Now another, perhaps more subtle, risk to officers’ safety has been brought to our attention. In addition to their potential for violence, a suspect or prisoner may well carry an unknown infection.

Once a subject is subdued, the danger is still not over. The infectious material may well contaminate booking stations, holding cells or the final point of incarceration. Police stations, jails and prisons may be contaminated by a host of unseen microbes on surfaces and spread throughout the facility by HVAC systems.

The situation is serious enough that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has published a 38-page manual of clinical practice guidelines dealing with only one of the many contaminants found in police stations, jails, and other facilities.
Recognizing the severity of this hidden risk to officers, the LAPD recently issued an “officer safety bulletin” warning officers of the danger. The bulletin cited a detective who became infected and suspects it came from her station which processes a large number of unsanitary suspects. The infection did enough bone damage that she is on strong intravenous antibiotics, will have the bones in her ankle fused and will be unable to walk without assistance.

Long before I.U.P.A. received the LAPD bulletin, we became alarmed about these threats when the Greenville Public Safety Association, I.U.P.A. Local 2304 in South Carolina called us for help. Officers in Local 230 were faced with an increasing number of reports that their corrections officers were contracting an especially viral series of staph infections. Two officers inadvertently carried these infections home to family members, including a young child.

Over a four-year period an estimated 200 prisoners and 15 officers were infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, better known as MRSA.
Unfortunately, county and jail officials denied that there was a problem despite a number of cases having been diagnosed and documented.

Sam A. Cabral, the I.U.P.A. president, called on county officials to address the problem and protect their officers. When local officials shrugged off the problem, he turned to the appropriate state agencies to step in.

At Cabral’s request, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (OSHA division) inspected the jail and interviewed jail medical staff. Both state agencies confirmed that there was a staph problem and provided guidelines on dealing with it.

However, they have not yet addressed the problem of MRSA remaining in the building itself. The I.U.P.A. will now go to federal agencies with jurisdiction over workplace safety and public health to seek a more effective resolution.

The South Carolina experience isn’t unique. Many police stations, sheriffs’ offices, jails and troopers’ barracks are located in older buildings. These old buildings often suffer from inadequate ventilation, leaky roofs and basements, as well as other structural defects that make them an ideal breeding ground for a variety of molds and fungi. Among the 100,000 species of mold and fungi, some may only make a person sick while others which contain mycotoxins like MRSA can kill. We can no longer afford to avoid dealing with these series health issues.

Even modern construction doesn’t protect buildings from contamination by mold, bacteria and fungi. Most modern buildings have sealed windows and ventilation systems that mix outside air with recycled air. Any pollutants introduced by suspects or prisoners to systems that recycle air are essentially trapped inside where they can grow and spread.

Although changing to clean clothes and showering thoroughly after a shift eliminates most potential health problems, it’s not always possible to do so. If an officer goes home without showering and changing clothes, the microbes go with them. Even when officers practice their best personal hygiene, unless the squad room, the holding cells and the building are tested and, if necessary cleaned, the health risk remains long after the prisoner is removed.

To get a better understanding of the problem and what it means to law enforcement personnel, The I.U.P.A. spoke with Harry Meyers, the head of a company called Environmental Air Science that has been testing and cleaning buildings, including many police stations, since 1988. His work led to a nomination for the John D. Rockefeller III National Public Service Award in 1981.

Mr. Meyers made it clear that contamination does not stop with the building. He said, “There is no one who is bulletproof from contamination. If your children are suffering from recurring sore throats, ear infections or allergy symptoms, it may be due to contamination carried home.” He also explained that because the immune systems of children are not fully developed and that elderly persons’ immune systems are declining, both are more susceptible to infections brought home from work.

The way Meyers described it, “Working in a contaminated building can be compared to walking on an ink pad; you will carry the mold, bacteria and fungus contamination with you everywhere you go including home to your family.”

In order to ensure an accurate analysis and maintain full chain of custody, a trained investigator takes samples throughout the building. Samples are transferred to an independent, federally certified laboratory. Once the samples are tested and analyzed a final report is provided in plain English to avoid any confusion caused by highly technical terms.

As in the South Carolina case, public officials may be reluctant to take action when employees complain of chronic health problems they suspect are being generated in the work place. In cases where a union has collective bargaining and the contract includes a union member appointed as the “health & safety officer” for the Local, they may be able to intervene provided they have adequate training in taking samples and access to a certified lab. It is the health care equivalent of collecting evidence at a crime scene.

That training is now available under a new program designed to provide training and certification on a DVD based educational program for interested officers. It should be noted that The I.U.P.A. does not endorse commercial products and services, but makes information like this available to union members for their own consideration and decision. Officers interested in training can get details on the website www.Ascientificlab.com and click on the button for Environmental Air Science.

Rich Roberts is the public information officer for the International Union of Police Associations (AFL-CIO).

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