Surviving Assaults After the Physical battle ends, the Psychological battle begins - Perspective - police, in the line of duty - Column

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, Jan, 2002 by Arthur W. Kureczka

Legal Outcomes

Two months after the incident, all of the investigations, including the most extensive one ever conducted by the State Attorney's office, concluded that the shooting was justified and in self-defense. After a 4-week trial, I was exonerated in my last-resort decision to use deadly force by a jury that cleared me of any civil wrongdoing. Six years after the incident, the legal process finally ended.

THE RESOLUTION

Following my 6-year ordeal, I became an advocate of the mental health profession. I discovered that early 1980s research found that 70 percent of officers involved in the use of deadly force who did not receive professional help left the job within 5 years, compounded by personal and job-related stress. (3) wondered what, if anything, I could do to change this.

Understanding the Police Personality

The police personality stands as a major stumbling block in understanding why counseling has been slow to evolve. Police officers surround themselves in "image armor" and perceive the expression of emotion as a weakness. They are themselves suspicious people, and many find it hard to trust and confide in others, so they isolate their feelings. This isolation leads to negative insulation that, in turn, leads directly to sick leave abuse, aggressive behavior, job loss, and high rates of divorce, suicide, and substance abuse. (4)

Because critical incident stress manifests itself physically, cognitively, and emotionally, officers might experience some or all of these reactions immediately, or perhaps not until after a delay. While in most instances the symptoms will subside in a matter of weeks, a few of those affected by such stress will suffer permanent emotional trauma that adversely will affect their continued value to the department and cause serious problems in their personal lives. (5)

Although the increased involvement of thee "stigmatized" mental health profession to the law enforcement community has been slow to evolve, the fact remains that it is being accepted. Support programs ublished since the late 1980s, the mental health community's commitment constitutes an important proactive concept in modern-day policing.

Creating Support

In May 2000, I retired from the police department after 20 years of service. No, as the program manager at an employee assistance provider that targets emergency service personnel, I am a member of the incident response team trained in crisis diffusing and debriefing techniques. I facilitate an incident support group for public safety personnel involved in critical incidents and help officers throughout the country deal with shooting aftermaths.

To resolve my own experiences and to help others who have endured the psychological battle of using deadly force, I created a Critical Incident Stress Management/Post-Shooting Trauma program to address psychological survival at the recruit level. I received training and became a member of a peer support team. I obtained a master's degree in counseling, and for the past 11 years, I have instructed at various police academies and recertification classes throughout the state of Connecticut, thus filling the void that I encountered during my critical incident.