Police Officer's Role In The Criminal Justice System

Within the criminal justice system police officers carry a significant role. Their daily duties include a variety of challenging tasks such as paperwork, highway patrol, interviews, and emergency response. These officers typically work full time (day and nights shifts) long hours, and overtime. Police officers have a significant amount of responsibility to the community. They are expected to maintain law and order by preventing crime, protecting the community, and decrease the fear of crime. The difficult tasks, long hours and pressure police officers undergo make their jobs very taxing on their psychological and psychical conditions for them and their families. Police work has been recognized as one of the most stressful occupations (Burke,

Law enforcement personnel put their lives at risk every day, they see horrific crimes, and endure tragedies. Faced with significant pressures and continuous anxieties, emotions in officers may build up and lead to harmful behaviors if not dealt with properly (Maslach 1979). Warning signs of destructive behaviors for police officers include, unexpected changes in behavior, erratic work habits, increased sick days for trivial ailments, scattered thoughts, and excessive worrying (Territo, Vetter, 1981). These warning signs may lead to substance abuse and suicide (Territo, Vetter, 1981). “Police department officials have reported informally that as many as 25 percent of the officers in their respective departments have serious alcohol problems (Territo, Vetter, 1981).” According to Blackmore (1987) 10 percent of police officers have drug problems. Substance abuse not only affects the officer, but also directly affects their family. The effects of substance abuse on offspring were studied in an experiment, which concluded that all of the children of the respective parents had higher rates of conduct disorder and depression (Merikangas, Dierker, & Szatmari, 1998). Being addicted to any substance that alters a person’s state of mind, behavior or mood influences children negatively. As a child, seeing a parent dependent on drugs or alcohol displays a false pathway in life and may increase the child’s likelihood to become addicted to alcohol or drugs later on in their life. Not only is addiction a bad influence, it also causes distance in family relationships. A mother and father are portrayed as role models and caregivers, therefore it is important for a law enforcement officer to not only protect the community but also his or her own