scholarly journals Effects of COVID-19 on the Honduras National Police and lessons learned regarding police officer well-being and occupational stress

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne J. Pitts ◽  
◽  
Christopher S. Inkpen ◽  
Raquel Margarita Ovalle Romero ◽  
Jesús Guillermo García Iraheta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Stress ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
High Level ◽  
National Police

Background: In early 2020 a global pandemic linked to a coronavirus, known as COVID-19, quickly spread and Government authorities scrambled to respond implementing travel restrictions, social distancing, testing, and quarantines. By early March, the Republic of Honduras implemented strict protocols, requiring greater attention from the police in enforcing the mobility restrictions and working with Government and public health officials to contain spread of COVID-19. Purpose: The purpose of this formative research is to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on the Honduras National Police with particular attention to officer well-being and occupational stress. Methods: Using mixed methods, this article reports the descriptive results of 28 semi-structured qualitative interviews with high-level command staff from the Honduran National Police (HNP) and a representative sample of 143 patrol officers drawn from police districts in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, and La Lima. Results: Policing activities related to crime prevention, investigations, and human resource assignments have shifted in Honduras due to COVID-19. Few police protocols have been updated to reflect this new work environment and steps to protect the well-being of police officers have been inconsistent, with elevated stress levels among officers. Limitations: This case study of police in Honduras is based on a small but representative sample of line officers. The findings of this study are most useful to neighbouring countries in Central America, though there are findings relevant to all police agencies. Conclusions: Our review and analysis have immediate implications for police agencies working to address planning and training deficiencies during the current COVID-19 outbreak while also underscoring critical considerations to prepare for the next worldwide health crisis.

scholarly journals Normative Provision of Personal Safety of the Employees of the National Police of Ukraine

2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 185-192
Author(s):  
Sklyar О. S. Sklyar ◽  
T. V. Shevchenko
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Law Enforcement Officers ◽  
Personal Safety ◽  
Security Measures ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
The Law ◽  
Internal Affairs ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
High Level ◽  
National Police

The level of normative provision of personal safety of the employees of the National Police of Ukraine has been clarified. The normative base of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and the National Police of Ukraine in regard to ensuring the personal safety of a police officer has been analyzed. It has been established that the normative level stipulates a norm on ensuring the personal safety of police officers in the performance of their official duties, but the legislator does not provide an explanation of the essence of the concept of personal safety. The lack of the definition of this concept in regulatory acts gives rise to a number of discussions among scholars in various fields of research. The most successful definitions of the concepts of security and personal safety of law enforcement officers have been consistently studied. In accordance with the Law of Ukraine “On the National Police” and in order to ensure the personal safety of police officers and to prevent the death, injury and trauma of them and others during the handling of weapons, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine approved the Instruction on security measures when handling weapons, which is only a part of the official activities of police agencies (institutions, organizations) and does not reveal the essence of the content of personal safety. It has been offered to regulate the high level of performance of police duties by police officers, i.e. to supplement the Law of Ukraine “On the National Police” or the relevant bylaws with the definition of “personal safety of police officers”, which can help to address theoretical and practical issues on developing concrete measures to increase the personal safety of police officers and to stop discussions on understanding this concept.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Study: An Examination of Police Officers’ Lived Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 105756772110504
Author(s):  
Richard C. Helfers ◽  
Johnny Nhan
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Safety ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Seriously Ill

In the spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe prompting stay-at-home orders for all but the most essential workers in society. Policing was one of the professions that is essential for community safety, regardless of the circumstances. Officers were on the front-line of the COVID-19 public health crisis and their preparedness was crucial for officer and community health. During the onset of the pandemic little was known about how officers perceived the virus and how police agencies prepared officers to work in a highly contagious environment. This study used semistructured interviews of police officers in two states in the United States that had elevated cases of the virus. The authors explored the lived experiences of police officers to explore officers’ perceptions, concerns, implications the pandemic had on patrol activity, and agency preparedness during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed structural and cultural forces that resulted in officers and their agency leadership not taking the pandemic seriously, ill-preparation and ill-equipping, and disincentives in reporting exposure. Moreover, officers’ fears were largely not based on their own well-being, but on the risk of spreading the disease to their family members.

Policing mental illness: Police use of section 136 – Perspectives from police and mental-health nurses

2021 ◽  
pp. 002580242199336
Author(s):  
Meron Wondemaghen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Health Care Policy ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Care Policy ◽  
Mental Health Nurses ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Pilot Scheme

Ideological shifts in mental health-care policy such as deinstitutionalisation have meant police have had to make decisions about the care of persons with a mental-health crisis. This study examines how police in five English counties respond to crisis calls when employing the powers afforded in section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and the effectiveness of the national Street Triage pilot scheme. Qualitative interviews with 30 police officers and mental-health nurses (MHN) were collected as data sources. The analysis shows that police have previously struggled with the significant number of crisis calls, whilst also finding mental-health services inadequately sourced, leading to some detentions in police cells as alternatives to health-based places of safety. However, the scheme has made positive changes in alleviating these issues when MHN are co-located with police, highlighting the need to strengthen their partnership by facilitating the sharing of information, responsibilities and decision making in order to ensure police cells continue to be avoided as alternative places of safety.

Stress Spillover in Policing and Negative Relationship Functioning for Law Enforcement Marriages

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke McQuerrey Tuttle ◽  
Zachary Giano ◽  
Michael J. Merten
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Occupational Stress ◽  
Work Stress ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Marital Functioning ◽  
Unique Type

The nature of police work includes toxic work environments and uncertain danger which imparts a unique type of occupational stress spillover or the transfer of stress from work life to home life for law enforcement officers. Work stress places officers at risk for negative health and psychosocial outcomes. While it has been shown that occupational stress can compromise the well-being of police officers, little is known about how spillover can effect other areas of life for officers such as marital relationships. This study investigates the association between work demands, emotional stress spillover, and marital functioning in a law enforcement sample. Data from 1,180 married law enforcement respondents to the Police Officer Questionnaire which included 148 items assessing work stress, health, family, and support were examined. Responses were analyzed using regression analyses. Results showed that career demands and emotional spillover were statistically significant predictors of the variance in marital functioning. Social and emotional spillover of work-related stress carries negative consequences for communication and emotion regulation within law enforcement marriages.

Emotional self-efficacy and psychological health of police officers

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-610
Author(s):  
Clémence Violette Emeriau-Farges ◽  
Andrée-Ann Deschênes ◽  
Marc Dussault
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emotional Skills ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Understanding Emotions ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe evaluation of emotional management in police environments has impacts on their health and on their interventions (Monier, 2014; Van Hoorebeke, 2003). There are significant costs related to occupational diseases in the police force: absenteeism, turnover, deterioration of the work climate (Al Ali et al., 2012). Considering that policing involves a high level of emotional control and management (Monier, 2014; Al Ali et al., 2012; Dar, 2011) and that no study has yet examined the relationship between police officers’ emotional competencies and their psychological health at work (PHW), the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship and influence of emotional self-efficacy (ESE) on PHW in policing.Design/methodology/approachPHW results from psychological distress at work (PDW) (irritability, anxiety, disengagement) and psychological well-being at work (PWBW) (social harmony, serenity and commitment at work) (Gilbertet al., 2011). ESE is defined as the individual’s belief in his or her own emotional skills and effectiveness in producing desired results (Bandura, 1997), conceptualized through seven emotional skills: the use of emotions; the perception of one’s own emotions and that of others; the understanding of one’s emotions and that of others; and the management of one’s emotions and that of others (Deschênes et al., 2016). A correlational estimate was used with a sample of 990 employed police officers, 26 percent of whom were under 34 years of age and 74 percent over 35. The ESE scales (a=0.97) of Deschênes et al. (2018) and Gilbertet al.(2011) on PWBW (a=0.91) and PDW (a=0.94) are used to measure the concepts under study.FindingsThe results of the regression analyses confirm links between police officers’ emotional skills and PHW. The results show that self-efficacy in managing emotions, self-efficacy in managing emotions that others feel, self-efficacy in using emotions and self-efficacy in understanding emotions partially explain PWBW (R2=0.30,p<0.001). On the other hand, self-efficacy in perceiving the emotions that others feel, self-efficacy in using emotions and self-efficacy in managing emotions partially explain PDW (R2=0.30,p<0.001).Originality/valueThis study provided an understanding of the correlation between police officers’ feelings of ESE and their PHW, particularly with PWBW. Beyond the innovation and theoretical contribution of such a study on the police environment, the results reveal the scope of the consideration of emotional skills in this profession.

scholarly journals Introduction of the Project “Community Police Officer” as a Step towards Strengthening Local Security Infrastructure

2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18
Author(s):  
O. I. Bezpalova
Keyword(s):  
Police Officer ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Public Order ◽  
Community Police ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Security Infrastructure ◽  
Close Cooperation ◽  
Training Community ◽  
National Police

The author has emphasized on the importance of strengthening the institutional capacity of local self-government agencies to address their challenges, including in the field of public safety, in particular by strengthening local security infrastructure. It has been stated that the urgent issue of the present time is to update the tools of interaction between the local population and the police to achieve a common goal – to ensure public order and safety at the regional level focused on the needs of citizens. It has been emphasized that it is currently important to use the positive foreign experience of organizing the work of the police agencies and units. On the basis of studying this experience it is advisable to implement pilot projects aimed at creating a safe environment for citizens, which should implement effective local security infrastructure. To this end, the project “Community Police Officer” was launched in 2019 as part of the reform of the National Police in Ukraine. Particular attention has been paid to the fact that the main purpose of the project “Community Police Officer” is to ensure close cooperation between police officers and amalgamated community, where police activities are primarily focused on the needs of the community. It has been argued that a characteristic feature of the project “Community Police Officer” is the focus on the introduction of a qualitatively and meaningfully new format of policing, where the needs of the community, local population should be in priority, which should be studied and ensured by keeping constant contacts between police officers and local population. The main innovations of this project have been analyzed. The powers of the community police officer and the district police officer have been differentiated. The key stages of the project “Community Police Officer” have been outlined. Specific features of training community police officers have been characterized, since it directly affects the effectiveness of their duties and the state of public order and safety within a particular amalgamated community. The peculiarities of evaluating the effectiveness of the community police officer’s work have been revealed. The author has emphasized on the importance of developing Regulations on the organization of community police officers’ work and developing an effective mechanism for elaborating the training programs for community police officers.

scholarly journals Politiets brug af peberspray

2017 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diverse: Garly Andersen & Vedel Kessing
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Health Authority ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
International Human Rights ◽  
Danish Health ◽  
International Human ◽  
National Police ◽  
Comprehensive Study

English title: Police use of pepper sprayThis article discusses the use of pepper spray by police since its introduction to Denmark in 2008. Pepper spray contains pepper extract and has been assessed as capable of causing serious health risks by the Danish Health Authority. International human rights bodies have also expressed concerns about the use of pepper spray. Despite this, no comprehensive study or evaluation of the use of pepper spray has ever been conducted in Denmark. The article uses qualitative interviews with police officers and people exposed to pepper spray, as well as a review of reports from police officers about their use of pepper spray, in an examination of whether Danish rules and practices fully comply with human rights requirements and recommendations. The situations in which pepper spray is typically used are described with a focus on where it is used and who it is used against. The authors express concern about the use of pepper spray in a number of situations and argue that its authorization should be more restrictive and precisely regulated. Finally, the article describes a dialogue with the Danish National Police and the pending police act regulating pepper spray.

scholarly journals Psycho-Emotional Approach to the Psychological Distress Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Domínguez-Salas ◽  
Juan Gómez-Salgado ◽  
Montserrat Andrés-Villas ◽  
Diego Díaz-Milanés ◽  
Macarena Romero-Martín ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Level Of Concern ◽  
High Level ◽  
Emotional Approach

Anxiety, depression, and stress are common and expected reactions to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The objective of this study is to analyze psychological distress in a sample of Spanish population, identifying the predictive nature of the information received, the preventive measures taken, level of concern, beliefs, and knowledge about the infection. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on a sample of 4615 participants. Data were collected through a self-prepared questionnaire and the general health questionnaire (GHQ-12). Bivariate analyses and logistic regressions were performed. Of the total participants, 71.98% presented psychological distress. The study population actively sought information about coronavirus, expressed a high level of concern and knowledge, and the most frequent preventive behavior was hand washing. As predictive factors, the degree of concern for COVID-19 was identified (odds ratio (OR) = 1.244, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [1.179, 1.312]), the number of hours spent consulting information on COVID-19 (OR = 1.038, 95% CI = [1.009, 1.068]), or the need for psychological support (OR = 1.135, 95% CI = [1.094, 1.177]), among others. These results could help design more effective strategies towards a psycho-emotional approach for the population when in similar health crisis situations. There is a need for interventions aimed at the psychological well-being of the population that meet the needs of their reality.

scholarly journals The Effects of School Police Officers on Victimization, Delinquency, and Fear of Crime: Focusing on Korean Youth

2020 ◽  
pp. 0306624X2094693
Author(s):  
Sungil Han ◽  
Nadine M. Connell
Keyword(s):  
School Violence ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Property Crime ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Fear Of Victimization ◽  
Korean Youth ◽  
School Police ◽  
National Police ◽  
Korean Schools

As a response to rising concerns about school violence, the Korean National Police Agency began recruiting specialized police officers, called Korean School Police Officers (KSPOs), in hopes that they would reduce in school behavioral and delinquency problems. The current study provides insight into the effects of crime prevention activities in Korean schools, using the 2014 Korean Youth Victimization Survey to advance the knowledge about the role of the KSPOs and their potential impact on delinquency reduction. Results indicate that the presence of KSPOs did not have any significant association with criminal victimization or fear of victimization. In some cases, the presence of KSPOs is associated with higher property crime by students. Implications of these findings for understanding KSPOs and their roles in preventing school crime and improving school environments are discussed. In addition, we discuss how lessons learned from the U.S. may influence future advancements in KSPO approaches and vice versa.

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