To my brothers and sisters in law enforcement. Did you know that we lose more officers to suicide every year than we do as a result of on duty deaths. We have a problem, a problem that is not often talked about in the profession. Here is what you must know, you are sent to training, to the academy and you are taught a very specific skill set. This skill set serves you well on the job, it keeps you safe, it teaches you to function at a high level during crisis on the job. Remember what you learned, dont trust people, be in control at all times, not only in control of yourself and emotions but in control of the situation. You lose control of the situation things escalate, people get hurt or killed. Be strong all the time, be there for the people. You take these skills out on the street and you hone them and tune them and they give you success, they make you great officers.

Now over time you realize they serve you well and you take these skills home, unaware, not knowing. None of these skills serve you well at home, not with your spouse and not with your children. They are not looking for the great officer, they are looking for their spouse, their parent. Know this, anger is absent without fear. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate. Did you know that every officer is given to very specific fears when they start and are never told. They are….. The fear of controlling to little, and the fear of Trusting to much. You see you do those on the street you get hurt or killed. Then take those two fears home and now you are a nontrusting control freak at home. Guess what that does not fly in your personal life. No one wants to be married to a pessimistic nontrusting control freak. But you are, because it serves you very well on the job. Law Enforcement is an emotional mine field. Sooner or later you take a wrong step and boom there it goes. Awareness, knowledge of the problem is a map, it is a map that will guide you through that mine field. If you know where the mines are, you will not step on one. When you are a sheepdog, and you spend your time keeping the wolf away from the flock, you lose site of the fact that you the sheepdog, needs a Shepard. Who is your Shepard? Wellness in law enforcement is a dirty little secret that people are hiding from. Did you know that humility is the most accurate measure of courage. You must be well to do well. You can be well, you can thrive in both arenas, professionally and personally but it takes understanding and work. I have spent 27 years serving, i know who you are and where many of you are. Apologize to know one for being who you are and serving well, but lets figure out how to manage our lives so there is something left of us when we are done. Something left for our families.

If anyone wants more, if anyone wants an ear, i can be reached at hoffmangrh@gmail.com.

God bless my brothers and sisters.
GH