Questioning Police Stress

Police Stress: 
by Sgt. Vuzzo, Ph.D.

 Today’s law enforcement sergeant is required to perform as a leader, manager, trainer, and friend to their subordinates, while maintaining a positive reflection on both the department and community.
It is not unique that the dangers inherent in their job, the frustrations caused by their supervisors, and the psychological and physical separation from friends and family make a police officer’s life stressful.

I have personally found that the roller-coaster nature of police work and changing role of police in society has created greater work demands which have made my job as a police sergeant a highly stressful occupation.


As the 21st Century emerges around the hectic world of police officers so do a new culmination of emotional hazards and stressors. Life altering decisions from frontline police sergeant’s need to be made within split seconds, while emotions and stress are instantly challenged and the consequences of hasty decisions can be life threatening.   Unique stressors come into play with society’s interpersonal violence, extreme psychological separation from the policed, extreme community pressures, and subservience to a watchful public, administrative demands, and physical hazards from work demands.

The question that needs to be answered is how do law enforcement officer's increase their emotional intelligence and decrease work stress?  Do we teach the techniques of understanding and increasing emotional intelligence to our police recruits?
Do we train police and other careers in EI?