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Social and Behavioral Science

Improving Officer Safety in Interactions With Citizens Suffering From Mental Illness

May 2017
Cara Altimus, former ASSS Fellow with NIJ, discusses the importance of law enforcement and first responders understanding mental illness, its causes, and how it affects the brain. She speaks about the correlation between drug addiction and mental illness. Altimus also addresses establishing procedures and systems so that police officers and first responders can safely and successfully interact with individuals with drug addiction and/or mental illness.

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Understanding the Effects of Fatigue on Law Enforcement

May 2017
Steven James (Assistant Research Professor, Washington State University, College of Medicine) and Lois James (Assistant Professor, Washington State University, College of Nursing) discuss research on how fatigue and sleep deprivation affect officers when they make critical decisions to use deadly force. The researchers also discuss how often law enforcement officers are fatigued, the impacts of officer fatigue and drowsy driving, and the goal of implementing positive changes.

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How Best Protect Your Force Against Officer Suicide

May 2017
John Violanti, Research Professor at Buffalo, discusses the importance of making police departments aware that officer suicide is a problem. According to Violanti, police officers have a significantly higher rate of suicide than the general public. Reasons for this higher risk include the accumulative effects of trauma and stress.

Violanti describes steps police agencies are taking to help police officers, including teaching recruits what they may experience on the job.

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Examining Police Officer Crime

February 2017
Dr. Philip Stinson, Bowling Green State University, discusses the findings of his research on crimes committed by police officers.

Based on the research findings, law enforcement officers appear to commit crimes at a much lower rate than the general public. However, in some cases, at times due to the stressors of the job and frequent exposure to trauma and violence, officers engage in misconduct or criminal behavior.

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Police Officer Crimes and Police Integrity

February 2017
Dr. Philip Stinson, Bowling Green State University, discusses the findings of his research on crimes committed by police officers.

However, in some cases, at times due to the stressors of the job and frequent exposure to trauma and violence, officers engage in misconduct or criminal behavior. The National Institute of Justice understands what’s at stake for public safety and officer wellness when we ignore warning signs of officers struggling with occupational hazards and other psychological hardships.

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