WE’VE GOT YOUR SIX
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De-escalation is all the rage these days with the self-righteous, politically correct, snobbish morons. Can’t you just hear them now when discussion the latest OIS as they wonder aloud, “Why didn’t the cop de-escalate the situation instead of shooting him?”
They make it sound as though de-escalation is a spray, like Febreze, that can be pulled out and sprayed over a crowd to immediately calm the situation down. Sounds about as stupid as those idiots at P.E.R.F. (Police Executive Research Forum) who suggested that in tense situations, we cops close our eyes and count to ten.
I don’t know … maybe someone at PERF likes going to cop funerals.
This week, or own Danny Watson interviews, Chaplain Sam Tuberville of the Florence (SC) Police. In the rather candid discussion, Sam points out what most of us already know: fresh-out-of-the-wrapper, brand new young cops don’t expect the mental anguish that they will be forced to endure on the job.
He reminds us that Cops are constantly dealing with bad shit. Human minds are not designed to simply discard memories of those events. Rather, they accumulate and often become a burden too heavy to carry. Our minds can gets bogged-down and overloaded with bullshit.
So, what do we do?
Do we ask someone for help? Oh, no! Heaven forbid, that a cop would actually ask for help. Help is a bad word to a cop – if he is the one seeking it.
Too often we strong-like-ox cops start drinking to cope. Or, we start screwing someone other than our wife. Or we start buying toys that are lots of fun but, we can’t afford. All of these things are done as a way to escape the anguish in our heads.
As a result, we seem to be working, or drinking, or playing hide-the-sausage with some badge-bunny or, or, or, or anything but spending time with the ones who love us – like our wife and kids. It all turns into an unmanageable pile of shit.
You getting the picture?
In the old days, a struggling cop might tell his partner about his problems. Of course, the “man thing” would happen. He would be told to, “Suck it up,” or possibly, “Grow a pair and deal with it.”
Talk about pouring gasoline on a fire.
Thankfully, this is a new day. Chaplain Sam reminds us that when you’re on top of your game is the time to think about what you will do the next time the ‘shit-hits-the-fan,’ mentally speaking. I suppose we could think of it as mental training.
Sam quoted the long-time honored cop, Lt. Dave Grossman who said, “Under pressure, you don’t rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training.”
Wise words, indeed.
Click on the video below to take a few short minutes to give your brain an opportunity to de-escalate.
“Above all, it’s about going home at the end of the shift … “
We couldn’t agree more.
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A great article about “De-escalating Your Mind”! As police officers we don’t get enough training on how to help ourselves spiritually, emotionally and mentally. I am happy to see this being recognized and being addressed now then when I became a police officer many moons ago. It is even more important to be on the top of your game now with the toxic environment that is permeating our nation.
Police chaplains are wonderful people! God bless them for the work they do! We had one on our department who understood the police culture very well. He wasn’t pushy but he was there for you if you needed him. He rode with us and attended events that were important to us.
Lt. Col. Grossman has been a super help to us nowadays. Any one hasn’t heard him speak or gotten one of his books needs to put that on their priority to do list.
Another great source is Jim Bontrager. Jim is a former Marine and a veteran police chaplain with the Elkhart Police Dept. in Indiana. He puts on class entitled “Sun Tzu and the Art of Warrior Resiliency” and it is an outstanding class. I highly recommend it.
Thank you CopBlue for the resource you’ve been!