66 3 Police and Law Enforcement—Civil Forensics
In theory, aggressive police officers could be dealt with as dangerous deviants by their
peers and by the administrator ot their departments. Instead, they are seen as overly-
torcehit practitioners of a philosophy that comprises themes such as "lots of suspects are
scumbags," "one cannot tolerate disrespect," "situations must be (physically) controlled,"
and "the real measure ot police productivity is number of arrests." (pp. 242—243}Toch suggests that it is a fallacy to believe that the "police problem" is a function
of personality disturbances among a small group of officers that can be detected
during initial psychological screenings or a function of racial beliefs that can be
eradicated by cultural sensitivity lectures. He contends that some officers have a
proclivity to escalate interpersonal interactions into explosive situations. In addition,
he maintains that this propensity for violence can only be identified through on-
the-spot observations of their interactions on the street. Clearly in Cameron's case,
early detection of this type of behavior could prevent future abuses of citizens.
In addition, his department could recognize the need for additional training in
handling hostile situations without resorting to violence.
Forensic Psychology and Policy Implications
Overall, it is clear that mental health professionals need to have a role in police train-
ing as well as provide psychological services and evaluations after a critical incident
or trauma. Many forensic psychologists specialize in the unique psychological dy-
namics of police work, the emotional needs of police officers, and the complexities
of law enforcement organizations. In order for a mental health professional to be
effective within an organization, they must understand the special needs or issues
of their constituency, in this case police officers.
Within the police department, Beutler et al. (1988) suggest that departments
should enhance coping strategies for officers by including intradepartmental pro-
grams for stress management, psychological interventions, and educational pro-
grams on the abuses of alcohol. Saathoff and Buckman (1990) recommend that
when psychiatrists or psychologists conduct a psychological evaluation of officers,
they should not be cajoled by the officer or the department into limiting the scope
of their evaluation. Officers' continuing mental health has endless implications for
their own safety and the safety of the community. These researchers also suggest
including officers' families in the mental health process in order to elicit critical
information and increase the level of support for that officer.
It is imperative for police departments to take all possible steps to reduce the
stigma attached to psychological services for officers. Police supervisors should re-
ceive training to help them identify those officers in need of psychological referrals.
These interventions should be encouraged and rewarded by supervisors and even
made mandatory after critical events.
Regarding cynicism, Graves (1996) suggests that competent, principle-centered,
people-oriented leadership can help to inspire and motivate employees and prevent