Health problems.

[XgamesCop]

Hello rookie here again. I know this thread's been started before but do cops have more health problems then the average joe? Let me know.

[mcsap]

The average lifespan of an officer is less than the life span of the "regular Joe". Rotating shifts ( I work 2 wks of days, 2 wks of 2nds and 2 wks of 3rds) , stress ( people don't call us because they are having a good day) , getting injured on the job and slipping into an unhealthy lifestyle of alcohol and the wrong foods makes for a not-so-good combination.

So yes, as a whole , officers tend to have more health problems than the average person.

[Oldbillplod]

I believe the average lifespan of an English police officer after retirement is about 10 years. So heres looking forward to life before dying at a maximum 62 years old.

[zander_zye]

My bro told me that a study showed the average lifespan of a Chippie was merely 5 years after retirement. That means between 55-65 years old (seems pretty young). Of course there was this one case where an officer died who was 103. He had been receiving retirement for almost 50 years...

[metallicat]

You can show me all the studies you want to about the average age of death, but none are going to stop me from wanting to become a police officer. Of course, like Zander said, there are of course always exceptions. And these studies aren't always the best thing to go by.

[XgamesCop]

Oh. I see. Thanks guys. You've just given me another reason to resign.:(

But seriously, are there any links online you could point me to. Any studies? Statistics?

[zander_zye]

In the academy, they went over and over the stats for police officers : More suicides, more homicides, early death, disability, etc. But the bottom line, if being a cop is what you want to do, you accept the risks. The same goes for members of the military. Most Marines know that they will see combat at least a few times in their career - but you will find they do the job anyway. **

**Of course there are exceptions - there was this idiot in San Jose who joined the Marines. When they started to deploy troops, he tried to get out as a "consciencious objector" (what Marine would accept that status? - aren't the Marines "gung ho" and the such - lol).

[XgamesCop]

Ok so what's worse cops or docs?

(That's doctors).

[txinvestigator1]

Worse?

[XgamesCop]

Originally posted by txinvestigator1
Worse?

Yeah you know stress wise. Cops or docs. Probably cops cause doctors aren't in the line of fire. And we're in the middle of everything.

[canuckofapeach]

dentists

[Chaplain Keppy]

There are many good books and other sorts of resources out there in reference to LE stress. One of the best, most practical ones I've read is Kevin Gilmartin's "Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement". (I ought to have that title and author tattooed on my forehead, I recommend it so much.)

The ICISF (International Critical Incident Stress Foundation) offers all sorts of training around stress, and their course on Law Enforcement Perspectives by Pete Volkmann is excellent.

As for comparing LEOs and docs, it's pointless. Too much is different about their lives and the sorts of stress they experience. There's a lot of prestige associated with doctors in our culture, whereas LEOs are often hated and judged just for doing their jobs. I do not know of a single doctor who would hesitate to eat in a restaurant where the food handlers were aware of the doctor's profession. Not so with cops, sadly!