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Energy: You either Have it or Want More of it

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Law enforcement officers need the proper nutrition and hydration to give them the energy required to handle the tough challenges of police work.

Police Officers are juggling many different jobs. If you are a cop then you are an enforcer, defender, protector, social worker, friend, mother/father, sister/brother, aunt/uncle, grandmother/grandfather, daughter/son, student, chef, chauffeur, sports coach, business owner, accountant, personal secretary and landscaper. I am sure that I missed a few of our everyday duties but this is what consisted of a day in the Life of a Philadelphia Police Officer when I was on the force not so long ago.

So where do you get the Energy to be able to… Continue reading

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The Police Officer Wellness Evaluation Response© (P.O.W.E.R.) Survey

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Please take a few minutes to take the Police Officer Wellness Evaluation Response© (P.O.W.E.R.) Survey. It takes about 5 minutes, is completely confidential, and is for LEO’s ONLY. They need your help to spread the word as they are looking for 1,000 responses.

CLICK HERE to link to the survey

The Police Officer Wellness Evaluation Response© (P.O.W.E.R.) Survey is designed to collect data and measure “holistic wellness” of law enforcement personnel nationwide. This multi-dimensional approach will address: physical wellness, emotional wellness, psychological wellness, and spiritual wellness. Each area of wellness, though independent, work interdependently, to provide a better… Continue reading

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Grin and Bear it

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A few months ago, I received a telephone call from a family friend during date night with my wife. The call was from a family friend so I answered the phone. Our friend was in the observatory which is on top of the Prudential Tower in Boston. She called asking for some advice. The power was off and it was dark.
• Friend: The lights and the power are off and no one is telling us what to do?… Continue reading

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Coping With On-The-Job Stress and Injuries

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How many current and former law enforcement officers are out there suffering with mental and physical injuries; and how do we help them? Listen to our interview with a former officer who talks about his battles with PTSD and the injuries that forced his retirement.

Recently I had a chance to have a very candid discussion with “M” a retired officer from a mid-sized police department in the eastern United States.. “M” asked that I not use his name to protect his privacy, but he had some interesting things to say about his struggle with PTSD and the injuries that forced him to leave the job he loved.

You can listen to our… Continue reading

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Educating My Flock of Sheep

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Do you know the story about sheep, wolves and sheepdogs?

The Sunday morning after the Colorado theater shooting, I had the rare opportunity of enjoying a day off which fell on a Sunday. A ritual of mine is to attend church with my family. I was eager to attend this day as a woman priest who is a friend of mine was preaching for our vacationing clergy.

Chris was telling the story of the sheep, shepherds and sheepdogs. She was reminding us of the role of a sheepdog to guide the herd of sheep and how we all have a responsibility to look out for each other. There was no mention of the current events in her sermon.

At the time of peace, Chris came over to me to hug me. She whispered in my ear that it is nice to hug you without the guns in your hands. The previous Wednesday, I ran into Chris behind my police station as I was assisting our mechanic remove a shotgun and a patrol rifle from a disabled cruiser to be secured inside the station. It’s all about timing in life and unfortunately Chris and I did not get a change for a friendly hug that day. One could say my hands were full at that moment.

After the service, I had coffee with several friends including Chris. Everyone wants to know in a kind but awkward way what’s going on in our community. They want to hear that life is Utopia and sometimes I have to adjust my comments to minimize the shock and awe factor. Calling it “sugar coating” the truth or allowing my friends to enjoy their peaceful existence in their own world, I have to edit the reality of police work to my audience. Some people want the raw and powerful truth that is the reality of police work, and others want to feel safe believing in their minds that the world is safe.

Chris and I had a moment to share on her sermon and I brought to her attention the story by Lt. Col. David Grossman on the role of… Continue reading

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A Tribute to LAPD Officer Randal Simmons

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LAPD SWAT Officer Randal Simmons was killed in the line of duty during a SWAT operation on February 7, 2008.

Now NRALifeofDuty.tv (presented by Brownells) has created a film about his beliefs and work as a man, and LAPD Officer. The program is entitled “Protect & Serve” and you can watch the trailer below. (A link to the full feature is at the bottom of this article)

Police Officer Simmons was shot and killed while entering the residence of a murder suspect. The suspect had called police and stated that he had shot three of his family members. The department’s SWAT team responded to the call and Officer Simmons and Officer James Veenstra were the first officers… Continue reading

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Sugar – The Other “White Powder”

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Editors Note: We are proud to welcome Christa Cassilis-Hayburn as a new contributor to CopsAlive.com. Christa was a police officer with the Philadelphia Police Department for 11 years until she was forced to leave the job due to chronic pain from an on the job injury. Today Christa leads a healthy, relatively pain-free lifestyle and teaches others how to do the same. In this installment Christa will tell us about the dangers of too much sugar in our diets.

How much Sugar do you think you consume in ONE day?

Police officers and other law enforcement professionals have had a love affair with sugar and caffeine for centuries. A cop with a cup of coffee and donut is the stereotypic image used to typecast law enforcement officers. In this article I want give you an alternative to that nutritional choice and help you find something that will get you through your shift and help you survive the rigors of your career in law enforcement.

Here is another question that will really make you think… Are you ADDICTED to Sugar?

Like heroin, cocaine and caffeine, sugar is an addictive, destructive drug, yet we consume it daily in everything from cigarettes to bread -William Dufty, author of Sugar Blues.

How dare I ask such a question like that but I certainly remember those days where I “knew” that I needed to eat Sugar just to wake me up mid afternoon.

When I went into the police academy I never drank a cup of coffee in my life. After a few months on the job, I was drinking one to two 16 ounce cups of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. Here was the order that I gave: “Medium coffee with X-tra –X-tra”. That’s right Extra Creamer and Extra Sugar. Did I have any idea what Sugar would do to me in the long run? NO Clue!

As law enforcement officers we need to… Continue reading

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Burnout in Law Enforcement

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Many law enforcement officers come to a point in their careers where they have that feeling that the flame has gone out. The spark of enthusiasm has disappeared. The job is not fun anymore. These are some of the indicators of Police Burnout.

Early in my career there was a funny saying B.O.S.S., which made light fun of Officer Burnout with a tongue in cheek cartoon of an officer doing the Superman pose with the B as a symbol on his chest. If I remember correctly, there was a club you could send away a gag application for membership too.

Unfortunately many LEO’s of the past suffered from the symptoms and the reality of burnout. It affected their performance on and off the job. Burnout was not a formally recognized symptom or hazard of public safety career.  Although we laughed about it, it destroyed many careers and people.

Burnout or compassion fatigue has… Continue reading

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Life After Law Enforcement

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What are you going to do after your law enforcement career ends? Are you planning now for what you will do? We do not have complete control about how our careers will progress and what will happen to us on the job. There are many pitfalls that can derail even a successful career in law enforcement.

None of us can predict how long our career in police work or law enforcement will last, but we can create a strategy for how we want our careers to progress and when we want to leave the job. We can plan for what we will do after we leave the job for another career, or how we will live and what we will do, with our time in retirement.

I recently had a chance to speak with one such former police officer who had a plan and who is now helping others in law enforcement and elsewhere plan for their futures in many ways. His name is Brian Deegan, and he created a plan for his success while he was working as a cop and now helps others create their plans. Continue reading

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Invitation to a Seminar Featuring Sean Riley of Safe Call Now

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The Canyon at Santa Monica Outpatient Services would like to invite you to their Lunch & Learn Event with Sean Riley Founder of Safe Call Now where they will be discussing: “Resources for First Responders Coping with Stress & PTSD”.  Read Below for Details Continue reading