Page 6 - TPA Journal Sept Oct 2021

where law enforcement agencies may submit information about their officers who have
died by or attempted to commit suicide. Effective September 1, 2021, Texas implemented
SB 1359, Mental Health leave for peace officers and HB 2073, Quarantine Leave for peace
officers and additional resources for peace officers to seek assistance with stress
management.

Unmanaged stress can wither away the strongest of officers much like rain breaking

down a stone. Over time you may see a crack in the outer shell of the stone and you would
not know how the pressure from the water leaking inside breaks the stone in half from the
inside out. We are the only ones who see through our own eyes and the only ones who can
actually describe our own feelings but often we have difficulty expressing those feelings or
trying to express our true level of appreciation to those around us.
We spend more consecutive hours of the day with our co-workers than we do with our
own families. Our personality types and a common sense of humor tend to generate some
of the funniest jokes of all time. They are not always publicly or “body camera” appropriate
jokes but we “vent” in different ways, not all healthy.

I have a proposal for you.
Let me start by saying that I have no issue telling you,

“I love you!”

Hope I didn’t lose you there.

I know that I don’t know you personally but I have met some of the most amazing
human beings around the world who work in law enforcement. I have met so many men
and women that honor the nobility of our chosen vocation in such a positive way. I don’t
know how often you tell your Chief, dispatch, or your shift partners, “I love you.” It might
make them feel uncomfortable so please don’t run in to your chief’s office and tell them that
you read an article on stress management and it said to tell your chief you loved him or her.
Deep down we know that we love our brothers and sisters in blue. We want them to have
a safe shift and get home at the end of the day. Even if your supervisor drives you crazy you
would still go through a door with them if called to do so and that makes us human. We

mourn together when we lose a brother and sister and that is love, it hurts but, in a way, it
heals us by reminding us that we are human.

In my stress management class, I talk about “Combat Breathing” or “Box Breathing” or
“4 – 4 – 4 Breathing.” If you are a tactical ninja or a super awesome sniper you can call it
“tactical breathing” or “box breathing” if you are a cross fit person, otherwise, I am going

2 www.texaspoliceassociation.com • (512) 458-3140 Texas Police Journal