Page 14 - TPA Journal November December 2014
P. 14



EDITORS NOTE
During the curriculum planning process which followed the Texas Legislatures creation of what was originally known as the
Law Enforcement Management Institute (now The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas) in the
late 1980s, the curriculum committee identified the need for each candidate to research a topic of importance to the candidate
or his/her department and write an academically acceptable paper on their findings. These research papers currently reside
in the Sam Houston State University Library in Huntsville. It is our intention to publish selected papers in the Texas Police
Journal from time to time in an effort to showcase the work of the candidates and to provide valuable information to our
readers.


The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas

Burnout in Police Officers


By SJ.R. Ric Sadler, Little Elm Police Department, Little Elm, Texas, March 2008




ABSTRACT enjoying intense work loads, and to always
contribute more than is expected of them. The
Burnout is a term that has been around for results of these types of behavior can be career
decades. It is, however, most relevant to catastrophic. In addition, the author will
contemporary law enforcement because of the attempt to determine whether prevention of
high profile, adrenaline- charged environment burnout should be the responsibility of the
each law enforcement professional operates employee, the employee’s supervisors, the
within. Burnout can shorten the career of the organization, or a combination thereof.
most loyal and energetic employees of an Finally, the author will present suggestions for
organization. assistance in helping law enforcement officers
Burnout can also cause feelings such as overcome burnout.
powerlessness, hopelessness, despair, and The method of inquiry used by the author
failure. Police officers are trained to remain included periodicals and journals, as well as
neutral and detached during highly emotional articles acquired from the internet. In
situations, and this attitude can serve law addition, a survey was distributed to spouses of
enforcement professionals well on the job. law enforcement officers. Results from a
However, it can become detrimental when seminar addressing causation of burnout
taken home to the family, often resulting in conducted at the Texas Department of Public
domestic strife and divorce. Burnout impacts Safety Training Academy were also considered
every aspect of a law enforcement officer both in this research.
professionally and personally. After examination of the collected
The purpose of this research is to define information, the author discovered that
burnout, to identify the causative factors and burnout is alive and well in the law
nature of burnout, and to clarify the resulting enforcement community. This is evidenced, in
dispositions. The author hypothesizes that the part, by the turnover rate of employees, the
victims of burnout in law enforcement are high incidence of sick leave, and the
highly ambitious, goal oriented individuals. continued rise in complaints due to officer
Their nature is to work well under pressure, misconduct. Burnout can most definitely have



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