Cops at Risk: Health, Homicide, and Litigation introduces students to the countless challenges law enforcement officers encounter on a daily basis. The book suggests that these challenges directly impact the physical and mental wellbeing of officers and can lead to personal issues such as substance abuse, chronic illness, post-traumatic stress disorders, and suicide. Sometimes those challenges can lead to an escalated use of unnecessary force, denial of due process rights among suspects and victims, and exaggerated or redefined reports about incidents, suspects, and crime scene evidence.
Over the course of 13 chapters, students learn about the far-reaching effects of occupational stress among officers and their families, the risks of pursuit and domestic violence stops, and issues that stem from poor supervision, public disrespect, and versions of police alleged corruption by the social media. There are chapters dedicated to the effects of terrorism, active shooters, sexual homicide, child abuse, mass shootings, and human trafficking. The book explores the complexities of litigation and compliance regulations that push many officers into a fear of prosecution. The final chapter recommends solutions, including strategic recovery and resilience training, with an emphasis on personal-centered care.
Cops at Risk illuminates a facet of policing that is unique and immensely valuable for students interested in entering the criminal justice community. It is well suited for courses in criminal justice, sociology, psychology, law enforcement, law, counselling, and policing. It is also helpful for current law enforcement personnel, justice professionals, and treatment providers.
Dennis J. Stevens, Ph.D. retired from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and serves as the director of Justice Writers of America. Dr. Stevens has published 26 university textbooks, five popular media books, and nearly 100 largely peer reviewed scholarly articles on law enforcement, corrections, and criminology. He has led intervention sessions among police officers in response to various crisis incidents including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the Boston Marathon bombing, and Chicago officers after the unprovoked ambush and murder of 3 of their own. He has counseled and served as a treatment provider and educator of high-risk prisoners throughout the United States. He has aided in the murder defense of indicted officers and has developed psychological profiles of convicted violent offenders for the department of corrections in several states and foreign countries.
