Stress is a common phenomenon among the police due to the demanding nature of the profession and the working condition. Initially, the police culture disregarded stress as a problem that affects officers while on duty. However, a study by Bond (2014) has revealed that unmanaged stress among the law enforcement officers can lead to adverse effects on not only the health of the officers but also relations with fellow colleagues and family members. Some of the noticeable effects of unmanaged stress include anxiety, compassionate fatigue and depression.
Many police officers work for longer hours and some don’t eat regularly while attending to issues related to the maintenance of the law and order in the society. Bond (2014) argues when one fails to get enough rest and not to eat early to replenish what the body has lost can lead to fatigue. A police officer is fatigued while on duty can result in issues like poor decision making and other cognitive related tasks.
A study by highlights that fatigue has a negative effect on the performance of the police officer. An officer who is fatigued has difficulties in managing relations with his fellow police officers and family members. Also, the police officer is likely to make mistakes while making entries on the court paperwork, thus making it hard to give accurate testimonies regarding an offender in the court. Bond (2014) reiterates that a fatigued officer is likely to sleep on duty a fact that may strain the relationship with his supervisor.
Poor remuneration among the officers compared to other state employees has forced the officers to sacrifice their safety and health by accepting extra workload so as to boost their income for their family members. There is a need for improvement of the police terms of the police so as to boost their morale. Also, the law enforcement officers have to ensure that they eat and exercise regularly and take a day off so as to reduce duty related fatigue.
References
Bond, M. (2014). The impact of stress and fatigue on law enforcement officers and steps to control it. Retrieved from http://inpublicsafety.com/2014/02/the-impact-of-stress-and- fatigue-on-law-enforcement-officers-and-steps-to-control-it/
