• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • The power of teamwork
      Stay awake and alert on the job
      The worst rank in law enforcement
      Firearms maintenance
      Why fries need salt
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • Boone County Sheriff’s Office solves cold case from nearly 50 years...
        Time to address the status of women in policing today
        Police K-9 comforts Michigan State University students returning to...
        Volkswagen acknowledges policy breach after failing to provide...
        Michigan lieutenant completes DoorDash delivery for pregnant driver...
    • Labor
      • LAPD union proposes police stop responding to non-emergency calls
        Florida’s recruitment program lures Chicago police officers to the...
        Staffing shortages plague Cleveland police as record number leave the...
        New Orleans interim police chief aims to hire civilians in time for...
        “Anyone can get this job”: Memphis police lowered hiring...
    • Tech
      • One of country’s oldest cold cases solved with DNA from untested...
        Crypto crime investigations
        Austin Police Department launches non-emergency artificial...
        iPhone crash detection feature helps deputies rescue driver from canal
        Nebraska State Patrol uses drone technology to improve traffic flow...
    • Training
      • Working effectively in low light
        Realism and stress inoculation in training
        Avoiding conflict and escalation
        U.S. trails in police training
        Denver police recruit has leg amputated after training drill
    • Policy
      • Oregon law enforcement and retailers seek to combat organized...
        Utah bill aims to regulate how law enforcement uses genetic genealogy...
        Opposing POVs on permit-less carry
        Ohio bill would lower minimum age to become a police officer to 18 to...
        Utah bill would allow people with “invisible conditions” to alert...
    • Health/Wellness
      • Expanding your identity
        Nonprofit offers telehealth therapy to upstate New York first...
        A California police department’s new wellness unit aims to improve...
        Massachusetts police department prioritizes officers’ mental health...
        My poor coping strategies
    • Community
      • Colorado Springs police kick off annual soccer ball giveaway to bond...
        “These are beautiful animals”: Community members gift horses to...
        Central Texas nonprofit to open law enforcement museum in honor of...
        “It was an honor to serve with her”: Kansas first responders...
        Chicago police cook with children to build community relationships
    • Offbeat
      • Motorist stranded in Oregon wilderness without cell phone reception...
        Cincinnati police work with animal rescuers to capture exotic cat...
        Not UFOs: Police departments across the country receive 9-1-1 calls...
        Texas deputy detains runaway tortoise after “slowest foot...
        Suspect hiding in bathtub in Florida calls 9-1-1 to send deputies to...
    • We Remember
      • Law enforcement from across the country join seventh annual Fallen...
        Boone County holds fifth annual Jacob Pickett Remembrance Day to...
        Farewell to a “living legend”: Oldest law enforcement officer in...
        “Officer Becerra will never be forgotten”: Colorado police...
        “I had a calling”: Colorado cadet inspired by fallen hero Eric...
  • On the Job
    • Boone County Sheriff’s Office solves cold case from nearly 50 years...
      Time to address the status of women in policing today
      Police K-9 comforts Michigan State University students returning to...
      Volkswagen acknowledges policy breach after failing to provide...
      Michigan lieutenant completes DoorDash delivery for pregnant driver...
  • Labor
    • LAPD union proposes police stop responding to non-emergency calls
      Florida’s recruitment program lures Chicago police officers to the...
      Staffing shortages plague Cleveland police as record number leave the...
      New Orleans interim police chief aims to hire civilians in time for...
      “Anyone can get this job”: Memphis police lowered hiring...
  • Tech
    • One of country’s oldest cold cases solved with DNA from untested...
      Crypto crime investigations
      Austin Police Department launches non-emergency artificial...
      iPhone crash detection feature helps deputies rescue driver from canal
      Nebraska State Patrol uses drone technology to improve traffic flow...
  • Training
    • Working effectively in low light
      Realism and stress inoculation in training
      Avoiding conflict and escalation
      U.S. trails in police training
      Denver police recruit has leg amputated after training drill
  • Policy
    • Oregon law enforcement and retailers seek to combat organized...
      Utah bill aims to regulate how law enforcement uses genetic genealogy...
      Opposing POVs on permit-less carry
      Ohio bill would lower minimum age to become a police officer to 18 to...
      Utah bill would allow people with “invisible conditions” to alert...
  • Health/Wellness
    • Expanding your identity
      Nonprofit offers telehealth therapy to upstate New York first...
      A California police department’s new wellness unit aims to improve...
      Massachusetts police department prioritizes officers’ mental health...
      My poor coping strategies
  • Community
    • Colorado Springs police kick off annual soccer ball giveaway to bond...
      “These are beautiful animals”: Community members gift horses to...
      Central Texas nonprofit to open law enforcement museum in honor of...
      “It was an honor to serve with her”: Kansas first responders...
      Chicago police cook with children to build community relationships
  • Offbeat
    • Motorist stranded in Oregon wilderness without cell phone reception...
      Cincinnati police work with animal rescuers to capture exotic cat...
      Not UFOs: Police departments across the country receive 9-1-1 calls...
      Texas deputy detains runaway tortoise after “slowest foot...
      Suspect hiding in bathtub in Florida calls 9-1-1 to send deputies to...
  • We Remember
    • Law enforcement from across the country join seventh annual Fallen...
      Boone County holds fifth annual Jacob Pickett Remembrance Day to...
      Farewell to a “living legend”: Oldest law enforcement officer in...
      “Officer Becerra will never be forgotten”: Colorado police...
      “I had a calling”: Colorado cadet inspired by fallen hero Eric...
  • Between the Lines
    • The imprisonment of law enforcement technology
      Persecution of the LEO is classic schadenfreude
      The rule of law is worthless without order
      School policing: a paradox of the defund movement
      Defending the honor of the LE profession – finally!
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Training

Resilience is officer safety

Stephanie Conn Published May 20, 2021 @ 6:00 am PDT

iStock.com/Mihajlo Maricic

Can you imagine if the police academy didn’t teach officer safety? What if they told you that it would be important one day, that it might even be the difference between living and dying, as it had been for many who had come before you, but that they were going to let you sort it out as you go? That would be ludicrous! Yet, more officers die by suicide, struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and even have avoidable car accidents than die at the hands of another. For this reason, it makes sense to regard resilience as an officer safety practice. It’s worthy of being taught at the academy level and throughout the policing career.

Assess your resilience

Like many people, cops tend to get more serious about their resilience once there has been a threat to it (a health, relationship or financial crisis). That makes about as much sense as waiting until something bad happens on a call to start surveying your options. Just as you would when you respond to calls for service, you should size up the threats and protective factors in your personal life to remain psychologically safe.

How’s your head?

Are you able to “embrace the suck” when facing challenges? Or do they suck the life out of you? What do you think about the world, the people in it and yourself? (Yikes?) When I ask cops this question in training settings, I get some colorful responses. Are you positive, negative or balanced in your thinking? It might help to ask those closest to you what they think of your mindset. (Brace for an honest answer!)

How’s your health?

It’s impossible to have a healthy mind with an unhealthy body. Are you getting eight hours of sleep, eating healthy most of the time and getting at least 30 minutes of exercise three days a week? Do you get an annual physical to check health markers such as blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar?

How’s your honey/harmony?

Do you feel like your relationships (marriage, family, work, community) are healthy? Do you believe that you are investing in your relationships? Further, are you investing with nickels and dimes of your time and attention, or are you making serious investments of your time and attention so that, should you need to make a “withdrawal” of support, your emotional bank account won’t be overdrawn? The wrong time to find this out is when you’re going through a hard time. You might see that your support network isn’t there, or doesn’t care to be there for you, since you haven’t been there for them along the way.

iStock.com/Enis Aksoy

Build your resilience

Breaking the three categories of head, health and harmony down into specific recommendations for action, experts[1]Charney, D.S. & Southwick, S. M. (2012). Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Challenges. Cambridge University Press. identify 10 key methods to build your resilience (see sidebar at right).

I believe all of the recommendations are easy to understand without explanation, but I want to expand on recommendations No. 5 (facing fears) and No. 6 (active coping). You face your fears at work on a regular basis, but you sometimes do the opposite in your personal life. For instance, you might avoid places (crowds, locations of traumas, etc.) because they cause you anxiety. You would be wise to go there anyway and conquer the anxiety. A related concept is active coping, in contrast to passively coping with problems. A common example of passive coping is distracting yourself online or drinking to forget intrusive thoughts about traumatic calls. Resilient cops use active coping methods such as asking for support from significant others or professionals. They recognize that running from your problems is a race you will never win.

I challenge you to think of your resilience as officer safety and make a daily commitment to it. Each week, pick a component that you think needs developing and identify concrete steps you can take to shore up your resilience. Periodically, reassess how you are doing, and don’t forget to ask others how you’re doing. Awareness precedes change!

Stephanie Conn

Stephanie Conn

Dr. Stephanie Conn is a former police officer, licensed psychologist at First Responder Psychology (www.firstresponderpsychology.com) in Beaverton, Oregon, and author of Increasing Resilience in Police and Emergency Personnel.

View articles by Stephanie Conn

As seen in the May 2021 issue of American Police Beat magazine.
Don’t miss out on another issue today! Click below:

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

References[+]

References
1 Charney, D.S. & Southwick, S. M. (2012). Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Challenges. Cambridge University Press.

Categories: Training

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Motorist stranded in Oregon wilderness without cell phone reception finds ingenious way to call for help by using a drone
  • Law enforcement from across the country join seventh annual Fallen Heroes Honor Run to pay tribute to officers killed in the line of duty
  • Working effectively in low light
  • Colorado Springs police kick off annual soccer ball giveaway to bond with kids
  • Cincinnati police work with animal rescuers to capture exotic cat stuck in tree with cocaine found in its system
  • Realism and stress inoculation in training
  • Boone County Sheriff’s Office solves cold case from nearly 50 years ago using genealogy research
  • Oregon law enforcement and retailers seek to combat organized shoplifting with legislation and anti-theft operations
  • Expanding your identity
  • “These are beautiful animals”: Community members gift horses to Dallas police in memory of loved ones

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The power of teamwork

The power of teamwork

July 23, 2021

Stay awake and alert on the job

Stay awake and alert on the job

July 20, 2021

The worst rank in law enforcement

The worst rank in law enforcement

July 19, 2021

Firearms maintenance

Firearms maintenance

July 04, 2021

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2023 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.