POLICE: Society's Frankeneins

It is important to understand the life and career officers live. It is easy to judge and analyze their actions and reactions to scenarios using our individual experience and feelings about what we think we would do in a given situation. It’s human nature to do so. Officer don’t expect to be free from judgement, but they do deserve to be judged by their perception of the realities they face by people who understand the dynamics of stress and rapidly evolving dangerous situations and environments. Next time social media, news media, or a desk jockey politician starts taking aim at police officers, please consider the contents of this article and try and imagine yourself in the reality where police officers exist. Look at the scenario through their eyes. Realize who and what they have to be or be prepared to be. Look at the actions of other parties involved and consider the environmental factors as well. In every situation those three issues are critical.

1              The officer’s perception of reality in that moment

2              The actions of other involved parties

3              The environment

There is a rapid cascade of questions and thoughts being processed during and after critical incidents. Where is the event? Are there crowds of people? How can the officers keep the subject and themselves safe until help arrives? Are weapons present? Was there a fight or elevated risk and tension? Is the subject under the influence of a foreign substance? Is there previous or ongoing resistance? Is an officer or subject injured? Is there a diminished mental capacity situation going on right now? Is there still danger present? Is my team injured? Is the subject injured? What is everyone doing now? What do I need done next? This is just a brief and thought-out example while I am under no stress conditions. Imagine this occurring while struggling or addressing threats or hostile crowds.

Law enforcement officers live in a constant state of stress and heightened levels of alertness. Recent events involving attacks, ambushes, and unprovoked executions of officers requires officer to maintain an even higher level of vigilance on an even more constant basis. Stress varies in duration and intensity. Higher frequencies and longer durations of stress leads to fatigue, burn-out, slower thought processing, confusion, hesitation, heightened sensitivity, anger, insecurity, over-reaction, and an elevated fear-response. Ten elements of a police officer’s life and career contribute to stress levels, heightened sensitivity, actions, and reactions. To be clear, there is a difference between reasons for behavior and excuses for behavior. Reasons, offer an explanation for why a particular circumstance exists or occurred. Excuses, on the other hand, attempt to justify and excuse behaviors. Just because there is an explanation for a behavior does not necessarily mean it is justified and excusable, but an explanation based in reality is a valid mitigating circumstance in some situations.

10 Stressors in the lives of police officers:

1              The Unknown

2              Exposure to Sadness, Pain, Hopelessness, & Death

3              Rapid Variation of Events, Emotions, & Stress Levels

4              Expectation of Perfection

5              Consequences of Mistakes

6              No-Win Situations

7              Preparation for Physical, Mental, and Emotional Attacks

8              Cop Mindset Extends From Work to Home (Hyper-Awareness)

9              Acceptance of Irrational Hate Aimed at Officers

10           Restricted Social Relationships, Lack of Relaxation, & Isolation

Intense stress levels influence officer’s decisions at work and at home. The effects of the situations discussed here are intense, different for each officer, and are not limited to when an officer is “on duty”. When most people go to work, they have a general and consistent idea of what the day will entail. They have an idea of what will be asked of them, what tasks to perform, and a sense of basic security. Officers constantly operate in THE UNKNOWN. Every minute of each day has the potential to be anything ranging in danger and complexity from a simple report of a damaged object to pulling a dead child from a swimming pool. It could involve working minor fender benders to being ambushed while responding to a building fire. They can be dispatched to domestic disturbances involving a beaten spouse or child and end up in a fight for their life and get shot or stabbed. Their day could start saving a life and end with taking a life. These drastically differing levels of complexity and the amplitude of the emotions they experience in a day and on a day-to-day basis creates a level of anxiety that is difficult to simulate and understand.  

Not knowing can be terrifying enough but adding repeated EXPOSURE TO SADNESS, PAIN, HOPELESSNESS, AND DEATH can be overwhelming and dominate your thoughts, dreams, and disposition in even the most disciplined, fortified, and experienced minds. We must acknowledge officers are often called into someone’s life at times of great need, pain, or fear. They have been called to fix a problem or prevent a bad situation from escalating into a tragedy. Other people call the police and request, often demand, they be interjected into their lives at times of great stress and fear. The police put themselves between others and the darkest events most of us will ever be faced with once in our lives. The police experience these events on a much more frequent basis and for the benefit of others. 

The RAPID VARIATION IN INCIDENTS, EMOTIONS, & STRESS LEVELS cause our minds and bodies to randomly and repeatedly shift from high gear back to low and back to high again. Think of how a car engine and general condition are affected if while driving you constantly alternated the engine from idling to pressing the gas pedal to the floor over and over again on a daily basis. Even the most well-built engines will suffer ware. This type of change in condition, even over short periods of time, and especially over long periods of time can cause damage and poor performance more quickly than those effects would normally come into play. We see more significant mistakes being made when situations are transitioning from a critical stage to a condition of lesser danger. This is comparable to alternating between slamming on the brakes and pressing the gas petal to the floor. It is difficult to come to a controlled stop quickly from a high speed or if the brakes are worn down from frequent use. We also see instinct mistaken for emotion and intent when stress responses prevail over what might appear to be logic and decision making to an unexperienced or unaware observer. Most people are not able to switch stress and emotion on and off like a mechanical function on a switch. There is a ramping-up and a stepping-down period in these situations. In the moment it is difficult to manage but not impossible to mitigate the impact of actions taken at these times. It isn’t reasonable to expect perfection and completely logical actions immediately following or during critical incidents. This holds true for the subjects interacting with police at these times. It’s a human condition and we have to recognize that everyone involved is a human being and subject to the confines of that existence. It may not be ideal but is reality. 

In many instances law enforcement professionals are held to an unrealistic EXPECTATION OF PERFECTION while making decisions in a split second when faced with immense stress and great personal danger to themselves and innocent bystanders. Shouldering the responsibility for the public’s safety and the legal and administrative accountability for actions taken against threats to the public are often in direct conflict and present a situation of jeopardy for officers no matter what their decisions and actions are. Add to this that police are being harassed and persecuted by an indoctrinated public and an elitist class of politicians and financiers. Thinking and acting at that pace and under those conditions increases the possibility of mistakes, misunderstanding, and errors in judgement. No other career presents this type of situation or the degree of consequences for making less than perfect decisions according to the opinions of people who have never had such experiences or adequate understanding of the state of mind and time constraints in which police officers live and operate. I often think, so many are quick to riot, judge, and criticize but few are willing to sign-up to voluntarily serve and take on the life experiences of law enforcement officers. 

Perfection is the standard. The vast majority of officers hold themselves and each other to exhaustingly high standards. An extreme minority of officers violate the trust placed in them, but those officers garner all the attention to promote the agendas of politicians, race-baters, anarchists, elitists, and a bought-and-paid-for media . Those few officers who abuse their power and fail their fellow officers and the public are exploited by politicians who provide knee-jerk, divisive, and ineffective commentary and agenda-based reactions that demonize and ruin good, trustworthy officers. Occasionally, a bad officer is exposed and brought to justice but the overall problem of identifying and removing unsuitable individuals from positions of authority is rarely a result in these cases. Here is the problem from the view of an insider. Bad street officers are good tools for corrupt administrations and officials higher in the government organization. Those officers are easily owned, manipulated, and willing to take part in shady operations. Good officers suffer THE EXTREME CONSEQUENCES FOR THE MISTAKES OF OTHERS. Operating in an environment where you suffer extreme consequences for the behavior of others is highly stressful. Knowing you go to work every day and you will be lumped in and judged based on the actions of the worst examples within your profession makes for a difficult work environment and also increases anxiety when interacting with the public because they have likely assumed a negative expectation of you. Realize, officers know and feel the tension you have toward them and the conclusions you have drawn as a result of the worst experiences you have had or just heard of. They are starting out at a deficit and that deficit has nothing to do with how they have conducted themselves. This is a consequence they experience and have to overcome daily. Add to this, extreme consequences they have to consider with every interaction. Their presence indicates a situation has already started to play out that could result in negative employment action against them, repercussions for innocent families, traumatic results, imprisonment, injury, or even death. Even in situations where there are obvious victims, officers are held to standards, people have rights, agencies have policies that result in officers having to let harmful people go and vulnerable people suffer. Please understand, these standards, peoples’ rights, and agency policies are good and officers respect and defend those, but sometimes an unrealized consequence of them is that guilty people go free, and more people are victimized. For the men and women who have the personality and will to serve as our protectors, these situations are often crushing. The weight of not being able to protect the vulnerable from a realized threat or any danger, is a terrible feeling. Guilt is a powerful and sometimes extreme consequence of not being able to live up to their own self applied standards as well as the expectations of the public.

Officers have to meet the demands of the community, their supervisors, special interest groups, anti-police groups, the criminal justice system, victims, and even criminals. Facing the constant onslaught of NO-WIN SCENARIOS is exhausting and creates immense stress. Almost every scenario officers face results in one party being offended or dissatisfied with the officer’s actions because that person or group’s actions caused another party to call for police intervention. Officers are constantly being called to intervene in the problems of others and the presence of an already existing conflict. Once they arrive, they ultimately become the scapegoat for one side’s anger and savior for the other. Ultimately one side is happy with your decision and the other now views you with contempt. Balancing the interests and expectations of everyone means officers have to decide who to please and except the consequences of never being able to please everyone because they are responsible and accountable to competing stake holders and authorities. You hear officers say,” Our goal is for everyone to go home at the end of the night.” Officers go to work knowing they have no chance at satisfying or saving everyone no matter how much they may want to or try. The best they can hope for is protect as many innocent people as they can, address any threats they encounter, generate as few complaints as possible, and do their best to make sure they and their team survive another night to go back home to their families.  

 People misinterpret and misrepresent the concept of “the warrior mindset”. Anti-police critics claim it is a mindset focused on the people contacted by law enforcement officers and It trains officers to be in a Kill! Kill! Everyone is trying to kill me mindset. That is not correct. It’s an officer mentality and awareness mindset. It’s a mental, physical, and emotional preparation essential to an officer’s ability to absorb and compartmentalize sudden and intense levels of stress, fear, and other instinctual behaviors brought on by high paced, unexpected, critical events allowing little or no time to apply a normal observation and analyzation process. Simply, by preparing for, acknowledging, and accepting certain realities officer can decrease reaction time when placed in these critical situations. Understand, police are often reacting to a stimulus. Meaning they are already starting from behind in a place of disadvantage by the virtue of time. The catalyst or perceived threat putting them in danger has already started its attack leaving the officer with less time to think, examine, discern or have an internal debate. Officers can save precious time by being mentally prepared to do what they have to do for themselves, for each other, and for the innocent population. I encourage you to read the linked article here. Think about how mentally and emotionally prepared these officers had to be to make the decisions they made when it came time to make their decisions that day. The “warrior mindset” prepares officers to do what it necessary despite the risk to themselves. It is the mindset that says you are my brothers and sisters, and we are in this together no matter what. I have your back and I know you have mine. We will do anything and everything to protect ourselves and each other if someone tries to take any of us from our families. It is the level of preparation one has to have to not only say goodbye for the last time every day but to fight for one’s life when the need arises. The PREPARATION FOR PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND EMOTIONAL ATTACKS on a daily basis breeds anxiety, suspicion, and stress. In extreme case, it breeds fear. I want to stop right here and make a statement because I have heard people say this. “If you are the type of person who is scared you might get killed as a police officer, maybe you don’t need to be a police officer.” To those people let me be clear. If that is you reading this, I want you to close your mouth, clear your mind, and read these next few lines over and over until it sinks in. Shut up with that load of crap. Fear is an instinct, and it is a part of our genetic makeup specifically designed to keep us alive. If you say you aren’t afraid of anything, I can guarantee one of three things is true about you. You’re a liar and you are afraid and you’re also afraid to admit it. You’re an idiot who doesn’t recognize fear when you feel it. Or third, you have just been lucky enough and haven’t come face to face with fear. With that said, we all handle fear in different ways. Some handle it better than others but don’t ever knock a cop who falls victim to stress and fear or who acknowledges they could be killed any day as a result of their job and they are not quite ready to leave their loved ones and their lives behind because some criminal wants to kill an officer just because they are an officer. One of my favorite movie quotes is from the movie “The First Knight”. Sean Connery as King Arthur tells Lancelot played by Richard Geer, “He who fears nothing, loves nothing.”

Cops would be well paid if they had a dollar added to their salary when they were off duty and heard, “You look like a cop.” You stand like a cop” “You act like a cop.” “You talk like a cop.” “Are you a cop?” “I knew you were a cop when you walked in.” This is because being a cop isn’t a job or just how we make our living. It’s how we see the world and how we live our lives. 

It’s like teaching children manners or social etiquette. More often than not it is still practiced, out of habit, at home. The behaviors become second nature instincts and are often carried out subconsciously. YOUR ALWAYS A COP, EVEN IF YOU TRY AN TURN COP-MODE OFF. YOU SEE THINGS AND HEAR THINGS AND YOU FEEL A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT OTHERS AND PUT THEM BEFORE YOUR SELF. Then even if you manage to cover it up, someone unintentionally spills the beans and then you get all the curiosity questions, “What’s the scariest thing you've ever seen?” How many people have you shot?” “Ever killed anybody?” “Is it true dead bodies are the worst thing you’ll ever smell?” “So, I got this ticket, can you help me out?” “See my sister’s boyfriend is hitting her but she doesn’t want to press charges and she’s too scared to leave him. Can you help me?” No mater how much you try to down shift to a normal existence, society sometimes won’t let you. Your regrets, feelings of failure and inadequacy surface and all of a sudden, your social time turns into self-reflection and second guessing. Then that leads to self-criticism, doubt, and finally guilt. When you do find a group, usually of other officers, you have to remember, you’re all hemmed up by department policy and the criminal justice system. Anything you do socially can become public record in a court of law of even worse the court of public opinion. Living under this scrutiny is unimaginable and only those living there and who watch while their brothers and sisters be torched by unethical media personalities, corrupt politicians, and ignorant persons of fame and stature who have never put themselves in any remotely similar situation can have the closest understanding to ho this type of pressure influences an officer’s mindset and behavior. 

Consider current events, anti-law enforcement legislation, and attitudes in society. Police officers are facing rising hostility fueled by an agenda driven and hate mongering media. All police officers are depicted as being equivalent and sympathetic to the worst examples of policing. This is a blatant distortion of reality, but police are subjected to it none the less. For example, law makers who have “qualified immunity” are taking that same protection from officers. Qualified immunity only protects officers who are acting lawfully and in good faith. Qualified immunity doesn’t protect corruption or abusive behavior. Law makers know this but imply otherwise and strip, from good officers, the same protection they reserve for themselves while doing nothing to impact the misbehaviors they claim to fight. This is a clear example of officials and corrupt supervisors and anti-police groups manipulating the community and exploiting the general populations misunderstanding of the law. This is a direct attack on officers and causes a great deal of stress and anxiety about going to work every day and doing your job because your protection for doing your job correctly has been stripped from you and you and your family are left vulnerable to attack, financial and social ruin, and immense suffering. Law enforcement professionals are subject to and must ACCEPT THE IRRATIONAL HATE DIRECTED AT THEM PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY by a population they are sworn to protect and serve.

We have mentioned so many things. It's like compound interest on a credit card. Each of the above situations magnifies the stress level placed on the officer. This stress often leads to RESTRICTED SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS, FEELINGS OF ISOLATION, DEPRESSION, AND FEELINGS OF HYPERSENSITIVITY TO CONFLICT AND NON-COMPLIANCE in the workplace and at home. Essentially the officer exists at a heightened sense of awareness and vigilance constantly with no emotional down time. The above-mentioned set of conditions causes feelings of mistrust for those who can’t or don’t demonstrate an ability to understand the type of existence officer live. These feelings lead to officers restricting their personal group of friends and trusted associated to other emergency responders. They don’t mean to exclude others and it’s not that they don’t want to expand their circle of friends. It’s almost a primal survival instinct. Almost like a pack mentality. When they are together, they know, even though they appear relaxed and “off duty”, everyone is watching out for each other and will react to protect the group and each individual should a situation present itself. Officers know these things about themselves, and they know they don’t quite fit in with others because they have developed “inappropriate” senses of humor or attitudes toward certain “social recreational activities”, and a lower-than-average level of tolerance for posturing and exaggeration of grandeur but it’s because they deal with people taking those things to extreme, inappropriate and even dangerous levels. They deal with deception, and manipulation every day. They just don’t have the desire to deal with that on their down time.

This is a glimpse into the lives of officers. Not all officers react to all these situations in the same way, but they all experience these situations. Even if every officer isn’t experiencing all these things or reacting in the described manner, they are all experiencing some of these situations and having to cope with them in their own way. To the public, I ask, please consider these things and try and understand what the officer you are in contact with goes through in their career and what they be going through today. Think of it this way, if you have reason to be nervous, unsure, and cautious; the officer does too. Remain calm, respectful, and compliant. Give the officer reason to be at ease. Citizens have the same ability and responsibility to de-escalate as officers do. Put each other at ease. To officers, I ask, please remember the average citizen does respect you and doesn’t understand in their moment of need, what you go through. Also, remember to take care of yourself and each other. We know what we experience, and we have to prepare ourselves to cope and compartmentalize so that we can manage our stress to better control our responses to those things that trigger overreaction and hesitation. To legislators, anti-police special interest groups, and public administrators, I ask, please stop agitating relationships between police and the communities we serve. You are exploiting an already present feeling of isolation and hate felt by police and feelings of abuse felt by the community. These feelings will only serve to rapidly accelerate, prolong, and intensify violence in our communities. I have never met an officer who wanted to abuse their community or a community seeking abuse, but I have witnessed public officials manipulating officers and the public for political gain.