Tag: police

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A Stress Management Prescription for Law Enforcement and Police Officers

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Stress and all the physiological impacts it has upon a law enforcement officer’s body and mind are a major contributing factor to many of the ills that befall police officers and other law enforcement professionals.  Even though this article is written using the term police officer, it isn’t meant to exclude other law enforcement professionals like deputy sheriffs, corrections officers, parole officers, probation officers, DA’s investigators, dispatchers, CSI’s, code enforcement officers, wildlife officers, park rangers, etc.  The problems of stress seem inherent in the law enforcement profession in general and no one seems immune to its toxic effects.

The Law Enforcement Survival Institute offers a prescription for law enforcement stress management called “Rx3x”.  The prescription (Rx) is for stress management activities three times (3x) a day.  The Rx3x process calls for a combination of mind and body exercises to reduce and manage excessive stress on days when a law enforcement officer or other professional is working.  The process calls for:

1. A Physical Fitness Workout of 30-45 min each day focused upon building strength and aerobic fitness;
2.  A Buffer Workout for Stress Reduction (20-30 min) between the work and home transition; and
3.  A Stress Management Session (20-30 min) later in the day focused upon reducing mental stress.

A career in law enforcement can become very toxic… Continue reading

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Thoughts for September 11, 2011

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May our thoughts and prayers, today, be with all the survivors and victims of the attacks on September 11, 2001.  Starting today we must work harder to maintain the ideals that prompted us to put on a badge and take an oath to protect and preserve a peaceful society.  As peace officers and peace makers we must lead the peoples of the world to overcome their prejudices and to reconcile their differences in order to create a world we can all share in peace.

We must strive for world peace, as we wage a campaign against terrorism in all it’s forms.

Let today be a day of peace and unity, rather than one of strife and discord.

Let us not waiver in our mission, and not falter in our professionalism. Continue reading

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2011 US National Suicide Prevention Week

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Editors Note: CopsAlive was created to prompt discussions within our profession about important issues like police officer suicide, and we invite you to share your thoughts and opinions in the Comment Box that is at the bottom of this article.

Today begins National Suicide Prevention Week in the U.S. which runs from Sunday through Saturday preceding World Suicide Prevention Day on Saturday September 10th.

No matter who’s statistics you consider on the issue of police suicide, police officer suicides are a major problem worldwide.  We invite you to discuss this problem within your agency and we have provided a roll call discussion guide at the end of this article.

The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Federation for Mental Health, is hosting World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th, 2011. This year’s theme is “Changing the Legacy of Suicide,” and will focus on raising awareness that suicide is a major preventable cause of premature death on a global level. Governments need to develop policy frameworks for national suicide prevention strategies. At the local level, policy statements and research outcomes need to be… Continue reading

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Law Enforcement Online Forums

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Have you ever wanted to connect with other law enforcement professionals online?

Here is an opportunity for you.  We have been informed of a new list of 40 online forums that are appropriate for law enforcement professionals.  The list includes forums especially for law enforcement officers, forums for military personnel, some geared toward lawyers and forums written for people looking for law enforcement jobs.

The list was prepared by www.criminaljusticedegree.com a website dedicated to providing students with the information and tools needed in order to pursue their Criminal Justice Degree.  Criminal Justice Degree is the only website dedicated to listing and linking to every accredited criminal justice program available in the US.

The link to the list… Continue reading

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CopsAlive Internet Marketing Cruise 2012 Invitation – Please RSVP

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For five years now CopsAlive.com has been promoting the concept of building a business on the internet, as opposed to moonlighting or working a second job, as an alternative for law enforcement officers to earn extra income.  Each year in January we host a group of police officers as part of a larger group of internet marketing experts on a cruise through the Caribbean Sea.  We are doing so again this coming January but haven’t really done much to promote it.  We enjoy learning from all the others on the trip but we also like visiting the ports and enjoying the fun in the sun too, so we didn’t really promote next year’s cruise.  However, they are making their last call for reservations so we decided to mention it once more to see if any of you want to join us.  In addition to joining some fellow law enforcement officers you can choose to be part of an 8-day mastermind and networking vacation that brings together hundreds of the brightest internet marketing minds on the planet!

http://www.CopsAlive.com/suggests?copsalivecruises/2012invitation

In the past, world class thought-leaders like Robert Allen, Rich Scheferen, Matt Bacak, Kevin Wilke,Howie Schwartz, Brad Fallon and many other top names have joined Mike Filsaime, me and my friends for this adventure of a lifetime that happens every January.

This is YOUR invitation to join the elite VIP Guest List for our upcoming cruise that is already 80% booked with more than 300 amazing… Continue reading

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Galls Names CopsAlive 1 of 7 Must Read Law Enforcement Blogs

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Galls, The Authority in Public Safety Equipment and Apparel has named CopsAlive.com one of the “7 Must Read Law Enforcement Blogs”.

They have said that “Across the internet, there are a tremendous amount of Law Enforcement Blogs that focus on a wide variety of general and specific topics. Each blog has a different viewpoint and a different voice. And while the purpose of each blog is distinct, most are informative as well as entertaining. At Galls, we believe that fostering communication and sharing information help make law enforcement agencies – and the people who make up those agencies – better able to protect the communities that they serve.

CLICK HERE to see the 7 law enforcement blogs that we’ve discovered lately. We’ve enjoyed them and think each one has great value. We’d like to share them with you.”


CopsAlive is written to prompt discussions within our profession about the issues we cover on this blog site. We invite you to share your opinions in the Comment Box that is at the bottom of this article.

CopsAlive.com was founded to provide information and strategies to help police officers successfully survive their careers. We help law enforcement officers and their agencies prepare for the risks that threaten their existence.

We will help your agency create the kind of place that supports and protects officers so that they can do their jobs better, safer, longer and survive to tell their grand kids all about it.

We do this by Helping Law Enforcement professionals plan for happy, healthy and successful lives on the job and beyond. We think the best strategy is for each officer to create a tactical plan for their own life and career. We call this Tactical Wellness planning.

The Law Enforcement Survival Institute (LESI) works with individuals and organizations to help them create and sustain success in their lives and careers as law enforcement professionals. It is the primary goal of The Law Enforcement Survival Institute to become the preeminent source for law enforcement training, resources and information about how to create and sustain a happy, healthy and successful life and career while providing superior law enforcement service to your community.

At The Law Enforcement Survival Institute we train law enforcement officers to cope with stress and manage all the toxic effects and hidden dangers of a career in law enforcement.  We provide stress management and stress reduction training as well as Tactical Wellness training for police officers and other law enforcement professionals.

CLICK HERE to read more about The Law Enforcement Survival Institute.

CLICK HERE if you would like to contact us to learn more about training for your organization.

I’m John Marx Founder of The Law Enforcement Survival Institute and the Editor of CopsAlive.com, connect with me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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The West Coast Posttrauma Retreat

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Editors Note: This is a guest article written by Anne Bisek, Psy.D. about the activities of the West Coast Posttrauma Retreat.  They are trying to learn more about PTSD and how it affects law enforcement officers and other first responders.  Please help them out by taking their online survey and maybe referring someone you know to them for assistance.

Pedro sat in front of his computer, when Jay snuck up from behind him with a can of jalapeño flavored jelly beans.

“What the –?” Pedro gasped.
Jay laughed.  “You gotta try one of these. Hey, what are you doing? That looks like Survey Monkey.”

Pedro grabbed the jar away from his colleague, a veteran of the police department for 9 years.  “You are going to hurt someone with that.”
Inside, Pedro breathed a sigh of relief. This was the first halfhearted attempt at a practical joke he had seen from his friend in months.  Since the last SIDS call, Jay had lost his usual spunk, and was less interested in the banter at the office.

“Yes, this is Survey Monkey. I am filling out a questionnaire for a group called the West Coast Posttrauma Retreat.  They are developing a new questionnaire for PTSD because the current ones are normed on civilians and don’t fit us cops.”

“So you have PTSD?” Jay asked hesitantly.
“That is not the point.  WCPR needs a lot of cops to fill this out because what is normal to us isn’t normal to the general population.  The measure will also be able to… Continue reading

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The Importance of Sleep to Police Officers

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As a Cop, Do You Get Enough Sleep?

The issues of fatigue and poor sleep quality are become more and more important to effective law enforcement management.  Police managers, supervisors and officers, need to be aware of the issues and liabilities that surround officers who are fatigued at work, and how that might affect their job performance.  Individual officers need to be responsible for insuring that they are properly rested and ready for work.  Effective stress management and proper sleep habits work hand in hand and law enforcement professional need to know how to care for themselves as well as they care for their communities.

In his article “Sleep Deprivation: What Does It Mean for Public Safety Officers?”, written for the National Institute of Justice Office of Justice Programs, Brian Vila, Ph.D. cited that
“More than 90 percent report being routinely fatigued, and 85 percent report driving while drowsy.”  He also suggested that “Sleep deprivation is dangerous. Researchers have shown that being awake for 19 hours produces impairments that are comparable to… Continue reading

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Today is National PTSD Awareness Day

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Today is National PTSD Awareness Day in the United States and should be a call to action for law enforcement to begin discussions about PTSD within our organizations, and begin the processes needed to manage and treat this disorder which plagues so many within our ranks.

Many law enforcement officers, many members of the armed forces, women and children who have been victimized and many many other people around the country and the world suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and we… Continue reading

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A Cop’s Perspective on the Difference Between Millionaires and the Middle Class

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Many have searched for the pattern, or a model, to explain why the rich are rich. Thomas Stanley has made a living studying and writing about wealthy people. He found consistent behaviors among them and first wrote about it in the “Millionaire Next Door.”

In the classic book published in 1937, “Think and Grow Rich,” Napoleon Hill wrote about the “16 laws of success” after twenty years of studying wealthy people.

Certainly many things separate the rich from the poor. Contrary to what the poor want to believe, it’s not only luck or fate. Of the 2009 Forbes 400 richest, 274 (68%) are self-made, but… Continue reading