The Pros And Cons Of Police Occupations

Our careers are a big part of our everyday lives. Most people can come home from work and relax. But for some, this is not a case. A police officer’s daily responsibilities that include seeing frequent traumatic events can take a toll on their mental health. Not only does their occupation affect them, but it also affects their family members at home. Researchers are studying the side effects that may come with stressful occupations. The most common side effects are stress, anxiety, depression, and even thoughts of suicide. Policemen put their lives on the line for us every single day. These brave men and women deserve the right to feel mentally stable in their occupations. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Overall, people
Police officers are being accused of “brutality” and “racial discrimination”. Our society watches their every move, hoping they will mess up. Police officers now have even more expectations to live up too. Unfortunately, it is very common for police officers to be disrespected. There is a massive amount of people who are out to get police officers. Mike Burg says, “I was sad that our profession has reached a point that, now more than ever, we have to be suspicious of everyone, their movements and their motives” (Burg). All the negative attention the police are receiving from all over the country is causing paranoia. Police are being forced to change their ways because of the pressures of society. But, “civilian accountability of the police has been one of the critical issues facing the transformation of the police” (Gottschalk 2). The police are not going to get any “better” until society changes the way they are acting. It is important that respect for police officers is taught. Nobody, including policemen, likes feeling watched and judged
It has been said that police officers have easy jobs. If they have easy jobs, then why would they suffer from psychological problems? Many would say they have it easy and “the police are not and should never be allowed to think of themselves as soldiers or to believe they face the same level of danger” (McNamara). Reading into this quote, the author is saying that policemen are overexaggerating when it comes to their psychological problems because they do not have it as bad as someone else. This is a false statement, because “public perception has established policing as one of the most stressful professions in American society, and research findings support, the fact that stress leads to a number of problems for law enforcement professionals” (Kurtz 71). It is proven to us that the police profession is dangerous and can cause psychological problems, such as