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Broken Cops: The Other Side of Policing

NCJ Number
109617
Author(s)
W H Kroes
Date Published
1988
Length
134 pages
Annotation
A police psychiatrist presents and reflects upon five case studies of police officers experiencing and coping with occupational stress.
Abstract
Two of the officers experienced the 'burnout' syndrome, two were injured on the job, and one thought being a coroner's deputy would be less stressful than field police work. The author's analyses of these five cases address such issues as what happens to police officers as they face the 'streets' and internal police politics and administration and what becomes of an officer who 'breaks' either from an injury suffered in the line of duty or from the overwhelming stress. The author's reflections on each case study focus on the relationship of the officer's experiences to the overall problem of 'broken' cops. The discussion particularly addresses police administrations and what they are or are not doing which exacerbates police stress. The analysis concludes that police management is not likely to change such that severe stress is inherent in police work. The debilitating consequences of police stress are such that the author advises persons not to enter police work, and persons who do should be prepared to rely on their own inner strength and resources to cope with the stress involved.