THE \7'ESTCHESTER GUARDIAN

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2O1O

PAGE

2I

Is The

DWI Of Off-DutylawEnforcement A
sociation has been in existence since 1972 nationally with Chartered organizations in the United Kingdom, Canada and Bermuda. The principal concerns of the National Black Police Association are the promotion of justice, fair-

Blue WaIl of Silence Or a Iob Related Stress Issue?

By Damon K. lones as inherently stressful because of than the affected officer. The Newsl2 report entitled the personal risk of exposure to In closing, the law enforce"The BIue Wall of Silence" was confrontation and violence and ment officer is the key to safety misleading to the communi- the day-to-day involvement in a and order in our society. Thereties of Westchester variety of traumatic fore, it is imperative for union

County. The viewers were left to assume that the four off-duty law enforcement professionals had been stopped by an officer,
then let go, to later get

incidents. It is apparent that some officers have used alcohol as

presidents

to speak out on

the

mental and heath issues of law

enforcement professionals. Th.y must hold our elected officials

a way to numb the pain of work-related

stresses.

in an automobile accident. These officers

Law enforcement cannot wait until officers'

management

ness, and effectiveness in law enforcement issues and the effect of and law enforcement manage- those issues upon the total comment more accountable to the munity officer and the community by enIn Unity and Peace hancing policies and procedures Damon K. Jones,

and by creating a better work-

North East Region President

who had

accidents, are accused of DWI

drinking problems place that gives the community lead to an automo- a better, more efficient, healthy,
well trained officer that will give situation, or a citizen's complaint. better service to the needs ofthe To deal with such situations, po- community. The National Black Police Aslice agencies must adopt a strategy of getting help for ofhcers at

managers sometimes lack faith in early detection approaches and view them as ineffective. Yet, if dents are alcoholics. We also cant agencies intervene before officers allow the public to assume that get into trouble, they can help ofthe majority of off-duty law en- ficers onto the road to recovery, forcement professionals are driv- avoiding damage to both their ing under the influence, and their personal and professional lives. comrades are turning a blind eye The FBI also recommends and endangering the rest of the numerous strategies for early inpublic. When these tragedies like tervention for law enforcement drinking and driving do happen departments: . Help to improve the fitness within the law enforcement community, we have continued to and well-being of officers; . Provide education on lifepoke fingers at the efect and not look for the true solutions. style rather than on alcohol itself; . Initiate stress management Nobody can deny that law enforcement professionals have one programs; . Shift the responsibility of of the most stressful jobs in the world and it tends to be regarded detection to individuals other

and, like any citizen, are entitled to have their day in court. The pressures of the badge put officers at risk for high blood pressure, insomnia, increased levels of destructive stress hormones' heart problems, Post-Traumatic $lr*ss Disorder (IITSD), suicide and alcoholism. By no means are we trying to say that the off-duty law enforcement professionals in recent acci-

bile accident, domestic violence

the first sign of problems. The FBI has found that agencies often use a late-stage treat-

ment strategy because

police

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