Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: DECEMBER 2016 33 these issues is beneficial. Using snowball sampling, police officers were asked to reply to a series of quetions related to their experiences responding to people who ended up dying by various means. A set of six questions was put to each of the par- ticipants concerning their experiences responding to fatal car accidents, suicides, homicides, the deaths of in- fants, and deaths by natural causes. Finally, they were asked if they ever attended the funeral of a police officer killed in the line of duty. A total of 105 respondents answered all six questions. • 83.7% responded to a total of 1,173 fatal car ac- cidents • 98.7% responded to a total of 1,551 suicides • 70.3% responded to a total of 480 homicides • 49.3% responded to a total of 112 infant deaths • 99.0% responded to a total of 4,889 deaths by natural causes • Eighty-four of the 105 police officers attended at least one funeral of a police officer killed in the line of duty. This initial analysis shows that 105 police officers were exposed to an average of 78.15 deaths during their careers. Researchers have indi- cated that widespread ex- posure to death and trauma may be linked to PTSD, primary and secondary victimization, and family disruption, to name a few. The survey also asks how these experiences may af- fect interactions with other people. The results of the study shows a compelling need to prepare officers for the many tragic events they will experience over the course of their careers. The purpose of the sec- ond phase of this study is to come up with some ideas and solutions about what type of intervention would help law enforcement peo- ple cope with the tragedy and trauma they experience Obviously losing a fellow officer in the line of duty is a stressful experience for law enforce- ment people. But research indicates that the accumalation of smaller stressful incidents cops experience in their careers can also impact mental health. on the job. If you would like to partic- ipate in Phase II, please con- tactmeatdstocker@capecod. edu. Your name and agency will not be disclosed. Darren K. Stocker is an as- sistant professor at Cape Cod Community College. He is a graduate of West Chester University and holds gradu- ate degrees from Saint Joseph’s University and the University of Massachusetts. Continued from page one Tragedy, trauma It’s that special time of year. No, not Christmas or Ha- nukah – we’re talking crime stats! And in Los Alamos, Cali- fornia, it’s all good news. The Los Alamos Police Department reported their latest crime statistics re- cently and they showed a 13 percent decrease in violent crime in the first three quar- ters of this year, compared to last year. Violent crime has de- creased from 15 offenses through the first three quar- ters of 2015 to 13 in 2016. Property crime also de- creased by 11 percent from 121 in 2015 to 108 in 2016. If you’re not familiar with Los Alamos, is not exactly a high crime area. “While Los Alamos contin- ues to enjoy a relatively low crime rate, the Los Alamos Police Department encour- ages our residents to practice safety by securing homes and vehicles,” said Police Chief Dino Sgambellone. Even where crime is low, residents still want to know what’s up and what’s not Los Alamos Police Chief Dino Sgambellone For information on FREE trainings available to your agency, visit WWW.NATIONALCOPS.ORG On behalf of the National Board, staff and entire membership of C.O.P.S., we wish you all a safe holiday season and THANK YOU for continuing to protect our communities! In honor of the 3rd Annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on January 9, 2017,