Are you thinking about joining law enforcement? Are you thinking about getting a tattoo? You need to consider the implications of a tattoo if you are contemplating a career in law enforcement.
While some departments are getting more lenient about exposed tattoos, others are sticking to original policies against them, citing the rationalization that they can change the public’s perception of local law enforcement.
According to policechiefmagazine.com, only 8% of the public said they would accept visible tattoos with male officers and 5% with female officers. Also, 80% say that the public view of the police is shaped by their appearance.
Depending on your department, policies may vary. Be sure to ask before starting the hiring process. Even current officers should consider some of these tips before heading to the parlor:
-Check with your department to see what your options are.
– If they are allowed, ask if they can show outside the uniform.
– Ask if you will have to wear long-sleeves if tattoos cannot be visible.
If tattoos are acceptable:
-Consider the appropriate placement of the tattoo that abides by policy.
-Think about the subject matter of the tattoo to avoid termination.
With more people getting tattoos – 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo – its possible more police departments will adapt and accept the trend. Until then, whether or not to get inked is up to you.
As a member of law enforcement, you face complicated situations every day. You’re trained to be aware of your environment and surroundings. But, have you ever thought about ways to enhance your attention to detail? What about studying art? What connection does art have with law enforcement?” Let me explain.
Our brains naturally respond when we look at a painting. We feel refreshed, changed, and mentally more awake. A study in the journal Brain and Cognition found that pictures trigger a response in brain regions associated with visual understanding and object recognition. It also connected with activity linked to emotions, inner thoughts, and learning.
Here are three secrets on how art will improve your job performance:
Restore your focus. Art can enhance your concentration in the same way that the outdoors can.
Opens up you up for learning. Not only will you feel ready to learn, but art opens you up to experience and creative achievement.
Relieve Mental Fatigue. Viewing the art allows your mind to focus on the details, awakening your brain.
Maria Popova, the founder of Brain Pickings, describes this as “the power to transcend our self-interest and relate to the world and each other with more integrity, curiosity, and wholeheartedness.”
This can be achieved without even visiting a museum. Consider books, online websites, etc. But do consider expanding your horizons for new ideas for self-improvement.
As a part of law enforcement, you face difficult situations daily. Stress is everywhere and everyone struggles with it. How it can manifest can depend on the individual’s stress management techniques and lifestyle. Research shows that police officers who don’t manage stress properly are prone to burnout, poor judgment, substance abuse, and suicide. With all of this, it isn’t often that you find an officer that isn’t stressed out.
Here are some of the sources of stress officers encounter:
Exposure to Distress: the distress of public that you become involved with will at some point affect you. This can take a toll on stress and mental health.
Danger: Many officers experience physical danger daily, especially departments in areas with high crime rates. The possibility of being injured can become heavy mentally.
Responsibility: The responsibility of protecting lives is a great deal of stress in itself.
The Pace: Officers must always be ready for all situations at a moment’s notice. Switching from office work to crime work doesn’t allow for much rest causing your mind to rush back and forth.
With all the different stressors, we have tips to help manage your stress.
Breathe: Practicing deep breaths can create a sense of calm.
Breakfast: Eating oatmeal is said to help reduce stress. Start your day on the right foot with a beneficial breakfast.
Exercise: It releases endorphins that eliminate tense muscles and stress.
Sleep: Schedules can be hectic, but make sure to get enough hours of sleep. Feeling well rested the next day will help with alertness while on duty.
Have a strong network of family and friends: Close relationships will help provide a strong support system and help with your stressors.
If you feel like the stress of the job is becoming more overwhelming, recognize that there are outlets for help. Reach out to your support system, friends and/or family. Having a life outside of the job will also help with physical and mental health. There are other options for outlets. Seek peer counseling or employee assistance programs, which are in place to assist officers in times of high stress.
As my family drives to friends or relatives homes for the holidays, we invariably pass a police officer busy working to keep the community safe. It’s easy to forget that crime doesn’t take a holiday, and for many law enforcement officers Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years are a regular work day. While most of us will be enjoying presents, meals and special time with our families, officers will be patrolling the streets responding to emergencies and keeping drunk drivers off the roads.
Some of them find ways to make the holidays better for others by sponsoring toy and gift drives for children, giving “tickets” for safe driving redeemable for movies and other treats (police officers in one Michigan town stopped drivers and learned what gift they really wanted while other officers drove to stores and actually bought the presents and surprised them), and others have performed heartwarming acts like buying hot meals or clothing for homeless people in the cold or providing holiday gifts for families who couldn’t afford them.
So this holiday season, let’s not forget the men and women who swear an oath to protect and serve us, even on holidays. Here are some simple ways we can let them know we appreciate all they do:
Bring some baked goods to a police station
Deliver some thank you cards
Pay for their coffee or meal
Write a letter to your local newspaper thanking them for their dedication to the community
Make a donation to an organization that assists injured officers or a police memorial fund
Volunteer with your local law enforcement community outreach programs
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.800.800.9410 or www.calcas.com.
Have you ever stood on the side of a busy road or highway? It can be a bit intimidating as traffic roars by; you can feel the wind of speeding cars and trucks and the sting from dust and pebbles thrown as they fly past. Now imagine that you are a first responder, law enforcement officer or maintenance worker trying to do a job, often just off of or in busy lanes of traffic.
Every day the people who protect us put their safety and lives on the line when they get out of their vehicles to help a stranded motorist, block a lane of traffic, clear up debris or provide first aid to someone hurt in a crash. This should be a reminder that we all need to be more careful as we drive along the byways and highways on our daily commutes or while on a special trip. Over the next hill or around the next curve could be an unexpected situation with a first responder or law enforcement officer who might be in a vulnerable situation while trying to help others.
Just such a situation recently turned deadly for 33 year old Colorado State Trooper Jamie Jursevics who was hit and killed while assisting people involved in a crash off I-25. Another driver, who has been charged with driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter, slammed into Trooper Jursevics. She died at the scene leaving behind a husband and an eight month old daughter.
The pain that Jursevics’ family is enduring is felt by hundreds of others every year. The National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund reports that between 2005 and 2014, 134 officers died after being struck by a vehicle. In addition, hundreds of highway construction and maintenance workers were also struck and killed while on the job.
We all owe the men and women who keep our roads safe our undivided attention. This means not being distracted by cell phones or other electronic devices, never driving while overly tired or after consuming alcohol or taking certain prescription drugs, and slowing down when we see emergency vehicle lights either in traffic or off to the side of the road. It’s hard to imagine the horror of being distracted and causing injuries or death.
That’s why all 50 states now have Move Over laws on the books, to try and protect the men and women who protect us. Move Over laws require motorists to slow down, change lanes or move over as far as possible when approaching an emergency vehicle. More of us need to be informed about those laws, though; with surveys showing that 71 percent of Americans still have not heard of Move Over laws.
The American Safety Council reminds us to be extra vigilant when we see an emergency vehicle and to:
Pull as far to the right as possible to let them pass
Stay at least 500 feet behind them
Move as far over as possible when nearing a stopped emergency vehicle with lights activated and slow to a speed not more than 20 miles less than the posted speed limit
The men and women who swear to serve and protect us, as well as ambulance drivers, tow truck operators and construction workers deserve all the extra safety we can give them.
I think we can all admit that one time or another we’ve been in a hurry and exceeded the speed limit. Sure, it’s not safe, it depletes your gas mileage and you could get a stopped by an officer. And, when it happens your heart is pounding and you are nervous, but apparently you can get out of being cited with a good story. While we don’t condone going over the speed limit, here are some of the best stories to avoid a ticket we’ve heard:
A father said he was late picking up his daughter from school and didn’t want her waiting there alone
A wife explained she was mad at her husband and was practicing what she would say when she got home; the more she thought about it, the madder she got and the faster she drove – the patrolman let her go with a warning (glad he wasn’t the husband)
A grandmother who explained she was rushing home before the ice cream she had just bought at the store melted
A driver who explained he was speeding up to read the license plate of the vehicle in front of his because the driver had thrown a beer bottle out the window
A woman who claimed she spilled her M&Ms and didn’t realize how fast she was going as she tried picking them up – the officer let her go after she offered him one
A woman who told an officer she was trying to keep up with traffic; he noted there was no traffic she replied that’s how far behind she was (creativity does work sometimes)
Doctors, nurses and hospital workers who claim they are on the way to an emergency
Now keep in mind, no matter how creative you are, getting a moving violation can endanger you and others, and may affect your auto insurance rates. The best course of action is to follow the rules of the road and capitalize on your good driving record.
There’s really no good excuse for not having adequate insurance. A California Casualty advisor can provide you with a policy review to make sure you are getting the best rate and the discounts you deserve at 1.800.800.9410 or at www.calcas.com. Oh, and be careful out there and look out for the other driver who is still working on their excuse. And if you’ve heard of a good one that worked, or have been the recipient of one, let us know.
