Social Climate Change and the Modern Police Department

The advent of social media, blogs, smartphones, and the 24-hour all access news channels make information available to us constantly on the television, the internet, and even while mobile. This chapter highlights contemporary social and generational trends including the arrival of the Millennial generation into the workforce, legalization of marijuana, the mainstream acceptance of body art as a form of self-expression, and the influence of mass media on the lives of police officers, particularly in officer-involved shootings. These emerging factors challenge law enforcement managers to consider complex issues in the workplace while maintaining the core values, camaraderie, and professional standards inherent in policing. The public safety psychologist's role is also evolving with new technology, social developments, and organizational challenges. This chapter aims to encourage dialogue between mental health professionals, law enforcement managers, and policy-makers.

Employee Assistance Programs

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce and explore counseling and psychological services for law enforcement officers that extend beyond critical incident interventions. In particular, this chapter focuses on Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), including discussion of how such programs have become an essential tool in supporting and sustaining law enforcement officers, their families, the agencies they work for, and the communities they serve. This chapter discusses what an EAP is, the benefits of EAPs, and the return on investment that public safety agencies can expect when utilizing an EAP. Relevant topics such as confidentiality, internal vs. external EAPs, and the need for specialized EAPs for public safety agencies are addressed. Finally, the chapter also explores non-traditional services that can be offered through EAPs to assist public safety agencies in supporting and sustaining their personnel in meeting their mission of serving the public.

First Responder Psychological Recovery Following a Mass Casualty Event

Mass Casualty Events (MCE) have an extraordinary impact on an entire community. The impact on victims' families, survivors, and community members is often the subject of significant attention; however, rarely does the impact on first responders (law enforcement officers, firefighters, dispatchers, crime scene investigators/photographers, etc.) garner the same coverage. Additionally, agencies can quickly become overwhelmed by the magnitude of the response causing them to overlook the psychological impact of these incidents on their personnel. Serving as specialists in police and public safety psychology, crisis intervention, and trauma recovery, the authors reflect on lessons learned from their response to multiple MCEs, including the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and the 2012 Aurora Century 16 Theater shooting, and offer recommendations to agencies regarding crisis response and trauma recovery.

Using the MMPI-2-RF in Preemployment Evaluations of Police Officer Candidates

The MMPI-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) is the current, most up-to-date version of the most widely used self-report measure of personality and psychopathology. Prior versions of the test were studied and used extensively in police candidate assessments. This chapter reviews the legal and empirical foundations for using the MMPI-2-RF in preemployment evaluations of police officer candidates and provides practical guidance for doing so. A detailed review of a series of recent studies on using the MMPI-2-RF in identification of high risk candidates is presented, followed by practical suggestions for integrating MMPI-2-RF findings with other sources of information when conducting preemployment evaluations of police candidates. The MMPI-2-RF Police Candidate Interpretive Report is highlighted.

The Evolution of Police Interactions with People with Mental Health Problems

As early as the 1970s, some police agencies began to develop education and training initiatives as well as specialized response initiatives to assist police in responding to calls for service involving people with mental health problems. Various versions of Memphis's Crisis Intervention Team program as well as various co-response models have become increasingly common. However, the effectiveness of these often stand-alone programs remains unclear. What has become clear is that police agencies require a strategic approach to interactions between police and vulnerable populations including those with mental health problems. This chapter, which provides an overview of the evolution of these specialized police responses, proposes that there is a need for a more comprehensive third generation approach—a strategic approach—rather than solely a “program” approach. Identification is made of specific areas in which the unique skills of psychologists are important in furthering the success of the necessary strategic approach.

Health and Wellness Programming

The health and wellbeing of our police community has rightfully become a top priority to ensure the viability of this critically important workforce. This chapter defines officer wellbeing, identifies stressors inherent in policing, and explores the impact of stress upon police officers. The potential contributions of an ethical mindset to officer wellbeing are considered, including the concept of the officer as Ethical Protector. Important elements of health and wellness programs are reviewed, with an emphasis on developing resources that support police officers' physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. Police agencies are encouraged to draw from model programs and national guidelines to develop sustainable, cost-effective health and wellness programs. Such efforts are likely to fit local needs, foster positive community relations, and support police officer resiliency.

Law Enforcement Officer Suicide

Suicide is a serious public health problem that impacts individuals, families, communities, and law enforcement personnel. More than 42,000 completed suicides were counted in the United States in 2014. Suicide has long been a concern within law enforcement. In this chapter, the authors explore the current status of Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) suicide research and dispel the myth that officer suicides are dramatically higher than in the general population. We then review general information on suicide prevention, and supplement this general information with law enforcement-specific risk factors, warning signs, variables, tips, and recommendations for intervention and postvention. Additionally, we suggest a range of available resources for further consideration.

Preemployment Psychological Screening of Police Officer Applicants

The psychological screening of law enforcement officer applicants represents a core practice area in police psychology. Significant advances have been made in recent years regarding the development of practice guidelines and standards. This chapter provides an overview of the essential components of this specialized form of high-stakes psychological assessment. Important legal principles are highlighted and key resources are identified. The core steps in a contemporary screening model are described and the psychological self-report measures most widely used in psychological screenings are profiled. Factors impacting the validity and usefulness of psychological test results are discussed. The critical need for preemployment psychological screenings of police officer candidates to be culturally sensitive is addressed, as are some of the criticisms that have been identified in the literature. The chapter stresses the need for preemployment assessments of police officer candidates to be evidence-based, ethically attuned, and consistent with recent advances in police psychology.

Police Interactions with Persons-in-Crisis

This chapter addresses the interaction of law enforcement officers and people who are psychologically impaired as a result of mental illness, emotional disturbance, or severe intoxication. The chapter consists of three major sections. Part One provides an overview of the larger legal and social factors that increasingly require law enforcement to develop specialized programmatic responses for responding to a Person-in-Crisis (PIC). Part Two provides an overview of different types of programmatic attempts to address the problems associated with these at-risk populations. Part Three offers recommendations to police psychologists on how to develop programmatic solutions to the challenges faced by law enforcement when dealing with PICs.

Transition and Reintegration of Military Personnel to Law Enforcement Careers

Over two million United States military service members have served in the theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. Many of these military service members are seeking employment in law enforcement upon discharge from active duty. The skills acquired from military service are complementary to many of the essential job functions of a law enforcement officer, thus a natural fit. In addition, military reserve police officers have seen activations for deployment to combat regions. These National Guard and Reserve service members make a rapid transition from military fatigues to a police uniform upon their return from deployment. After outlining the scope of the military deployment cycle, reintegration programs and preemployment assessment challenges are described in this chapter. The comprehensive description will provide psychologists working with law enforcement and related public safety agencies the necessary tools for both assessing and supporting the success of those reintegrating to their law enforcement careers.