How violence against police affects their mental health

As attacks against law enforcement mount across the nation so do the pressures of the job.

The national crisis is hitting close to home.

Only 33 days into 2022 and there have been five officers killed in the line of duty while an additional 24 have been injured, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Police officers have been killed in California and Kentucky and at least three others were injured in Texas.

A National Fraternal Order of police study reports 346 police officers were shot last year and 63 of them died.

“It’s in the back of your mind. Every call that you go on, sure it has the potential to go bad but now this really has the potential to be horrible,” said Professor of forensic studies David Thomas, who is also former police officer.

Thomas said many officers today operate with a heightened sense of awareness due to violence toward police.

“I haven’t seen it this bad since the 60s,” Thomas said.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said social media plays a role in the harm officers are facing.

“We’re seeing people saying things on there, and all they’re doing, you know, across the aisle everywhere, all they’re doing is fueling hatred. They’re fueling this anti-law enforcement sentiment,” Nocco said.

Meanwhile, the ongoing pressures of the job have a profound psychological effect on officers.

“The thing that we don’t talk about much are the number of suicides in law enforcement. And in the last three years, they’ve outnumbered the line of duty deaths,” Thomas said.

To address the mental health impacts officers face, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office created a family support network.

“We also do this for the members, you know, they do a lot of, see a lot of the worse in society, help them with post-traumatic stress,” Nocco said.

Taking a closer look at home, Fort Myers police Officer Steven Gruber spoke about the police department’s peer group.

“What this peer group is, basically if we have a serious issue or serious act, or some sort of things that basically shock the public conscience, OK, the officers can reach out and discuss things that are going on,” Gruber said. “It’s not necessarily always stuff that goes on because keep in mind, we deal with police stuff, in addition to life stuff.”

Thomas said he uses his own experiences to help current officers overcome their trauma.

“I have a lot of empathy because I’ve been there, I recall every one of those serious incidents that I’ve been in. So as I’m sitting there doing therapy or counseling with officers, actually can get down in the well and meet them at whatever spot they’re in,” Thomas said.