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In
the 30 years that Chief Raymond Crawford has
been a member of the Nassau County Police Department,
his experiences have been diverse and abundant.
As the four star Chief of Operations and leader
of a 4000 member police department, his contributions
are significant. Chief Crawford has been active
in the development of policy involving domestic
violence and was recently appointed to the Commission
on Domestic Violence Fatalities by New York
State Governor George Pataki. He has overseen
the rescue effort of many tragic events including
the Avianca plane crash. Chief Crawford serves
as an adjunct professor at Long Island University
(C.W. Post) in the Criminal Justice Department.
His sincerity and genuine commitment to the
police department, and society in general, were
most evident.
JSV: I know that you work
closely with Police Commissioner Kane and County
Executive Gulotta. Could you tell me about your
role as Chief of Operations with the Nassau
County Police Department?
RLC: To do that, first, let
me give you a sense of the structure of the
police department. The department is divided
into three divisions - the Patrol, Detective
and Support divisions. The Patrol division includes
the precincts, uniformed police officers on
patrol, special units such as the mounted horse
patrols, bicycle patrols, helicopters, boats,
motorcycles, highway patrol and traffic enforcement.
The Detective division, which essentially handles
investigation of crimes after the fact. Finally,
there is the Support division which houses the
units that carry on necessary functions which
keeps the organization running. This includes
training and the police academy, the Communications
Bureau, 24-hour ambulance service for the county,
data processing and computer experts, and building
maintenance. Each of those divisions is headed
by a chief. I oversee day-to-day operations
and work with those chiefs as well as consult
with them on various problems and issues (e.g.,
policy-level issues). My role is to act as a
bridge between the divisions and the chiefs
who are heading those divisions and the commissioner.
I am also involved with some special projects
that are broader-based issues such as domestic
violence. Quite a few years ago, I was appointed
as the coordinator for the department in the
area of domestic violence and policy development,
and coordinate our interaction with other agencies
such as the County Executive's Task Force for
Domestic Violence. Also, overseen by the Operations
Department is the Planning Bureau. This bureau
is involved in planning and research. They handle
our grant applications as well. Currently, we
are enjoying great success in getting funding
for a number of programs such as in hiring of
new officers and in developing partnerships
with the community. Recently, I was appointed
to a committee (by State Governor George Pataki)
to work on policies involving domestic violence
so that counties can do more to serve the victims
and the issue.
JSV: There is research suggesting
that work-related trauma is a major contributor
to police stress. Could you comment on some
of the possible factors that you see as having
an impact on a police officer's overall level
of emotional well-being?
RLC: I have always looked at
stress in two ways - the day-to-day, life stressors
that are experienced regularly by most people
and the other being a critical incident or maybe
a traumatic stressor that is typically more
intense and perhaps, localized. (In addition
to these types of stressors) I think that police
experience stress that may not be solely related
to the type of work that they do in this sense.
Obviously, there is some risk attached to police
work but, in reality, the risk is not so high
that policing is the most dangerous occupation.
But still, it has that image of heightened risk,
maybe because when police officers get injured,
it is usually in a combat situation. One form
of stress that I am particularly interested
involves the management of authority. Police
officers, by law, have a lot of authority (e.g.,
to make an arrest, etc). The police in our society
are one of the few occupations who are empowered
to take freedom from individuals based on some
standards being met. They are visible authority
figures in the community. They are given great
power but asked to modulate or control the use
of that power carefully. They may not only have
to make an arrest, but also have to use deadly
physical force legitimized by law. This I think
is a burden, not only one that the police officer
takes seriously but also, most police departments
have policies and guidelines that require a
police officer to carefully assess a situation
before that power is used - either the arrest
power or the use of force power. The stress
may come from having to be an authority figure
and also be restrained at the same time. At
given moments, you have to be the strong, dominant
authority figure and control a situation by
voice or physical control. At other times, you
have to be the caring, compassionate public
servant having to restrain your own personal
emotions which may become tested to a great
degree. Stress may also come from the amount
of information that the officer has to know
(regarding the law), the types of human judgments
that have to be made (e.g., who was at fault
in the automobile accident?), and from dealings
with a bureaucratic organization. Regarding
this later point, the police department has
a hierarchy including ranks of authority and
sometimes that could contribute to interpersonal
stress. Finally, we have to consider the work
schedule. The police department functions 24-hours
a day, 7-days a week which requires the assignment
of people to work day and night. Not only is
the biological clock affected by this, but it
also rotates frequently. From studies that we
have looked at, this seems to have an impact
on people.
With regard to traumatic stress,
officers respond as part of their work to a
broad spectrum of events. Some are pleasant
experiences such as delivering babies (especially,
after the fact). But as you know, police officers
are more likely involved in situations where
somebody is suffering a tragedy. This could
involve a death in the street such as an auto
accident or homicide. The situation could also
involve notifying the family that their son,
daughter or father has died some place and the
family is first being told of this news by the
police. That happens on a daily basis where
a police officer is assigned to do that kind
of thing. We have to consider auto accidents,
maybe involving multiple deaths - accidental
but yet innocent victims dying, dead or severely
injured. The officers experience that as human
beings even though we try to prepare them for
it as professionals. And then we get to the
higher level of critical incident such as the
Avianca plane crash or the TWA crash where,
not only is there a major event, but the incident
itself is so big that it creates stress because
of its size and scope, and because of the potential
for chaos and mismanagement. Of course, then
there is the reason that we are responding.
There are people who are killed, injured, and/or
in the midst of dying or in great pain and in
need of great and quick care. The officers could
spend hours or days at some incidents. My experience
is that it has a human impact. I experienced
it myself at Avianca even though I am aware
of it and we try to make all of our people aware
of the possibilities of the impact of these
incidents on their lives. Sleep difficulties
months after the incident were experienced by
many people in the department, as well as by
myself, from having been there.
JSV: Oftentimes, exposure
to tragic and, at times, overwhelming events,
can challenge the coping abilities of even the
"strongest" individuals we know. What
have your observations been regarding the manner
in which police officers and detectives respond
to their repeated encounters with critical incidents
of death (e.g., from accidents, suicide, etc.)?
RLC: My first instinct is to
say that they cope with them by closing them
off. It becomes as if it is "happening
in another world." This seems to be a prime
coping mechanism as to not allow yourself to
get emotionally involved in the incident. You
might consciously be aware that there are emotions
involved in the transaction or event, that is
undeniable, but I think that officers tend to
isolate themselves by becoming so objective
that they may seem unemotional. I think that
is a first impression that I would draw from
experience of over 30 years. However, I think
that this can be an ineffective and unrealistic
coping mechanism over time. That facade of objectivity
is only a facade and people are really being
affected.
JSV: After involvement in
a critical incident (e.g., near death experience),
what provisions are made for members of the
department to receive support?
RLC: Some of the mechanisms
for support include training in the risks and
symptoms of stress (in the aftermath of a tragic
event), and in-services that are repeated throughout
the officers' career. Also, for a number of
years we have used a peer support program. We
activate the peer support groups at the discretion
of the commanding officer, or even the individual
police officer, when there is an incident that
has potential for traumatic effects. For example,
they may be utilized after the occurrence of
major auto accidents, a police shooting incident,
and certainly after major disasters. Peer support
involves other police officers who have been
involved with critical incidents (e.g., shootings)
going out and communicating with and making
themselves available for advice and support.
As a part of the response package, they go to
the scene and conduct debriefings much like
you had with the TWA disaster. Additionally,
because of the apparent benefit of physical
exercise in coping with many types of stress,
we have established a physical fitness program
in the police department. We also have an employee
assistance unit that will provide officers with
professional one-to-one counseling if they find
themselves dealing with not only incident-related
stress, but also substance abuse , marital difficulties,
etc. In special applications such as hostage
negotiators, SWAT team members, where potential
exposure to critical incidents is considerable,
we give ongoing education about the possibilities
involved. There is also a drug-testing program
in the department aimed at monitoring substance
abuse; so far, the results are very encouraging.
I think that we are human beings like all others.
If the human experience is that people break-down
under stress and trauma, and start to behave
destructively to themselves or others, then
police officers are prone to these behaviors
as well. We are always looking for that in the
workplace performance and in other ways that
the officers may present it. We recognize that
as a potential problem.
JSV: How does a police officer
and/or detective receive psychological preparation
for the taking of human life in the process
of protecting themself, the public, and/or fellow
officers? Some have suggested that this is one
of the most difficult situations an officer
may have to face.
RLC: One of my roles in addition
to what I have described is to head our Deadly
Physical Force Response Team. Whenever a police
officer uses his weapon against a person, a
team of people go out and, in addition to doing
the criminal investigation, look over the case
to see if policy guidelines have been complied
with. Also, they will see if the weapons involved
are authorized and operated correctly. Again,
the peer support groups are utilized. There
does seem to be a real reaction by police officers
when called upon to use deadly physical force
(i.e., shoot somebody). Even with justification,
after the fact, police officers may review their
actions and feel as if things may have been
done differently. All of the training that we
give police officers, ironically, is to help
people. The main reason most of our people are
out there is to help people. When you take that
and contrast it with taking someone's life,
I think it goes against the instinct of most
of our people - even if it is justified. The
reactions to the police officers who get peer
support have been positive. Officers who have
been involved in these situations seem to appreciate
this assistance and I would, therefore, assume
that they needed this type of support.
JSV: There is growing evidence
that domestic violence is a highly probable
cause of traumatic stress and in more severe
cases, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What do you think could help the police who
respond to such calls to identify and perhaps,
assist survivors of domestic violence?
RLC: I don't think that there
is one specific thing. I think it is important
to consider this simple word - awareness. I
believe that society, and the police as a part
of society, are on a learning curve about domestic
violence. Within my career, we have gone from
a time where domestic violence was seen as a
private matter - literally. The police role
was to quiet it down so the neighbors wouldn't
be disturbed and to separate the combatants
and let them, through their own means and devices,
work out their problems. It has gone from that
to a point now where we are taking an aggressive
approach with arrests - but there is also some
room for improvement in where we put domestic
violence on the priority scale. Is it as serious
as burglaries and robberies? I think that some
police professions would debate that. I for
one think it's as or more important because
it has a causative influence on stress for the
individuals directly involved in the domestic
dispute and the children in those households.
Studies have shown that these children are more
likely to have difficulties in school and be
involved with criminality in the future. Also,
one other interesting finding suggests that
girls who are in households where there is violence,
are more likely to become involved in relationships
that become violent. Apparently, ways to cope
and deal with anger and (how we manage) stress
in a household are learned behaviors. If you
look at policing as not only arresting people
but also as a way to prevent crime, the long
view would suggest that if we can reduce domestic
violence, then we could prevent crime and violence
in the future as these children grow up in better
households. Again, not to be social engineers,
we are police, but I think there is an important
role to be played in that arena. I think that
awareness and the recognition by the police
and by the greater society is probably the key
to making things better. I think that more research
on the long term effects of domestic violence
and family dysfunction (is needed). The family
is where it all starts whether it is good or
bad. It is where success is rooted and it is
where failure is rooted. If we could try to
develop some standards for family success or
effectiveness, that does a lot for our society.
JSV: I know that you were
quite involved with the rescue effort of Avianca
(Flight 52) that crashed in 1990. In what ways
are police who respond to disasters such as
TWA (Flight 800) or Avianca, prepared for what
oftentimes becomes a gruesome and painful experience?
Do officers receive formal training and/or education
about traumatic stress and how it can affect
them and their families?
RLC: They are prepared through
training but I would have to admit that their
training is probably not adequate for the most
extreme disasters that sometimes occur. Obviously,
police officers are trained to deal with death
and to handle those crisis when they occur.
I don't think anybody envisions deaths in the
numbers that plane crashes typically present
- and also the physical dismemberment and body
conditions of the injured and deceased are things
that are gripping experiences and certainly
traumatic. Officers do receive training. They
are conditioned to deal with emergencies through
that training and experiences. We certainly
advise them of some of the potential symptoms
and effects of the stress on themselves and
on their families so that they do know notice
those posttraumatic symptoms (e.g., sleep problems,
dietary changes, etc.). They get awareness training
on these issues. In fact, the morning after
the Avianca crash, the issue of peer support
was discussed. We had hundreds of police officers
at that crash over the first 12 or 14 hours
or so. We decided to make the awareness process
and peer support available to everyone on a
voluntary basis. Some people voiced their opinion
that "it wouldn't be necessary", "you
know, it's like a big auto accident" and
"what's the big deal." Well, we had
almost 300 police officers on their own time
voluntarily come to the peer support debriefings.
To me that indicated something very real. These
people, even though they are police officers
and had awareness training, these people wanted
that and likely needed it. That is an indication
that they needed more support.
JSV: In your varied experiences
with the police department over the years, which
traumatic event or events would you consider
as having made the most significant impact on
you, personally?
RLC: Certainly, the Avianca
plane crash was one that I would have to mention
both by its scope as a tragedy for human beings
and by its scope as a police response incident.
Although, when I was a new police officer, literally
two weeks on the police department, there was
a head-on collision on the parkway with six
people killed and cars bursted in flames. People
were still alive as the first police responded.
As somebody who was 21-years old and not really
familiar with the realities of life, sometimes
the tragic realities, that is one that still
sticks in my memory. I think that these experiences
have an impact on us as people. Just as (those
events) are in our memory, you think of your
own children, your own life and how fragile
it can be. It makes you more aware of those
realities in life and also the risks and uncertainties
in life.
JSV: What things do you
like to do to relax after leaving a particularly
difficult day at Police Headquarters?
RLC: Police Headquarters is
a pretty exciting and interesting place. I try
to exercise regularly. I run 25 miles a week
or so and try to keep somewhat fit. I have not
yet found the Fountain of Youth but what are
you going to do? I like to garden, read, usually
nonfiction, about societal issues, politics,
sociology, history, etc. I also teach at Long
Island University/C.W. Post Campus where I am
an Adjunct Professor in the Criminal Justice
Department. I teach courses at the graduate
level. I enjoy that very much and find it relaxing.
I have some family interests. I have a grandson
who is four years old now and I enjoy that time.
JSV: Are there any suggestions
that you could give to fellow law enforcement
officials - police officers, detectives, etc.
- regarding the management of their own thoughts
and feelings surrounding trauma and their exposure
to traumatic events?
RLC: Never assume that you
know it all. Always assume that you are not
totally prepared, and need to explore, research
and learn a little bit more, not only in individual
decision-making, but in your approach to things
in general. The status quo is usually way behind
the times. Taking that approach may be healthy
and can keep you alive - to some degree.
JSV: The American Academy
of Experts in Traumatic Stress is truly a multidisciplinary
association comprised of nearly 100 different
specialties. Do you see an advantage of including
police officers and other emergency services
personnel under the same umbrella as physicians,
psychologists, dentists, etc.?
RLC: I see it as a very positive
step. My experience in other groups where many
disciplines are brought together is that the
exchange of information avoids duplicity and
misunderstanding. It allows for people to deal
with the resources that are available and get
advice from experts. The absence of those experts
may cause people to deal with the problems intuitively
and sometimes you won't always get the best
results, or deal with the problem by not dealing
with the problem as to avoid opening a Pandora's
Box. We may not know what to do, so we would
rather not do anything than do something wrong.
This paralyzes the process. So I think that
any time that you can bring experts together
who have experiences across the board and expertise
to contribute (as the Academy does), all people
will benefit.
JSV: As you are aware, the
Academy has recently introduced a new level
of membership - Associate Member. This category
aims to include professionals such as police
officers, paramedics, firefighters, etc. who
may not have received graduate degrees (e.g.,
Masters, Doctorate), but have extensive experience
in working directly with survivors of traumatic
events. What do you see as the benefits of including
these professionals?
RLC: Certainly, awareness would
be enhanced and there would be a sharing of
information with people who might have a more
specific expertise. I have seen in the literature
that stress is being attributed as a causative
factor for disease (e.g., cancer), certain emotional
disorders, personality disorders and marital
break-ups. Stress may not be the only factor
involved, but we still see these things and
more - such as immune system breakdown, etc.
When our people (at the police department) are
made aware and involved in an educational and/or
professional experience that not only acknowledges
that but works toward dealing with ways to reduce,
minimize, or eliminate those stressors - to
me that is all good.
©1996 by The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, Inc.
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