No comments

BCOPS STUDY INDICATES POLICE WORK MAY HAVE ADVERSE EFFECT ON HEALTH

  By

The University of Buffalo has released information from the 5 year police population based study, Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) which is being conducted by Dr. John Violanti,Ph.D of their School of Public Health and Health Professions.

Dr. Violanti is a retired New York State Trooper and one of the best researchers in Law Enforcement Health.

This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health indicates that the daily psychological stresses that police officers experience in their work put them at significantly higher risk than the general population for many long-term physical and mental health effects.

The research will be released in a special issue of the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health which reveals the connections of daily police work stress, obesity, suicide, sleep disorders and cancer. The study indicates… Continue reading

2 Comments

Today is PTSD Awareness Day

  By

Today is PTSD Awareness Day in the United States.  Please visit the website for the National Center for PTSD to learn more about this terrible disorder that affects many law enforcement officers around the world.

Click on these links to learn more:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/about/ptsd-awareness/ptsd_awareness_month.asp
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/about/ptsd-awareness/12_ways_to_help.asp

An important question for us is how many of us in law enforcement have the symptoms… Continue reading

4 Comments

We Support Heroes Behind the Badge, Do You?

  By

“Heroes Behind the Badge” is a new documentary film being created to honor America’s heroes in law enforcement.  This inspiring documentary will change the way we look at the men and women of law enforcement and highlight the unselfish acts of bravery… Continue reading

No comments

Vote CopsAlive to be THE Top LE Blog

  By

Your vote can make us THE Top Blog. CopsAlive has been awarded as a Top Blog for Law Enforcement by California Casualty and a Top 20 Criminal Justice Blog by Excite Education.

Help CopsAlive become THE Top Law Enforcement Blog in 2012 VOTE HERE.

CopsAlive.com has received two noteworthy awards recently as a top… Continue reading

6 Comments

Do You Have PTSD?

  By

Do you have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?  It’s alarming how many people in law enforcement may be suffering with it.  I know that when I took a PTSD indicator survey two years after I retired I scored a lot higher than I had expected. I’ve read lots of conflicting statistics about how many police officers have or could have the symptoms of PTSD, but statistics can be misleading just as much as ignorance of the issues of mental wellness.  Some of you may not meet the criteria for the diagnosis but are still suffering from the effects of excessive or un-managed stress.

The important question is how many of us in law enforcement have the symptoms of PTSD or other types of distress and those symptoms are causing problems with our work or home life. More importantly how many of us are not working to manage these problems because of fear of losing a job or being rejected as weak by our peers.

Get Help Now – Call “Safe Call Now” it’s confidential 206-459-3020

What is PTSD?

A brief description of the diagnostic criteria… Continue reading

4 Comments

Depressed About Fast Food?

  By

The other night, my wife and I were enjoying our dinner together at home. We were discussing the results of a study that was recently published that confirmed a link between fast food and depression. As we interacted about the subject, my wife who has been my best helper and supporter during my 25+ years in law enforcement, and who has been researching wellness issues in the public safety profession made this statement:

“It is a vicious cycle, when people are depressed they don’t have… Continue reading

3 Comments

A Gift to Cops from CopsAlive During National Police Week

  By

Our mission at Cops Alive is “Saving the lives of the people who save lives.” I’ve shared many times about the many hidden dangers of law enforcement. We’re reminded of the 73 officers murdered each year, but we rarely acknowledge the 400 plus officers who take their own lives each year by suicide.

The list of stressors that lead cops to commit suicide is long, but one that certainly plagues a great number of us is stress and worry about money. Financial mismanagement does not always lead to suicide, but it’s definitely a contributor.

We train hard and allocate resources to shooting and unarmed tactics, yet ignore the more probable risk factors like alcohol abuse, marital problems and personal finance issues. Stress at home distracts cops from doing their job effectively, opening them up to greater risks on the streets.

We ought to use the same strategies to manage the hidden risks that we do to plan tactical situations. For example, imagine how… Continue reading

One Comment

Support FallenBlue as they Support our Families

  By

I I I We had a chance to speak with A.J. Pero the drummer for the rock band Twisted Sister and spokesman for the organization Fallen Blue about how their organization is helping the families of law enforcement officers that have lost their lives outside of the line of duty. We had a great discussion about what they are doing and how they are supporting police officers, sheriff’s deputies and other members of law enforcement by raising funds and resources to help the families of our fallen comrades who have lost their lives while off-duty.

You can hear our interview by clicking the replay button below.

Fallen Blue is an organization created by a variety of music artists and sponsors to provide support, both emotional and financial, for the families of police officers who are killed outside the line of duty (i.e. car accidents, suicide). Visit their website at www.fallenblue.org to learn more about them and what they are doing.

John Guarnieri the President, Fallen Blue has said: “Like several people on Fallen Blue’s Board of Directors, I have dealt with the loss of a friend during an off-duty accident. Officer Pascal J. Hall lost his life in a motorcycle accident on August 26, 2009. One of the toughest things I have done was carry Officer Pascal’s casket, especially… Continue reading

2 Comments

Are You Over-Extended?

  By

Many Law Enforcement Officer’s have commitments that we must meet in our daily lives. Work and family commitments are just starters. Add in some O.T., court appearances, private duty details or a second job. Then some of us factor in our extra community service commitments to our home- town or church, our kid’s sports program or school activities and some of us have been elected to public office. Some of us have a commitment to serve on our unions, F.O.P. or collective bargaining teams.

Once again, I have come to realize that some of us just over-commit. Our mind tells us that we can take on another task and then we become over-extended. Unfortunately, this activity interferes with… Continue reading

No comments

Preparing for the Weather

  By

Many of my peers have an annual ritual of poking fun at me in the late fall when I break out the “light” long johns or undergarments as they are referred to today. Many of the younger and inexperienced officers give me a grin when I explain the benefits of dressing appropriately when we are on duty outside or in the cruiser. They learn the hard way like I did years ago. Many sections of our town have open spaces along the roadways and state highway which comes though and nothing is more of an attention getter than freezing your tail off while working a vehicle crash, backing up another L.E.O. and other duties and you are exposed to the elements and the wind.
When you dress for duty, do you dress for the outdoors?

What if you get stuck in a situation you are outdoors like a crowd control situation, a building fire, a traffic control post, chasing a suspect or looking for a lost person?
Dressing for duty is vital for your health and well-being. Along with our ballistic vest and the issued equipment that we must wear, please consider wearing… Continue reading