Policing during COVID-19: Another day, another crisis (original) (raw)
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Police officer anxiety after occupational blood and body fluid exposure
Occupational Medicine, 2012
Background In the course of their work, police staff are at risk of exposure to blood and body fluids (BBF) and potentially at risk of acquiring a blood-borne viral infection. Aims To examine levels of anxiety among Scottish police staff following an occupational exposure to BBF. Methods Police staff who reported an incident of exposure to their occupational health (OH) provider were invited to complete a postal questionnaire about their levels of self-reported anxiety after the incident and after contact with medical services (namely, OH and accident and emergency (A&E)). Results Seventy exposed individuals (66% of those invited to take part) completed a questionnaire. Participants' self-reported anxiety after the incident varied widely. Levels of anxiety reduced over time and following contact with medical services. A&E staff were more likely to be the first point of medical contact for the most anxious individuals. Pre-incident training was not associated with postincident anxiety. Conclusions The findings suggest that contact with medical services helps to alleviate post-exposure anxieties among police staff.
The Physical Hazards of Police Work Revisited
Police Quarterly, 2012
This paper is NOT THE PUBLISHED VERSION; but the author's final, peer-reviewed manuscript. The published version may be accessed by following the link in the citation below.
Policing in a Pandemic: a Commentary on Officer Well-being During COVID-19
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology
The role of police officers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is challenging, faced with the difficult task of keeping communities safe and preventing the spread of COVID-19 while putting their physical and mental health at risk. Emerging evidence points to the stress experiences of officers during the COVID-19 pandemic. With cases now surpassing 174 million and close to four million deaths worldwide, as well as stringent lockdown measures, police officers are faced with unprecedented challenges resulting from the pandemic. This commentary suggests police departments strengthen resources by putting in place appropriate emergency planning for future public health incidents, in addition to preparing for temporary or permanent loss of human resources. It is important to implement robust training plans post-pandemic to allow officers to offer better care for communities when faced with future public health emergencies. Finally, police officers should be provided with the resources and support to cope with the stresses associated with COVID-19.
Original article, 2023
Objective: Due to the important role of police during COVID-19 pandemics and lack of previous studies on the impact of personal protective equipment (PPE) in reduction of COVID-19 infection among police officers, we aimed to investigate the role of using PPE in prevention of COVID-19 infection among Iranian police personnel. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Tehran, Iran during January 2021 to November 2022. The study sample consisted of police personnel who were active in field operations. Demographics (age, height, weight, gender, marital status, number of children and underlying diseases) and job characteristics such as frequency and type of operations, involvement of colleagues with COVID-19, and COVID-19 infection history, using PPE, types of used PPE (mask, face shield, gloves, etc), protective strategies (such as social distancing) and COVID-19 vaccination were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 25. Results: Totally, 340 participants were analyzed (33.54±9.74 years old, 91.2% males), of whom, 150 participants (44.1%) reported at least one episode of confirmed COVID-19 infection. The most common component of PPE used both during operations and daily life was face mask (44.7% and 75%, respectively). The most popular measure with higher adherence compared to others was social distancing with 70% popularity and an adherence score of 5.85±3.74. Three hundred subjects (88.2%) had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Among PPE items, using face mask, washing hands with soap, social distancing and vaccination were significantly different between patients with and without prior COVID-19 infection (p>0.05). Conclusion: The findings showed that use of PPE is significantly efficacious in reduction of COVID-19 infection among police officers. Therefore, despite difficulties of using PPE among police forces, it is strongly recommended for virus spread control in this population.
Pain, Injury, Mortality: Police Confront Critical Incidents
International Journal of Criminology and Sociology, 2019
Previous research has shown that the law enforcement occupation is a dangerous profession that has the highest violent victimization rate in the United States (Fridell, Faggiani, Taylor, Brito, & Kubu, 2009). This descriptive study aims to add to the growing body of literature on victimization of police officers by answering the central research question: What are the characteristics of victimization incidents of on-duty law enforcement officers? Specific demographics of interest include; sex of the officer, method of harm used against the officer, incident location, and responding call type. A content analysis was performed on news articles reporting incidents of on-duty law enforcement fatalities and injuries (n=50), in which characters gathered from the articles were recoded to numbers for quantitative analysis. Analysis of data suggests that male officers are more likely to be victimized while on-duty. Gunfire is the method of harm most likely used to victimize officers. A roadway is the location where an incident of victimization will most likely occur, during other types of calls beyond warrant services, traffic stops, domestic disturbances, and suspicious persons. This research can lead to future more detailed research and causal analysis
Aligning policing and public health promotion: insights from the world of foot patrol
Police Practice and Research, 2013
Foot patrol work is rarely described in relation to public health, even though police routinely encounter health risk behaviors and environments. Through a qualitative study of foot patrol policing in violent 'hotspots' of Philadelphia, we explore some prospects and challenges associated with bridging security and public health considerations in law enforcement. Noting existing efforts to help advance police officer knowledge of, and attitudes toward health vulnerabilities, we incorporate perspectives from environmental criminology to help advance this bridging agenda. Extending the notion of capable guardianship to understand foot patrol work, we suggest that the way forward for theory, policy, and practice is not solely to rely on changing officer culture and behavior, but rather to advance a wider agenda for enhancing collective guardianship, and especially 'place management' for harm reduction in the city.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019
The complexities of modern policing require law enforcement agencies to expand how officers are trained to do their jobs. It is not sufficient for training to focus solely on the law or on perishable skills; such as arrest and control; defensive tactics; driving; and firearms. The present manuscript addresses the critical importance of infusing academy training with the psychological skills essential for officers to meet the contemporary challenges of police work. The authors suggest that the skills (i.e., cognitive; emotional; social; and moral) discussed in this paper may improve officers' wellness as well as promote relationships between police officers and community members. Specific methods of incorporating these skills in academy training are offered.