Health Challenges of Our Police Officers – Updated

Unfortunately, as a consequence of the nature and scope of their work, superimposed on often extremely challenging working conditions, police officers the world over are predisposed to suffering from a range of medical disorders.

Police officers serving in the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF), are not immune from the health hazards of the job; actually, anecdotal evidence suggests that SVG police officers are at greater risk of developing job-related medical disorders when compared to their counterparts in the UK.

Immediately below, I have outlined the potential job-related hazards and illnesses that police are exposed to, and suffer from, often unknowingly.

Injuries: These include training-related injuries (especially amongst recruits), bruises, lacerations, strains/ sprains, and shin splints. Other injuries that may occur include burns, fractures, and even fatal injuries.

Neck, shoulder, and lower back pain: These are primarily related to sitting for extended periods, manoeuvring with the police belt, and repetitive movements.

Stress/ depression/ anxiety/ post-traumatic stress (PTSD): The primary sources of stress include being called out to violent crime scenes, working shifts, office politics, lack of trust within the force, suboptimal compensation, financial issues, challenging working conditions, and inadequate and faulty equipment. PTSD is often experienced by police who have had a close on-the-job encounter with death and in officers who were exposed to a very traumatic experience.

Infectious diseases: The prolonged wearing of closed shoes, in a hot environment, and using communal showers, increase the incidence of tinea pedis (athlete’s foot). Exposure to body fluids, and being bitten or spat on increases the chances of contracting Hepatitis B/ C, tuberculosis, and HIV (to a much lesser extent). Officers are also prone to impetigo, MRSA, and fungal skin infections.

Alcohol abuse: Internationally available data has shown that this is much higher among police officers than in the general population. The proposed reasons are the stress of the job, and alcohol consumption is often an integral part of many forces’ culture, especially when socializing with other officers.

Motor vehicle accidents: Especially while patrolling or as a consequence of high-speed chases.

Obesity: Internationally, approximately 40 per cent of police are obese, which is 5-10 per cent higher than the national average.

Type 2 diabetes: Because of poor diet, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle, the frequency of type 2 diabetes is higher in the police force than nationally.

Hypertension: This is significantly more prevalent in police when compared to the general population.

Cardiovascular disease: Job-related stress, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, smoking, elevated cholesterol (compared to the general population), obesity, and sedentary lifestyles all contribute to an increased incidence of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.

Insomnia: Among police officers, insomnia is 3-5 times higher than in the general population.

Early death: In the US the average life expectancy of a police officer is seven years less than the general population. Anecdotal evidence strongly suggests these figures are similar in other parts of the world.

Other:

● Noise-induced hearing loss.
● Acute and chronic injuries from lifting heavy objects
● Assault related injuries
● Lead exposure at the firing range
● Unintentional exposure to illicit drugs
● Heatstroke.

Mitigating the health hazards of police officers 

Several measures can be adopted to mitigate police officers’ health hazards:

● To reduce the impact of global warming the fabric of the uniforms should be reviewed. Consideration should be given to replacing long pants with knee-high pants (Bermuda shorts).
● Free periodic age and gender-adjusted medicals should be offered to all police officers.
● Overweight officers should have free access to a dietitian and gym/ exercise facilities.
● For non-ceremonial occasions, footwear should be lightweight with non-leather soles.
● A basket of 20-25 healthy food items should be identified that can be sold by a police cooperative mini mart at cost to police officers.
● Have free and confidential access to a psychologist (and psychiatrist?) for police officers with mental health challenges.
● Free self-defense classes.
● A police pharmacy offering medicines for NCDs at cost price.
● Ready access to face masks, sanitizers. and disposable gloves.
● Tetanus and Hepatitis B vaccines should be free and readily available.
● Health and wellness sessions should be conducted periodically.

With the appropriate interventions, many of the health consequences of policing can be prevented, and if they were to arise, timely and appropriate interventions can significantly mitigate the sequelae of these disorders.

Violent crime is at an all-time high in SVG and the police officers need our support now, more than ever. While SVG as a country may not be positioned to increase police salaries, we can still tangibly show our appreciation for our constabulary who place themselves in harm’s way daily. The job of a police officer is one of significant personal sacrifice, and we all need to have a greater sense of appreciation for the men and women serving in the RSVGPF.

Author: Dr. C. Malcolm Grant – Family Physician, c/o Family Care Clinic, Arnos Vale. Former tutor, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados. Host of radio programme ‘Physician on Call’. For appointments: clinic@familycaresvg.com, 1(784)570-9300, Office), 1(784)455-0376 (WhatsApp).
Disclaimer: The information provided in the above article is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. Dr. C. Malcolm
Grant, Family Care Clinic or The Searchlight Newspaper or their associates, respectively, are not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information provided above.