnia, and PTSD. As highlighted earlier in this paper, policing is a demanding job characterized by danger, pressure, ambiguity in work relationships, and exposure to death and human suffering. Research studies on the impact of job-related stress use h measure of cortisol or “the stress hormone,” to establish if stress is responsible for physiological risk factors that lead to adverse health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes (Volanti et al., 2017). Though female and male law enforcement personnel experience job-related stress, the impact on the mental health of the officers differ according to sex. Female officers have been shown to experience high stress levels compared to men, which is due to the negative environment of policing and the likelihood of conflict. The physiological disruption of the circadian rhythm caused by irregular shifts also affects the health of law enforcement personnel (Burke, 2016). Night shifts, which requires one to be awake when they are supposed to be asleep impairs judgment and decision making. High stress levels also affects the blood vessels. High cortisol levels restricts the elasticity of the arteries, which is a risk factor in cardiovascular disease. It is also important to note the impacts of policing on female officers. Female personnel are exposed to more stress compared to their male peers because policing is generally a male profession and women can experience isolation. The additional responsibilities of women such as family chores and child care exacerbates this stress (Volanti et al., 2017). It is true that law enforcement is a highly stressful occupation. The risky nature of the job, lack of organizational support, administrative and procedural policies, and the fragmented nature of policing contributes to high stress levels among law enforcement personnel. Not only to the high stress affects the emotional health of officers, but also their physical health. It exposes them to the risk of mental disorders such as PTSD, hypertension, and diabetes. High stress levels among police officers is also responsible for the high divorce rates and suicide among officers compared to the general population. Thus, developing interventions to help law enforcement personnel combat stress is imperative. Some police departments have already implemented programs that emphasize physical fitness, dieting, biofeedback, and relaxation. Other have implemented family counseling that involves spouses to manage police stress. These programs show that police-related stress is a major concern in policing.
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References
Burke, R. (2016). Stress in Policing: Sources, consequences and interventions . New York: Routledge.
Violanti, J. M. (2014). Dying for the job: Police work exposure and health . Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas.
Volanti, J.M., Fekedulegn, D., Hartley, T et al. (2017). Highly Rated and most Frequent Stressors among Police Officers: Gender Differences. Am J Crim Justice; 41 (4): 645– 662.
