In some areas (like Sunnyvale CA) you become an Emergency Responder and can alternate from police work to fireman (or EMT) every few years. I heard it described (by someone who was a policeman at the time) as going from hero to villain and back.

http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Departments/PublicSafety/Recruiting....

I agree. I think it helps them see the people they "serve and protect" as better humans, and themselves as something other than the most righteous thug.

I think that is a wonderful program.

I don't feel that the second paragraph is realistic. But where to start in explaining why?

Cop life is so complex that a weekly home economics shift isn't going to repair relationships, normalize psyches or adjust attitudes.

There's a depth of behavioral psychology to this problem that extends well beyond imagining a one-size-fits all therapy plan.

This can't be approached from the perspective of an outsider's view of what plays well to the public concept of what ordinary people imagine about police.

In theory, police officers (and similar professions, also military) have various privileges, like early retirement and some other benefits (depending on the country).

I'm not sure if there even was a time where these things were enough, but right now they certainly don't outweigh the psychological devastation which almost inevitably follows being on duty for a couple of years.

I don't know the reasons but I'm sure there are many, ranging from cultural shifts in society to particular regulations they use to operate.

Still, the fact remains that the job is nowadays really bad. It's hard for people who never experienced it to understand how bad it is. An analogy which often speaks to programmers is: imagine the worst case of big corporation you can, stuffed with dick-head managers, full of pointless activities which obviously contradict each other, and so on. Now imagine every single manager above you can put you in jail for almost anything - but doesn't have to, if they don't feel like it - and that you are one weird rumor away from being fired (or worse). And that's on top of actual job being shitty, tedious, sometimes pointless, always psychically and emotionally draining.

All this is to say that I agree that "one day a week of social positive work" wouldn't help very much.

As a cure it might not work —existing cops are already biased by their experience. As a vaccine however, it may have a bigger impact.

The bigger problem is to figure out whether the extra expenses are worth it.

It's complex enough that the etiology might well be rooted in our entire culture. There are movements of people trying to approach the problem at that level. Their goal is to destigmatize pain, attack anti-pessimism, etc.

This sounds fascinating but I have no idea what it means. Could you point me someplace where I could learn more about it?

That's a pretty good idea IMO. Give cops the same as Google's 20% time, to help with things that bug them (which probably also help the communities they're serving in).

Many do. That's why you have organizations like PAL where police do just this.

You don't know? Here are some easy to implement ideas:

http://www.positivetickets.com/

In the 70s when police officers carried a baton and a revolver you'd encounter a lot more talk, diplomacy and second chances. In the age of terrorism and tazers that has become rarer in my experience.

Police officers need to have an 'edge' that is missing in normal people. Normalizing their experience with people and re-humanizing them isn't the best idea for their career and longevity in this day and age. Let them burn out in peace or find a way to cope with their distance from people (usually alcohol, seen that a lot).

I think this hits one something as well. I moved to Norway a few years back - and while the police have access to guns, they don't generally carry them. The public doesn't seem to want it for the most part.

The effect is the one you noticed in the 70s. From a normal citizen's perspective, the fear factor isn't there. You are generally OK so long as you cooporate, even if you tell the police to fuck off while still doing what they say. Some of this is culture: For instance, someone with a bow and quiver on their back walking through the summer palace that is here in town doesn't get harassed. There are fewer guns on the people.

I'm not sure about your outlook, however. I think they need the humanity to be able to treat people well. After all, normal people are the very people that become cops: That "edge" is a learned thing - just like it is in the military. Minimally, I'd go with a few years of training being mandatory before stepping out and becoming a rookie. Things like conflict resolution, dealing with the mentally ill, and interpersonal relations.

Edit: Oh, and stress. I'd include classes on dealing with stress in the training.

Your suggestions are ideal in terms of training and compatibility with society. I just don't think that they are practical (in the US) right now.

The dysfunctional approach between police and citizens seems to be more manageable and cheaper and makes candidates more numerous. My cynicism is showing though.

That was dependent on who you were and the location. A long haired hippy was not getting many second chances in the south. Watch the movie Easy Rider as an example.

I don't need to watch a propaganda film to remember how it was. I was there. How old are you?