The Aurora Police Department is receiving wide-spread and well-deserved praise for their response to the Aurora Theatre Shooting tragedy.
On July 20, 2012, they responded as professionals first. But underneath that professional, peace officer exterior is a human being. A human being who cannot help but be impacted by the gruesome scene that morning.
Aurora Police Division Chief Kevin Flynn at an Aurora Memorial (Photo by Joshua Lott/Getty Images)
Survivor Harmony Johnson said it best: “True heroes do come with badges, not with capes.”
To get a Police Officer perspective on responding to and healing from the Aurora tragedy, I turned to John Marx, the amazing Founder of Cops Alive. Cops Alive is an incredible resource for LEOs, with invaluable resources for ‘surviving the job.’ John Marx was gracious enough to share the following with us:
Critical Incident Support for Law Enforcement Officers by John Marx of CopsAlive.com
Recent events remind us that there are many unexpected situations that will take a toll on the officers and other law enforcement professionals working within your agency.
If you haven’t created a Peer Support System, now is the time to do so. If you already have a Peer Support Program, now is a good time to examine how well you would have been able to support your staff if you have a mass causality incident like the one in Aurora Colorado on July 20, 2012.
At The Law Enforcement Survival Institute and CopsAlive.com, we highly recommend that agencies assess their capabilities to support their staff, both during critical incidents as well as, for the every day caustic rigors of working in law enforcement.
As part of our Armor Your Self™ and Armor Your Agency™ training programs we recommend having numerous systems of support in place, one of the most important of which is a Peer Support Team.
We are very impressed with the work of police psychologist Jack Digliani, Ph.D., Ed.D.. We highly recommend his book as well as his training and the implementation of his Police & Sheriff Peer Support Team concept.
Dr. Digliani is a psychologist and a former deputy sheriff, police officer, and detective. He served as staff psychologist and peer support team clinical supervisor of the Fort Collins, Colorado Police Services for the last 11 years of his police career. He is the author of Reflections of a Police Psychologist and provides training on creating peer support teams for police and sheriff’s agencies. You can learn more about him, his book and his training program, as well as download a free copy of Jack’s “Police & Sheriff Peer Support Team Manual” at: https://www.copsalive.com/digliani/
Here are some of Dr. Digliani’s thoughts about the peer support concept, how it supports officers involved in shootings, and how it can assist in the recovery following a traumatic incident.
Overview
The peer support team is part of each agency’s comprehensive response to an officer- involved incident and is comprised of the agency psychologist and officers trained as peer counselors. The team strives to minimize trauma to the officer and his/her family by assisting them throughout the investigative and return to duty process. Effective intervention will result in the officer returning to duty as soon as possible and continuing to be a productive member of the agency.
Mission
The peer support mission is to provide the officer and family members with emotional support, stress management, and education. In addition, help with trauma recovery, coping strategies to deal with the investigative process as it unfolds, issues surrounding the officer’s response to colleagues and the media and the facilitation of the officer’s return to duty. All interactions with the peer support psychologist are confidential and protected by the privileged communication statute.
Responsibilities
Peer Support serves a supportive rather than investigative or advocacy functions and does not interfere with the investigative process or elicit any details of the incident.
How to Recover from Traumatic Stress
1. Accept your emotions as normal and part of the recovery/survival process.
2. Talk about the event and your feelings.
3. Accept that you may have experienced fear and confronted your vulnerability.
4. Use your fear or anxiousness as a cue to utilize your officer safety skills.
5. Realize that your survival instinct was an asset at the time of the incident and that it remains intact to assist you again if needed.
6. Accept that you cannot always control events, but you can control your response.
7. If you are troubled by a perceived lack of control, focus on the fact that you had some control during the event. You used your strength to respond in a certain way.
8. Do not second-guess your actions. Evaluate your actions based on your perceptions at the time of the event, not afterwards.
9. Understand that your actions were based on the need to make a critical decision for action. The decision likely had to be made within seconds.
10. Accept that your behavior was appropriate to your perceptions and feelings at the time of the incident. Accept that no one is perfect. You may like/dislike some actions.
11. Focus on the things you did that you feel good about. Positive outcomes are often produced by less than perfect actions.
12. Do not take personally the response of the system. Keep the needs of the various systems (DA’s office, administrative investigation, the press, etc) in perspective.
Remember, the event most likely happened because you are a police officer and not because of who you are as a person.
Positive Recovery – keep in mind that you are naturally resilient
1. You will accept what happened. You will accept any experience of fear and any feelings of vulnerability as part of being human. Vulnerability is not helplessness.
2. You will accept that no one can control everything. You will focus on your behaviors and the appropriate application of authority. You will keep a positive perspective.
3. You will learn and grow from the experience. You will be able to assess all future circumstances on their own merits. You will become stronger and smarter.
4. You will include survivorship into your life perspective. You may re-evaluate life’s goals, priorities, and meaning. You will gain wisdom that can come from survivorship.
5. You will be aware of changes in yourself that may contribute to problems at home, work, and other environments. You will work to overcome these problems.
6. You will increase the intimacy of your actions and communications to those you love. You will remain open to the feedback of those who love you.
Getting Help
No one can work through the aftermath of a traumatic incident for you, but you do not have to go it alone. Keep an open mind. Allow your family, friends, and peers to help. Seek professional assistance if you get stuck, if you do not “feel like yourself” or if your friends or family notice dysfunctional emotional responses or behavior. Do not ignore those who care about you. Stay connected to your loved ones.
This article adapts and includes information from the Colorado Law Enforcement Academy Handbook and Reflections of a Police Psychologist (Digliani, J.A., 2010) reprinted with permission.
Please remember that by the nature of our work in law enforcement we will always be called upon to respond to some of the worst and most horrific situations on the planet and that we have volunteered to do so based upon our character, our strengths, our training and our resolve. We cannot ever prepare ourselves fully for what we must face so we must constantly work to increase or resiliency and when we are faced with the worst of the world we must be prepared to accept assistance to ensure that we are able to fully recover and return to our positions of service.
CopsAlive.com and The Law Enforcement Survival Institute offer the Armor Your Self™ training programs to help officer’s survive the toxicity of their careers as well as Armor Your Agency™ programs to help agencies create systems to support their officers and staff.
The Eight Modules of The Armor Your Self™ Program:
1. The “Hidden Dangers” of Law Enforcement and Threat Assessment
2. Armor Your Self™ A New Strategy
3. Armor Your Self™ Physically
4. Armor Your Self™ Mentally
5. Armor Your Self™ Emotionally
6. Armor Your Self™ Spiritually
7. Armor Your Agency™
8. Action Planning for Career Survival
Critical Strategies Discussed in the Armor Your Agency™ Program
1. Mentoring Programs
2. Peer Support
3. Chaplain’s Program
4. Family Support Network
5. Psychological Services
6. Resilience Training & Education
7. Critical Incident Support System
8. Agency Orientation
9. Survivor Support
10. Medical and Wellness Services & Education
CLICK HERE to learn more about Armor Your Self™ Program
CLICK HERE to learn more about Armor Your Agency™ Program
CLICK HERE to read more about or contact The Law Enforcement Survival Institute
CopsAlive.com was founded to provide information and strategies to help police officers successfully survive their careers. We help law enforcement officers and their agencies prepare for the risks that threaten their existence. We will help your agency create the kind of place that supports and protects officers so that they can do their jobs better, safer, longer and survive to tell their grand kids all about it. We think the best strategy is for every officer to create a tactical plan for his or her life and career. We call this Tactical Wellness planning.
The Law Enforcement Survival Institute (LESI) works with individuals and organizations to help them create and sustain success in their lives and careers as law enforcement professionals. It is the primary goal of The Law Enforcement Survival Institute to become the preeminent source for training, resources and information about how to create and sustain a happy, healthy and successful life and career while providing superior law enforcement service to your community.
John Marx, Founder of The Law Enforcement Survival Institute and the Editor of CopsAlive.com. Connect with him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Our sincere Thanks to John Marx for sharing his immense insight and resources with us for this post.
That means the start of another weekend is just a mere half-work-day away.
Today, we are veryyy excited to profile another TOP Law Enforcement Blog! It is a little different than our other LE blogs, and that’s precisely why we like it.
Tgace’s main content and postings are slightly different than our other LEO bloggers. He focuses less on the day-to-day and more on the big picture. He discusses news events in the LE world (and supports his views with examples and videos).
But tgace also spends a lot of time talking about Warriorship. Now, my knowledge of warriorship is limited to what I’ve read on the blog.
But tgace describes ‘warriors’ like this: ‘I have come to be of the opinion that a true “Warrior” is someone who goes out into the world and engages in some sort of activity that serves someone other than himself. ”
Sure sounds like an LEO to me.
Things Worth Believing In is not your average LEO blog. And that’s why we love it. So check it out, read a little bit about warriorship, and keep up with some LE current events.
Want to know more about tgace and his blog’s origins? Here’s our Q&A:
How would you describeThings Worth Believing In? My blog is sort of a digital “blank book” that I use to record thoughts and ideas that relate to some of my specific interests: law enforcement, martial arts, firearms skills and martial/warrior philosophy.
What is the focus or mission of Things Worth Believing In? The main focus of my blog is to discuss the many topics, skills, and ideas that make up the way of living people have defined as “warriorship.” A mindset that I believe, if processed correctly and placed in the proper social context, can produce police officers with a developed sense of service, honor and personal integrity; but if misconceived, can result in arrogance and a mindset of conflict with the people they are supposed to serve.
When did you start it? Late 2008. This is my first serious blog attempt.
Why? I started my blog as an effort to define my idea of what “warriorship” is and how it relates (if at all) to the mindset/mentality of the modern American Police Officer.
What are your favorite or least favorite topics to write about? My interests have fluctuated over the years. I currently enjoy writing about firearms and martial philosophy but tend to avoid overly political topics that tend to breed resentment and job related problems.
How would you describe your blog ‘community’? To be honest, there are not many LEOs blogging on the topic I am interested in. Many tend to focus on personal “war stories” and street encounters, or discuss departmental politics and focused LE related topics such as active shooter response or combating the threat of terrorism.
What has been your best experience as a blogger? I have met and exchanged ideas with other American police officers and I have been sent a few products by companies for product evaluations, which was unexpected but enjoyable.
What have you learned? Not to take myself too seriously. Putting your ideas/thoughts out for public examination better come with a thick skin.
Any stories you’d like to share? I recently had a humorous exchange with a commenter on a “knife law” post. He struck me as an “anti” type and obviously didn’t read beyond the single post. His reaction when he realized I was an LEO was kind of funny.
If you win Battle of the Blogs, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings and why? I would donate any money to “The Wounded Warrior Project.” As a military veteran, I don’t believe there is any higher obligation we have as Americans than to take care of the men and women who risk all they have for us.
Where else can we keep up with you on the web?Facebook.
Want to read some of tgace’s posts? Click here! Ready to vote for your favorite law enforcement blog? Click here!
Today, we are excited to profile our second female law enforcement officer blogger! This time, we are talking about a very honest and humorous blog by a patrol officer.
Today’s TOP Law Enforcement Blog is…
The Boogie Man is My Friend.
This law enforcement blog is authored by a woman named Momma Fargo. (And Momma says this ‘super squirrel’ picture fits her to a ‘T’!)
Momma Fargo is a female police officer and hilarious blogger.
Looking for a blog that talks about the real deal? Momma dishes it out.
She works on patrol and The Boogie Man is My Friendcontains many stories from her day-to-day life (with names changed, of course).
She’s sassy, unapologetic, and most importantly: honest.
We wanted to know more about the badge-baring woman behind the blog. Our Q&A with Momma herself:
How would you describe your blog? The Boogie Man Is My Friend is an eclectic mix of day to day happenings in my life on and off duty. It’s crazy, honest, and out front with what happens in reality.
What is your focus or mission? I first started to blog as a journal for my daughter to remember what her mom went through and for her to read it someday when she was older or I had passed away. Pretty soon, I had followers and followed other bloggers. The original mission is still there, but now I think it is important for people to know what goes on in the life of police officers. Of course, I still hold back public information and still contain most horrific things in what I call my Pandora’s box.
Why did you start it? I’m over 40 (cough) on patrol duty and used to be a detective for many years. In 2007, I left the department and resigned, anxious to start my own business. I came back in 2008, then doing both my business and police work. The Chief offered me my old position back, but I told him I had to start at the bottom and earn my way back up. Although, I’ve been offered my old detective slot back several times, I’ve stayed on patrol because I love the hours, dynamics, and leaving my work at the job. So, in 2009, I discovered blogging by accident while surfing on the internet. I thought it would be a way to express myself and keep a record for my daughter.
What’s your favorite thing to write about? My favorites are the funny encounters with kids and the crazy people out on the street. Every day I run into something I haven’t seen or experienced in law enforcement.
I have changed the names of the guilty and innocent to protect privacy and given them my own names which are derived my contact with them and stem from their personalities.
Any least favorites? The least favorite and most difficult things to write about are the times where I felt I failed to help someone.
What can you tell us about your blog community? My blog community is an amazing support system comprised of so many different walks of life. I truly appreciate them all. They keep me in check; they make me smile; they keep me up when I am about to flounder; and they make me laugh. They all are truly an inspiration to what wonderful people we have in the world and a big asset to humanity.
What has been your best experience as a blogger? My interaction from my blog readers
Have you learned anything through blogging? You can’t fool anyone. The truth is so important to us all. Phony is not in my vocabulary. I have seen phony things on the internet and blogging. However, I am real. I have learned that being real is so important to keep alive. I have also learned how amazed people are at my police stories when it is just “ hum drum” daily law enforcement for me. We really do shield a lot from the public.
Any stories you’d like to share? One of my stories that tickles my funny bone still today is The TIME MACHINE.
And Momma, If you win, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings and why? I would like it to go to the American Cancer Society in memory of my father. My mother is a cancer survivor, however, my father passed away when I was very young from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Cancer sucks. There is just no other way to put it.
(Well said. Cancer does indeed suck.)
Want to read some of Momma Fargo’s experience on Patrol? Catch up with The Boogie Man is My Friend by clicking here! To vote for your favorite LE Blog, click here!
It’s Monday. And Mondays usually elicit the usual the-weekend-is-over-time-for-a-full-workweek sigh.
So today we are excited to not just profile a TOP LEO Blog, but also give you something to look forward to on Mondays!
Today’s Top Blog is…
The 5-2: Crime Poetry Weekly Blog!
First things first. What is The 5-2? The 5-2 is a blog (duh) that updates every week and brings you poetry written by members of law enforcement. That’s right: Crime poetry. We thought this was such an amazing way to give LEOs an outlet, a way to express the often inexpressible happenings of their day-to-day duties.
So, what does this have to do with Mondays? Good question. The weekly part of The 5-2 comes on Monday. That’s when Gerald So, writer and blog maintainer, updates the site. So if you have the Monday blues, here’s something for you to look forward to!
As usual, we caught up with Mr. So to hear more about this very unique LEO blog. Here’s what he has to say about The 5-2…
What is the primary focus ofThe 5-2? To publish an all-new crime-themed poem each Monday year-round.
Why did you start it?The 5-2 evolved from a print chapbook series I published called The Lineup: Poems on Crime. The Lineup unfortunately didn’t get much distribution before it became too costly to continue printing. By contrast, I can maintain The 5-2‘s quality presentation without printing costs.
How long have you been blogging crime poetry? The blog has tracked The Lineup’s progress since February 2008. It has featured The 5-2‘s all-new poetry since September 12, 2011.
If this isn’t your first blog, how long have you been blogging? I started my first blog in 2004.
What’s your favorite thing to write about? Memories.
Do you have a least favorite? Reality television.
Tell us a little bit about your blog ‘community’ … My blog community is mostly mystery/crime writers and readers. I’m surprised and glad to have met them through my blogs and email discussion lists.
If you win Battle of the Blogs, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings? The American Red Cross.
Is there anywhere, other than the blog, that we can keep up with you on the web? On my Twitter account.
Want to check out some of The 5-2‘s Poetry? Click here! To vote for your favorite LEO blog, click here!
Here at California Casualty, we pride ourselves in knowing and understanding the professions that we work with.
But we also recognize, there is only so much we can know without being in the cop car, classroom, fire truck or hospital day in and day out. There’s only so much you can know without actually living it.
One of the highlights of this Battle of the Blogs–for me at least–has been the inside look that these blogs offer. With great writing and honest content, they are a chance to go inside the worlds of our professions- inside the cop car and into the fire.
And that’s really the stand-out feature of today’s blog.
Today’s TOP Law Enforcement Blog is…
Raindogblue.
The blog is authored by a real cop. And it talks about real things. Names and locations have been changed, but the content–the substance–is honest.
Best of all? The writing is spectacular. You can feel the real in the writing. Raindog will take you out there with him. But beware, it’s not always pretty.
As always, we wanted to know more about the man behind the blog. Here’s our Q&A with Raindog himself…
Raindog, how would you describe Raindogblue?
Raindogblue is a journal dedicated to Momentary Glimpses of Police Life. Be warned. This is the blog of street cop: brutal, injuring, disturbing. The stories are real. The jargon is used. Only the names of people and places have been changed to protect the fragile and innocent.
What is the focus or mission of your blog?
My blog is dedicated to describing the daily life of a patrolman.
What originally drove you to start blogging?
So that my family and friends would understand what I do and so my children, when they are adults, will know why their father was gone so many nights.
How long have you been writing on this particular blog?
I started Raindogblue on March 31st, 2008. This is my first blog.
Do you have any favorite or least favorite blogging topics?
I don’t write about favorite or least favorite topics. I write about the job. I write about stories from calls. I write about the language and jargon. I write about the bureaucracy. I write about the mundane and remarkable.
Tell us a little bit about your blog ‘community’ …
At the core, Raindogblue is read by my family and friends, but over the years I have picked up readers who are interested in first responders and the families that support them. My readership spans from every state in the US as well regulars from the UK, Norway, Canada, Germany, and Mexico. And finally, despite my attempt to be anonymous, about two years ago, my blog was discovered by co-workers who were web surfing. One of my stories went viral. Officers remembered the call and started reading the blog, including my partner, Grumpy. I have been told several officers want their stories told and given nicknames in the journal.
What about them surprises you or gives you inspiration?
I like the dark humor and camaraderie for those who ‘get’ the job. Mostly, I like comments. Raindogblue is a record for the readers as much as it is for me.
What have you learned from the experience?
1) Tell the truth. It is better than fiction.
2) Don’t use the names of people and place: change them. Anonymity strengthens the story and protects the people portrayed in the posts.
Any great/funny/inspiring stories you’d like to share?
When you talk about the law enforcement (and firefighter) blog communities, there is a group that deserves special recognition:
the spouses and significant others backing the blue line.
When I first started looking for the best of the best LEO blogs, I was looking for blogs authored by officers themselves.
But I was absolutely blown away by the communities created by LEO wives and significant others.
These women and men behind the badge offer each other something completely unique. They share stories, support, and tips. They offer up advice, resources, and most of all someone to listenand understand. This blog community has created a safety and support net unlike any I’ve yet encountered on the web.
With that said, it’s with great excitement that I introduce today’s TOP LEO Blog:
Suddenly Cop Wife!
Suddenly Cop Wife is authored by the wife of a Police Officer (obviously). Her blogger name is Stella New York. Stella is a fitness instructor and personal trainer. She is also the loving and supporting wife of a NYPD officer.
When Stella isn’t busy working, supporting her husband, and blogging about their experiences, she also hosts a LIVE show all about being an LEO wife called ‘Suddenly Cop Wife LIVE‘! Her latest show was in White Plains, NY, and (in her words), was “about the life that we lead; the things that the general public knows nothing about…the things that family and friends sometimes just don’t get.”
The reason we chose Suddenly Cop Wife as a top blog? Aside from being a great resource for LEOs and their families, Suddenly Cop Wife is honest. It’s a great blog for LEO families that want to hear from someone that shares their struggles, and isn’t afraid to talk about them.
I recently chatted with Ms. Stella about the blog behind the blue. Here’s what she had to say about Suddenly Cop Wife…
How would you describe your blog? My take on being the wife of an NYPD Officer
What is the focus or mission of Suddenly Cop Wife? To connect with other Cop’s Wives, to vent and write about the issues of the day
Why did you start it? I felt very alone in my experience as a Cop’s Wife; I did not initially marry a cop, and had a hard time adjusting to the changes the career brings; sometimes I still have a tough time with it!!
How long have you been writing on this particular blog? Since June 2010
What’s your favorite thing to write about? Least favorite? I enjoy writing about the funny things that happen. I hate when a child gets killed or something similar is gripping NYC and I feel I need to acknowledge it
Can you tell us a little bit your blog ‘community’ … I am always surprised by what people comment on…the things that I think people will for sure comment on, they never do…and then the things they do comment on never cease to amaze me…
What has been your best experience as a blogger? I was walking through NYC one day and was talking to a cop about my blog and she said, “Oh, my friend reads you.”
Have you learned anything through the experience? I’ve learned that people are people…we may be from NYC, but the feelings I have are pretty much universal.
I guess it’s important to mention that I think it’s great for a new Cop’s Wife to read; it will help her to navigate all the new roads ahead.
Any stories you’d like to share? Out of the Blog, came a Live Theatre Show; it was a labor of love and has so far been a one-of-a-kind hit.
If you win, to which charity will you donate your $200 winnings? Havanese Rescue. Because I cannot live without my precious Havanese!!
Want to know more about Suddenly Cop Wife? You can keep up with Stella on Facebook or Twitter. More info on her LIVE show is here. To check out her fabulous LEO blog, click here! To vote for your favorite LEO blog, click here!
Aurora Police Division Chief Kevin Flynn at an Aurora Memorial (Photo by Joshua Lott/Getty Images)
