Practical Police Psychology: Stress Management and Crisis Intervention for Law Enforcement

Practical Police Psychology addresses the psychologically complex world of modern policing. It analyzes both the unusual and everyday challenges faced by all law enforcement personnel, from the street cop to the departmental brass. Scholarly in scope, Practical Police Psychology goes beyond academic analysis to offer usable, down-to-earth, and immediately applicable—that is, prac-tical—guidelines and strategies for improving the effectiveness and quality of policing in the real world. This book addresses two broad domains of police psychology. The first is the role of law enforcement behavioral science in operational assistance of police activities, such as hostage negotiation, suicide-by-cop intervention, undercover policing, and patrol tactics for dealing with crime victims, violent citizens, and the mentally ill. The second domain has to do with cops taking care of themselves and their departments, including mental toughness training, critical incident stress, officer-involved shooting, line-of-duty death, law enforcement leadership, and the unique challenges of police families. The result is an authoritative and practical guidebook for law enforcement and mental health professionals alike. Practical Police Psychology is the book you’ll pull off the shelf every day for new insights and practical strategies for handling the complex demands of modern policing.