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Alcohol as a Problem Among Officers (From Police Human Relations, P 209-219, 1981, George Henderson, ed. - See NCJ-75046)

NCJ Number
75056
Author(s)
R C Van Raalte
Date Published
1979
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Alcohol abuse among police officers, caused by job stress and other problems, leads to poor work performance and abuse of prisoners but is often ignored or hidden by police administrators.
Abstract
Alcohol abuse is a recognized problem among police officers. Increasing public tolerance of drunkenness and police job stress contribute to it. Officers, finding it difficult to relax after late night shifts or dangerous and trying experiences on duty turn to alcohol. An informal survey of 30 officers indicated that police on the night shift use alcohol more than other police, that many offices drink on duty merely to socialize, and that socializing is a more frequent cause for drinking than stress. Moreover, over half of all police officers drinking off duty carry weapons, and various sources report many incidents of drunken officers abusing prisoners, other officers, and innocent citizens. In general, police administrators and police departments prefer to ignore or 'whitewash' police alcohol problems. These administrators should cooperate with psychologists and police associations to study the problem in order to reduce it. Class exercises, four references, and a list of nine supplementary readings are included.

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