October 1989 l?OOlJ Volume 58 Law Enforcement Bulletin Number 10 Features 1 Police Peer Counseling: Officers Helping Officers By Robin Klein Evaluating Investigative Polygraph Results 6 By Ronald M. Furgerson Asian Organized Crime 12 By Linda L. Keene Page 6 A New Investigative Approach 20 to Youth Gangs By Edward Burns and Thomas J. Deakin 27 Traffic Stops: Police Powers Under the Fourth Amendment By John Gales Sauls Departments 4 Police Practices 26 Book Review 18 The Bulletin Reports 32 Wanted by the FBI Page 27 24 Focus United States Department of Justice Editor-Stephen D. Gladis Federal Bureau of Investigation Managing Editor-Kathryn E. Sulewski Washington, DC 20535 Art Director-John E. Olt Assistant Editor-Alice S. Cole William S. Sessions, Director Production Manager-Andrew DiRosa The Attorney General has determined that the publication of this periodical is neces• The FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin sary in the transaction of the public (ISSN-0014-5688) is published monthly by business required by law of the Depart• the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 10th ment of Justice. Use of funds for printing and Pennsylvania Ave ., N.W., Washington, this periodical has been approved by the DC 20535. Second-Class postage paid at Director of the Office of Management and Washington, DC. Postmaster: Send Budget. address changes to Federal Bureau of The Cover: An Orlando, FL, police officer Investigation, FBI Law Enforcement Bul• weeps after telling a mother that her child letin, Washington, DC 20535. has died in a house fire . Photo courtesy Published by the Office of Public Affairs, of Bobby Coker/The Orlando Sentinel. Milt Ahlerich, Assistant Director ISSN 0014-5688 USPS 383-310 Police Peer Counseling Officers He/ping Officers By SGT. ROBIN KLEIN, Ph.D. Police Department Long Beach, CA eople have always relied on lems of a police officer than won't be the bullet that will strike their fellow employees for another officer. With this built-in down an officer, but the effect of P understanding and support, trust that police officers have for chronic stress. especially during stressful situa• each other, peer counseling be• tions, but it has not always been in comes a "natural." An Historical Perspective the formal, supervised and con• However, men and women in Police peer counseling began structive fashion that is now being general, and police officers in par• in the 1950s when the Boston advocated. Today, the purpose of ticular, are still supposed to be Police Department began a stress peer counseling in law enforce• able to handle their own problems, program which focused mainly on ment is to train police officers to i.e., " real men and women don't alcohol-related problems. Five help others deal with stressful sit• have problems. " This damaging years later, the Chicago Police uations in a more positive, struc• myth costs police officers up to 14 Department also began a peer tured manner. It has been said, years of their lives-they die that counseling program as an ap• and probably rightfully so, that no much earlier than those in other proach to dealing with alcoholism one better understands the prob• occupations. i In fact , it probably within the department. Modeled ____________________________________ October 1989 / 1 - -------- after the Alcoholics Anonymous counseling training program for to maintain a sense of detachment, 12-step program, officers in both the Long Beach Police Depart• yet not be cold and uncaring. police departments were helped by ment. Later that year, this pro• However. they are then expected fellow officers who were them• gram was certified by POST (The to be able to go home and be selves recovering alcoholics. Commission on Peace Officer's involved in an egalitarian relation• New York City establi hed an Standards and Training) and has ship with their spouse and/or fam• alcohol program in 1966 . This since been used by over 40 depart• ily and to be in touch with their program 's premise wa that when ments throughout California. In feeling and emotions. Often they the department helps officer 1984, the Lo Angeles County have trouble making this transi• recover from alcoholi m, it gains a Sheriff' Department followed suit tion . In the past. many have used highly motivated person , a more and developed its own peer coun• what Waumbaugh called' 'choir compassionate officer , and a seling training program u ing in• practice"2 to make this transition . grateful family. In this program, house psychological services. However, this " practice" of using both the individual and the organi• alcohol to drown the day's nega• zation benefited . However, al• The California Peer tive aspects has tragically resulted though individuals with variou Counseling Program in the creation of a large number problems were helped by the pro• Today, as in the past, police of alcoholics. gram. its primary emphasis was officers have an obvious need to The California peer counsel• till on alcoholism. distance themselves from the ing program attempts to address The Los Angele Police negative aspect of their profes• these and other problems of police Department, under the direction of sion before going home. Police officer . The California program is Dr. Martin Reiser, establi hed an officers operate in a unique and co-taught by a clinical psycholo• in-house behavioral cience unit. often unrealistic environment. gist in private practice and a police This department was one of the They spend their days and nights officer who has a Ph.D. This com• first to develop and implement a being problem solvers; they typ• bination of a psychologist and a fully department-supported peer ically see only a kewed view of police officer allows for theory counseling program using officer society; and they are expected to and practice to be effectively mer• and civilians a volunteer coun• perform their job without any fear ged in a classroom setting. selor . or sense of danger. To accomplish The program last for 3 day In 1982. Dr. Jim Linden and this ta k it is neces ary, for the and i divided into three part • the author conducted the fir t peer maintenance of their own sanity, explanation , demonstration , and performance, thus using the basic psychological principles of the three-phase Rogerian model con• isting of establishing rapport, active li stening, and taking action. 3 During the training, psy• "... it probably won't be chological principles are presented the bullet that will strike to the class and later demonstrated down an officer, but the in a counseling setting by the effects of chronic in tructors. The cia s i then bro• ken into groups to practice the stress. skills. The purpose of peer counsel• ing training is to teach a group of " peers to recognize problems and to coun el their fellow officers. The Sergeant Klein peer counselors are also trained to recognize tho e problems that are 2 / FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin ________________________________ beyond their abilities, such as hal• which forces them to admit that nate amount of time on those areas lucinations, delusions , suicidal they have a problem they are that they cannot change. and homicidal tendencies , or unable to handle. To talk casually A related area that tbe peer chronic depression. Officers with with a peer counselor is a much counselor can provide invaluable such problems are referred to .an mailer step, one that many police assistance to fellow officers is in outside professional agency or to a officers are more willing and able the area of post-traumatic stress psychologist. to make, and one that can either di order. Peer counselors pri• In determining whether the resolve the problem or lead to fur• marily encounter thi disorder in peer counselors have the capability ther assistance. The peer counselor officers who have been involved of recognizing these problems and counseling their fellow officers, one must keep in mind that police officers typically deal with men• tally ill individuals in their day to The peer counselor is able to provide a safe place day work. In fact, police officers "for troubled officers to ventilate and get in touch are probably in contact with more with their feelings in a nonjudgmental people who are mentally ill than environment. the typical psychologist in private practice. Even so, opposition to police peer counseling occasionally is able to provide a safe place for in shooting incidents . However," ari es, primarily from two troubled officers to ventilate and dealing with events such as the sources. First, a police chief may get in touch with their feelings in a death of a child, a fatal traffic decide against peer counseling in nonjudgmental environment. accident-especially when an the department for one reason or As well as being trained to officer i involved-rape, and another. A econd oppo ition is recognize those areas that are major di aster, such as an air• ometimes heard from psycholo• beyond their ability or training, plane crash, can also trigger post gists who feel threatened that the peer counselors can also be trained traumatic stres . If counseling is peer counselor will " take business to handle a wide range of prob• provided to troubled officers in a away from them ." However, lems, including stress, post trau• timely manner, the prognosis for a establishing a peer counseling pro• matic stress, relationship problems fast recovery and adequately deal• gram usually has the oppo ite and chemical dependency. ing with the event is very good. effect; peer counselors usually Officers experiencing the Another area that the peer generate business when they rec• adverse effects of stress is one of counselor often deals with is rela• ognize serious problems in officers the areas that the peer counselor tionship problems.