What is Stress? Stress is not a new phenomenon; it has been experienced throughout history. Stress is a biological response to some stimulus. Fear, panic, anger, tragedy, and even something as simple as being competitive can cause it. Stress can result in the competitiveness needed to succeed in business, achieve an education, foster social relationships, and win at sports. Is stress bad or good? It is both. The proper level of stress can benefit people in daily living. Well, what is bad stress and what is good stress? Good stress is stress that you can manage. The stress of competing in athletic contests often works in your favor by stimulating performance. In police officers, stress can make the difference between

Another approach is being taken in the Police Department in Buffalo, New York. The commissioner personally visits every police officer shot while on duty (Brown). If he cannot do so, he makes sure that his deputy or another command-level officer goes to provide support. Today most police departments recommend the chief executive officer and other commanders make it a matter of policy to pay hospital visits to every officer shot or involved in a serious accident. This easily implemented policy can have a profound effect not only on the injured officers but also on the department as a whole.

injury or death, and going home at the end of the shift.

Police suicide is more directly related to relationship problems than to job stress! Of the last 14 suicides among the police officers in New York City, 12, or 86%, had to do with divorce or relationship breakup (Brown). Police officers going through a divorce are 5 times more likely to commit suicide than officers in a stable marriage are! Relationship problems, however, are highly related to job stress. So we see that stress has a profound effect on police officers lives, especially their home lives. Studies have called police work a "high risk lifestyle (Brown)." Not high risk in terms of the physical dangers of the job, but high risk in terms of developing attitude problems, behavioral problems, and intimacy and relationship problems. According to an article on the Effects of Stress on Police Officers, by Peter Finn, M.A., if you ask the average cop "Hey, what's been the scariest experience during your police career?" They will answer "My first marriage (Finn)!" All research shows police suffer a substantially higher divorce rate with estimates ranging from 60 to 75% (Finn). One of the casualties of police work is often the marriage. What can be done to limit stress? When the body can no longer defend against stress, biological responses can occur.

If we take a quick overview of police work and look at the research we can see what are some the biggest stresses. Having you partner killed in the line of duty, lack of support by the department/bosses, shiftwork and disruption of family time/family rituals and the daily grind of dealing with the stupidity of the public (Adams 399). The police officer, under the stress of responding to an armed robbery or a break-in heightens their awaren

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