Police Stress 99emotional turmoil. Everything from recurring nightmares to a "quick-trigger syn-
drome" may develop as a result of being a victim of assault. Considering that the
police officer places him- or herself in a potentially hostile environment every day,
it is no wonder that some officers harbor feelings of violation and psychological
disarray,
Suicide
There is no doubt that the ultimate and most tragic result of an inability to cope
with police stress is suicide. An occupation surrounded with constant death, deceit,
antisocial behaviors and personalities, defiance, ridicule, criticism, boredom, rigid
hierarchical structures, and lack of social support may result in suicide in some
cases. T. E. Baker and Baker (1996) reported that in 1994, 11 New York City
police officers committed suicide. However, only two officers were actually killed
by criminals in New York City that same year. It is clearly an unacceptable and
distressing ratio when police are killing themselves at a rate more than five times
greater than that by criminals.
An article by Arrigo and Garsky (1997) investigated a police officer's decision
to commit suicide. The authors state that a combination of occupational stress, a
nonsupportive family structure, and alcoholism may contribute to suicidal ideation
in the police officer. Occupational stress in the police force is what the authors
describe first as a contributing factor in police suicide. The inherent and chronically
stressful nature of police work accumulates in the form of such feelings as helplessness
and hopelessness. Also, organizational stressors such as those described earlier lead
to feelings of suppressed hostility, frustration, and a sense of having little influ-
ence.
In addition to occupational stress, family strife is cited by Arrigo and Garsky
(1997) as being another significant source of stress. A number of important and often
undesirable responsibilities such as shift work and disabling injuries occur with police
work. These and other factors have a tremendous impact on the officer's family
who must deal with these issues daily. A police officer's job requires a large amount
of time and energy in order ensure that he or she is doing their job properly and "by
the book." As a result, police officers' spouses are often neglected in the process.
Also, police officers' training often attempts to instill such psychological coping
techniques as detachment from emotional situations. All too often this detachment
is reflected in the personal lives of the officers. This results in a breakdown of family
communication and a lack of emotional intrigue, attachment, or romance within
the marriage.
The final component described is that of a police officer's use of alcohol and its
effects on the decision to commit suicide. It is a well-known fact that many people
use alcohol as a means to escape a reality that they would rather not experience or
to at least detach themselves from it. As described in the section on police officers'