Fire ex-military from police force

[Miigwech]

23. Not smearing anyone - read this report

Of course you think by saying that I am smearing the military veterans, that will end the discussion. I don't disrespect our military at all, I just wonder that they are not being retrained properly to do civilian police work..... Read this report, please.

[link:http://cops.usdoj.gov/Publications/e011226431.pdf

|Law Enforcement Agency Responses
One limitation of this report is that it leaves many important questions
unanswered about the nature and extent of specific problems
that returning police officers are experiencing. The study was too small
to survey police officers who have returned from combat zones, and
most of the agency representatives who were interviewed on the telephone
provided only general observations. For example, one said that
some officers had difficulty transitioning from the “go-go-go mindset”
of active duty to the slower pace of in-service training or routine police
duties. Another said “signs of stress” had been reported regarding a
few officers. Several emphasized the importance of outreach to deployed
police officers’ families, while others suggested that equal or
greater attention be paid to potential problems among combat veterans
who apply for police work. Similarly, psychologists who reviewed a
draft of this report expressed concerns about the adequacy of current
psychological screening instruments for identifying unresolved, combat-
related mental health issues among police recruits. Finally, several
interview participants emphasized the importance of recognizing the
benefits that military veterans can bring to policing, such as leadership
skills, teamwork experiences, and weapons training.
The study did find a wide range of police department responses to
officers returning from combat zones. In some departments, officers
simply go back to work. As one police officer and SWAT team member
explained, his return from combat to law enforcement was essentially
a matter of “here’s your gun back,” no questions asked.Other
departments required some type of reorientation, training, and/or a
conversation about the availability of personal and family assistance.
They required, for example, firearms retraining and recertification,
and a meeting with a supervisor (but not with a professional mental
health or family services counselor). At various departments, the
supervisor brought the officer up to date on policies and procedures
that had changed and/or reminded the officer that personal and
family resources were available if needed, such as through the department’s
(or a city/county) employee assistance program, psychological
or behavioral services unit, or a peer assistance team.