Police psychologist roles in investigating a murdered former officer

Roles of a Police Psychologist in an Investigation

The following paper describes the roles played by a police psychologist in an investigation of a situation in which a former police officer has been killed. The police force constantly takes risks to save the lives and belongings of the people they serve. This force is known for its bravery and courage but when a situation involves the homicide of a former member of their own group, they are faced with extra trouble as their own safety becomes a concern for them. In addition to that, the pressure from media exacerbates the problem for the police force. In this case, the police force needs psychological support which is given to them by a police psychologist.

Introduction

Police offers face severe stress in their day-to-day routine. They risk their lives and their families in order to fulfill the duty assigned to them. Their bravery is tested every day, but on an occasion, where an ex-police officer is murdered, the bravery of the police officers is tested to its limits. The homicide of the mayor, who was an ex-policeman, further exacerbates the situation as the mayor is a public figure and the story are televised many times. This pressure of media also has an effect on the police force. Keeping in mind the amount of stress that a police officer is faced with, the police psychologist has a critical role in supporting the police officers in this investigation. (Mayhew, 2001)

Roles played by a Police Psychologist

Some of the roles played by the psychiatrist in this type of investigation are:

1. Help the police force in recovering from the post-traumatic stress.

2. Help the police officers in regaining the sense of security in their jobs.

Purpose and Use of a Psychological Autopsy

Psychological autopsy can be a useful aid in determining the causes of the death of a person in detail. The psychological autopsy can be used to help the medical investigator to draw medical statements about a suicide and even a homicide which is ambiguous. The investigator can then use this autopsy to check whether the witnesses are giving the correct information or not. The autopsy is carried out by the psychologist, and the results are embedded with the results of the medical practitioner. In this way, the physical facts are linked with the behavior of the person and it can thus be deduced whether the information given is consistent with the behavior of the person or not. The information on the behavior of the person is gathered by the psychiatrist by interviewing family, relatives and close friends. Further information can be gathered by reviewing the documents and public interviews of the deceased. (CR, 2010)

Advantages of a Psychological Autopsy

Psychological autopsies can be of critical importance in determining the cause of death. As mentioned earlier, it can also help the practitioner in determining the validity of the information that he has received from the witnesses. This help will accelerate the process of the investigation. This acceleration will serve as a great advantage of psychological autopsy as the cases with mass media coverage should be closed as quickly as possible. Failure to wrap up the case usually leads to speculation of media which eventually leads to unrest among people. (CR, 2010)

This unrest has an adverse effect on the stress levels of the police officers involved in the investigation of the case. As mentioned earlier, the police officers are already subject to severe stress, the media speculation deteriorates the psychological condition of the police officers. Psychologically unfit police officers then make the investigation process slower, and the overall problem is exacerbated. (CR, 2010)

Another advantage of psychological autopsy is that the people who are close to the victim are asked questions and as a result they can let out their feelings and relieve their stress somehow. Normally a sudden death of a person leaves his close ones in dejection and gloominess. Psychological autopsies serve as counselling sessions that help the relatives and friends of the deceased, the mayor in this case, to recover from their stress and sadness. It also gives the relatives hope that the investigation will be carried out using the correct information, and thus an accurate result will be drawn from the investigation. (CR, 2010)

Steps in Conducting a Psychological Autopsy

The following steps are taken by the psychologist when conducting an autopsy:

1. Obtaining all the relevant information from relatives and friends.

2. Drawing a hypothesis of events that occurred.

3. Supporting the hypothesis with relevant evidence.

4. Rejecting any hypothesis which is wrong.

5. Giving a written report. (CR, 2010)

The psychologist begins with collecting the information from the people who are close to the deceased. He can talk to the family, relatives and friends of the mayor in this case collecting information about the mayor's behavior. The psychologists may also ask the close relatives and family about any disorder that the mayor was suffering through before the event. The next step requires the psychiatrist to draw a hypothesis of the events that have occurred before and during the incident. This requires the psychologist to draw hypotheses about events that happened before or during the homicide. In the third step, the psychologist supports his hypothesis with relevant evidence and rules out any other hypotheses. Finally, a written report is produced by him which contain information about the event in detail. (CR, 2010)

Information Presented in the Written Report

The final report consists of the results of the autopsy and how the psychologist reached that result. This report must be very accurate as the report will be consulted by the medical examiner in order to determine the mode and cause of death. The medical practitioner will also refer to the report to check whether the information given to him is consistent with the behavior of the deceased or not. All of this information will then be inscribed on the official death certificate. Once the death certificate is made, it is very hard to reopen the case and argue on the manner of death. The accuracy of this report has a high effect on the image of the mayor. (CR, 2010)

Importance of the Written Report

This report can be significant in making the image of the deceased. As the mayor is a public figure, his manner of death will greatly impact his image in public. Manner of death can trigger further media speculation and pressure as media can start throwing questions about who killed the mayor or why did the mayor commit suicide. (CR, 2010)

In addition to that, the report also has an effect on the family members of the mayor as it will directly affect the amount of insurance that they will receive. If the report declares that the mayor has committed suicide, the family will be faced with severe stress as they would be bothered about the reason which lead to the mayor's suicide. (CR, 2010)

Psychological Effects of the Report on the Police Officers and their Families

Lastly, the report will have a direct impact on the police force as well. A report declaring a murder will be stressful for the police force as they would feel insecure about their jobs and they will be faced with extra pressure from the media. These negative of the written report on the police officers also bothers their families who have to bear the changing behavior of the affected police officer. (Scrivner, 1994)

Addressing the Needs of Police Officers and their Families

As a police psychologist, one has to deal effectively with and solve the psychological problems that trouble the police officers during and after the investigation. A significant problem, as mentioned earlier, is PTSD. The psychologist must address this issue by using incident debriefing. To reduce the effects of the incident, the debriefing must be conducted within 12 hours of the incident. This debriefing should be conducted by a team of four members consisting of:

• The Psychologist (The Leader)

• A member of the clergy

• Two additional supporters (Scrivner, 1994)

It is important for the leader to aim these sessions to reduce the insecurity among the police officers and to bring them back into the psychological state they were in before the occurrence of the event. (Scrivner, 1994)

Another important point to be kept in mind is that these sessions should not be named in a way that they give an impression that a person is being treated. If this is not the case, the police officers will not respond to the session as it will go against their tough nature. (Scrivner, 1994)

Conclusion

A case like this requires the services of a trained police psychologist as the police officers have to deal with immense stress due to insecurity and media pressure. The police psychologist has to play other roles as well. This includes conducting a psychological autopsy and aiding the medical practitioner.