STRESS PRODUCING FACTORS AND CURBING STRESS REACTIONS

Ways in Which Stress Impacts Discretion

One of the most critical occupations in the world is security work as it requires self-sacrifice and commitment. However, it is criticized by many people especially if police officers misuse their authority by use of force, mishandling evident and clients. This occurs because the group undergoes a lot of mental torture resulting to stress that is their main challenge (National Institute of Justice, 2012). In this case, the stress is more because the seven officers are working undercover which is elevated by the fact that they work in secret risking the lives of those they love and themselves. The most important thing in any line of work is making decision responsibly, which is a difficult matter for undercover team if they are under pressure. Majority of undercover officers adapts the act of applying excessive force as a way of reducing stress. 

According to National Institute of Justice (2012), while trying to reduce stress, they torture suspects beyond their authority and they concentrate less in their work. It can also make them mishandle evidence or they might ignore important evidence. Another discretion impact of stress is caused by the lonely stress they experience due to the thought that they are excluded from the society; making them to mishandle informants due to their thought everyone is their enemy. Therefore, stress greatly impacts narcotic team. 

Areas for Discretion

National Institute of Justice (2012) explains that there are two areas of discretion of narcotic team; during team operations and presenting or handling evidence to seniors. Narcotic team is found under the undercover department where it deals with drugs secretly. Due to this, the line requires its team to have high discretion levels. Another challenge is its dangerous nature as drug dealers are dangerous and one puts his/her life in danger by following them. The first area requiring discretion is presenting or handling information to the seniors. The temptation in this area is corruption where they can be offered large sum of money by the drug dealers for the evidence to be concealed. The second area is during team operations where the seizing of a suspect is very important as they help in the drug crisis. The temptation that faces the team is shooting the victims, but the suspects should not be shot as they contain useful information especially of disclosing their partners. 

Impact of the Additional Assignment to the Team

The death notification assignment assigned to the team may impact them either negatively or positively. One positive side is that it will reduce their idle hours which are illustrated by the chief due to their drinking habit, decreasing the rate they consume alcohol. Another positive part is that this assignment will break their monotony as it is not in their area of duty. However, this assignment negatively affects them as it reduces the number of hours they are free. Every individual requires free time so as to balance between social and work life. Therefore, lack of free time will drag their social life which may reduce their performance due to stress.

Ways in which the microcosm of the police agency insulate itself from the community

According to Shusta, Levine, Wong, and Harris (2005), policy agency has a microcosm that uses a good strategy in insulating themselves from the community. They achieve this by not disclosing their internal affairs and operations to the public. This assists them in carrying out their affairs or operations secretly and therefore the community cannot question them or interfere with their affairs. The give the public what is necessary to their ears and they disallow pen questions from the public. Through this, the agency prevents the public from questioning them or interfering with their affairs. Microcosm remains one general strategy that is used by all police agencies. The narcotic and SWAT team however goes a further step where they only disclose information to only the involved. They operate under high secrecy levels by maintaining their secrets between them. 

Overcoming the Flight or Fight Syndrome

In the process of overcoming flight syndrome, unnecessary heroic may be caused which is dangerous to the team members. Stress causes this issue where the victim performs an action that is dangerous to other team members. For example, if one of the members discloses the undercover team to the suspects, the whole group may be in danger and the suspects can target them. 

Issues of Social and Professional Relationships

Perfect Health (2016) explains that every individual irrespective of their occupation have both professional and social Life. However, police officers due to the stressful nature of their work are unable to manage the two. In the process issues may arise which may include non-performance at work and inability of handling family matters. Stress may cause an individual not to perform well and they may turn to alcohol. In the end, their performance will decrease and they may end up incompetent. Some police officers transfer their stress to their home causing problems with their families and spouses. This can lead to separation or divorce which is traumatic to the victim affecting their work more.

Racial and Ethnic Demographics Contribute To Bias in This Type of Unit

One of the major factors which cause incompetence in security field is stress. This is due to the nature of their work which is more stressful than any others area. This stress is contributed by the environment in which they carry their day to day task and the incidences they experience. In order to create a good working environment for the police, reforms should be incorporated in the unit to be handling police issues.

References

National Institute of Justice,. (2012). Causes of Officer Stress and Fatigue. Retrieved from https://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/officer-safety/stress-fatigue/pages/causes.aspx

Perfect Health.,. (2016). Police Stress: Identifying & Managing Symptoms of Stress. Adrenal Fatigue Solutions. Retrieved from https://adrenalfatiguesolution.com/police-stress-fatigue/Shusta, R., Levine, D., Wong, & Harris,. (2005). The Changing Law Enforcement Agency: A Microcosm of Society (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall: Pearson Education Inc. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/76a1/98dd285b95f066ab1f6780c066fa7f24aead.pdf