192 lines
8.9 KiB
Plaintext
192 lines
8.9 KiB
Plaintext
June 1991
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PLATEAUING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
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By
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James M. Childers
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Sergeant
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Lubbock, Texas, Police Department
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Burnout is a very familiar concept to law enforcement
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officers. It occurs when the pressures of a demanding
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profession become too much for an individual to handle
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adequately. The effects of burnout can be manifested in
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alcohol/drug abuse, excessive sick leave absences, strained
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relations with colleagues, or other self-destructive behavior.
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Feeling helpless, some officers may even turn to suicide as a
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final way out. (1)
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Though not as well documented or defined, another
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phenomenon that may be even more widespread than burnout is the
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problem of plateauing in law enforcement. While the effects of
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both burnout and plateauing may appear similar, the causes, and
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therefore, the potential cures of the two problems are very
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different. Provided here are the fundamental differences
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between burnout and plateauing, the unique causes of plateauing,
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and finally, suggestions for plateaued officers to overcome this
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serious, but not insurmountable, problem.
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CAUSES OF PLATEAUING
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Consider this scenario: A police officer graduated from the
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police academy about 10 years ago. Fighting crime and helping
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others were the officer's primary purposes in life. The streets
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were a war zone, and there was always a battle or challenge
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ahead.
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Then, eventually, the challenges ended. A lot of hard work
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and personal sacrifice had gone into achieving rank and
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seniority. But now, the red lights and sirens don't make the
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adrenaline flow as before. The car accidents with injuries are
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just a lot of paperwork. Going on a drug raid just means having
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to wake up early. The officer's current rank is stagnant, and
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the paperwork and citizen complaints are overwhelming. The job
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is not hated; it is just dull. There seems to be no way out.
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Seemingly, it has all been done, and the job has become routine.
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A major aspect of life has stabilized, as it ultimately must.
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The officer, feeling significantly dissatisfied, is plateaued.
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(2)
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Characteristics of the plateaued officer may depend on the
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type of plateauing being experienced. Content plateauing, for
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example, may occur when career goals have been achieved. If an
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officer had set a goal while in the police academy to eventually
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become a homicide lieutenant and that goal has been met, then
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eventually the challenge ends and boredom may set in.
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Structural plateauing may occur when the promotions end.
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This results from the "99% Rule." In essence, each department
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can have only one chief; thus, 99% of the staff have to be
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subordinates. If motivated officers are forced to realize that
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the position of chief administrator, or other prized posts, may
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not be attained, then they may become plateaued. A sense of
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despair may contribute to the effects of plateauing.
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When work becomes the most important aspect of law
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enforcement officers' lives, they may be plateaued in life.
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This type of plateauing may have deeply rooted causes stemming
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from professional and personal relationships, or other factors.
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In any case, plateaued officers may become frustrated and
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lose the sense of challenge that was once a prime motivating
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force. When individuals reach this point, the continuing
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effects of plateauing, if left unchecked, may act to remove any
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realistic sense of public appreciation or duty.
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DIFFERENTIATING BURNOUT AND PLATEAUING
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Burnout should not be confused with plateauing. Burnout is
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defined as a complex process that affects several major areas of
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human functioning--physical, intellectual, emotional, and
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social. (3)
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Physical fatigue is usually one of the first symptoms of
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burnout. This usually takes the form of a general listlessness
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that carries over from work to home. Intellectual burnout, for
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the officer, is demonstrated by a negative attitude toward the
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job. Officers develop an attitude of cynicism, along with an
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inaccurate sense of public appreciation. Emotional symptoms
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most common to police burnout are anger and frustration, which
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cannot be effectively expressed. This may lead to depression,
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characterized by sleep and eating disturbances and a feeling of
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pessimism at work and at home.
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Socially, the emotional insulation and isolation result in
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officers having difficulty maintaining satisfying interpersonal
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relationships. The ultimate social symptom of burnout in law
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enforcement may be alcoholism. The dream of protecting and
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serving is falling apart, and relationships with colleagues are
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strained. Drinking may be viewed as the only way to escape a
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world that is crumbling.
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Plateaued officers, however, are not so psychologically or
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physiologically involved in the problem. They generally
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understand the importance of maintaining societal control for
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the safety of all. Self-esteem and a sense of self-worth remain
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strong, and indeed, may even become exaggerated. Because the
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condition is not nearly as complex as burnout, the possibility
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of solving the problems associated with plateauing are high.
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SOLUTIONS FOR PLATEAUING
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Simply examining life and future goals may lead to a
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resolution of plateauing. Officers may have to evaluate
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personal and professional priorities and realign career goals
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and objectives.
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Seeking new challenges is often a key to overcoming
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plateauing. This may include completing a bachelor's or
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master's degree or taking courses at a local college or
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university.
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Creating challenges at one's current level may include
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experimenting with different techniques of policing. One might
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try new patrol procedures to reduce armed robberies or attempt
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to motivate a squad by aiding and encouraging them to reach
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their goals. A change in duty assignments may resolve the
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plateauing effect. When an opening becomes available in another
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division, plateaued officers should strongly consider
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transferring. Learning a new job and applying new ideas can be
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challenging as well as rewarding.
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For some, a career change may be the only way to eliminate
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plateauing. This solution should be thoroughly researched.
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Consulting career counselors or persons in another field of
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interest may be helpful. However, this option should only be
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considered when other alternatives will not work. Once the
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decision is made, it may be difficult or impossible to "get back
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the badge."
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Police administrators can help decrease the occurrence and
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severity of plateauing by including education of this concept in
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the basic academy training program. Allowing lateral transfers
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and voluntary shift transfers, when feasible, can also often
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reduce the effects of plateauing.
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First-line supervisors have a great impact on officers and
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can greatly affect to what degree they become plateaued. Merely
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educating new officers about the concept will help. Because
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plateauing may occur several times throughout a career, guiding
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young officers toward more specific goals may be very helpful in
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preventing the effects of plateauing later in a law enforcement
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career. Simply rewarding officers for jobs well done will help
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sustain the challenges and promote a realistic sense of
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self-worth. Providing desirable task assignments is another
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method to maintain challenges and reduce boredom.
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CONCLUSION
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While not as complex or as deeply rooted as burnout, the
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problem of plateauing can be a serious one that should be
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addressed by the law enforcement community. Plateauing leaves
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an individual bored and frustrated and can significantly
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undermine an officer's ability to perform effectively. When the
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specific causes and effects of plateauing are understood,
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possible solutions can be provided by either the officer or the
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department. Unlike burnout, the effects of plateauing can be
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reversed through relatively minor administrative action, such as
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a lateral transfer or a new duty assignment.
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Plateauing can be reduced and the effects eased, but by no
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means can it be eliminated completely from law enforcement, or
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any other field, for that matter. For severe cases, counseling
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may provide the only effective solution. All alternatives
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should be evaluated carefully before a decision is made. For
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the officer, just recognizing that plateauing has occurred is
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the initial step toward a solution.
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FOOTNOTES
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(1) I. David Welch, Donald C. Medeiras, George A. Tate,
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Beyond Burnout (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall,
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Inc. 1982), p. 6.
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(2) Judith M. Bardwick, The Plateauing Trap (New York:
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American Management Association, 1986), p. 3.
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(3) Supra note 1, pp. 102-105.
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