What Kind of Stress a Police Officer Can Withstand Research Paper

What Kind of Stress a Police Officer Can Withstand - Research Paper Example According to Patterson (2009), the normal tasks and events can be classified into four areas. The four areas have been influential in the characterization of stress among police officers. The first source of stress for police officers is the whole law enforcement organization. The organization operates based on a strict paramilitary structure that discourages any form of insubordination (Bano & Talib, 2014). The bureaucratic structure of law enforcement presents a challenge to all officers. Some of the challenges that come with the system are the lack of adequate equipment, poor shift management, low pay, excess paper and inadequate training. Second, law enforcement faces stressful conditions because of the need to practice caution when dealing with the community (Russell, Cole, & Jones, 2014). The exposure of police officers to troubled individuals, criminals and the use of deadly force in some situation can lead to stress. The third source of stress for officers is the criminal justice system. It is challenging to work with lawyers, media, and the public.   For example, police officers sometimes feel the criminal justice system does a poor job of dealing with criminals and puts too many restrictions for them to perform their duties. The final source of stress for officers is their personal lives. Stress from personal lives can be caused by the pressure to buy a home, having a new baby, divorce and chronic illness affecting family members. There is no designated compensation for this form of stress. The research paper aims to analyze the impact of mental stress on police officers. It seeks to comprehend the impact of stress on the ability of officers to fulfill their normal duties. The findings from the research can help in determining the best options that can be implemented to help officers to manage stress.   Police Officers are subject to stress like normal workers. However, the situation for the police officers can be worse because of the life-threatening conditions that they face from day to day.