The safety of police officers in the NYPD

Running head : THE SAFETY OF POLICE OFFICERS IN THE NYPD

The Safety of Police Officers in the NYPD

Abstract

This will delve into the problems of safety and to the mental and physical health of NYPD officers , problems that they face every day of their working lives . The will then analyze the problems and find out who it affects the most . A solution will be sought , and a conclusion will be made

The Safety of Police Officers in the NYPD

It is a fact that injuries among police officers during the

br performance of their duty are very common indeed , and some of these injuries can even be fatal . Illnesses , both physical and psychological suicide , homicide , and other similar problems are rampant among police officers , and today , as more and more people recognize these problems and the repercussions that they may have on the safety of police officers , technical interventions are being sought and found so that the problems may be alleviated , at least to a small extent (Mayhew , Claire 2001 ) Facing physical disabilities of varying degrees is another risk that officers have to face , as they are often confronted with dire circumstances when they work . High risks situations , situations that require shooting , disabling bombs and so on are part and parcel of the daily lives of these brave officers of NYPD , and they are forced to plunge into volatile and often unpredictable circumstances so that the public may remain safe . Posttraumatic stress for officers who are in the line of fire every minute of their waking hours can also be a serious problem and this can lead to other related issues such as marital problems , alcoholism , drug abuse and low self esteem and guilt . In several cases , officers with psychiatric problems are reluctant to seek help they fear stigmatization , and fear losing their jobs . After a large number of suicides , another safety risk to these officers , it was decided that a confidential assistance program was needed to help NYPD officers overcome their barriers and seek professional counseling and help . This program has been able to provide help to these officers when they needed it the most (Dowling Frank G , MD 2005

When West African immigrant Amadou Diallo , a nineteen year old gangster , was shot and killed by the NYPD , the police officers involved in the case were penalized in fact , the entire country raised an outcry against what they thought was `inhumane treatment . However , the fact was that the police officers shot the young man in the mistaken belief that the man was armed . No one stopped to think that if the officers had not shot at and killed the gangster , then he would have had the first shot at them , had he been armed , effectively killing one or all the officers who were only trying to protect the public and performing their duties to the best of their abilities (Ashford , Phil 1999

The safety of a police officer loses its importance when there is an offender to...