PILLAR SIX: OFFICER WELLNESS & SAFETY
In 2015, the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing published its final report. This task force was created to “strengthen community policing and trust among law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.” The Professional Research Pool (PRP) for Criminal Justice Science has used these principles to guide the research focus and create a place for practitioners and researchers to collaborate on them. Each of the six pillars is described (summaries from the Task Force report) along with links to resources with more information.
PRP Studies Completed
A Qualitative Examination of Cultural Identity Conflicts Experienced by Black and Afro-Latino LEOs
Ana E. Zuñiga, Psy.D.
William James College
Springfield Hospital Center Pre-Doctoral Intern
Over-policing of Black men and women has increased and has caused substantial social unrest, resulting in nationwide protests. The relationship between Black Americans and the police has been fraught with tension and the complex experience of Black law enforcement officers has received little research attention. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the relatively unstudied sociocultural identity conflicts that may be experienced by law enforcement officers who identify racially and ethnically as Black, African American, or Afro-Latino. In this study, consensual qualitative research methods were utilized to analyze interviews with eight Black officers, ages 32-50, living across the United States. Seven major themes or core ideas emerged across participants. The most frequently endorsed core idea reflects Black police officers experiencing occupational challenges because of their racial identity. The examination of the experiences of Black law enforcement officers will provide implications as it pertains to the field of police psychology and mental health providers.
Recorded presentation: https://app.vidgrid.com/view/5mVH75WqDt63/?sr=o2oYNr