Stress Levels of Police Officers on Patrols

SHOT-COVID19 study: researchers surveyed the stress level of street patrol officers during the Corona pandemic. USECON - The Usability Consultants - In the first few months of the corona pandemic, street patrol officers responded to new demands with a "medium stress level" although the individual experience of strain varied greatly. For example, factors leading to a high stress level were little work experience in the police force or feeling unprepared. However, in general the great majority of the police were able to cope well with the challenges, as has been shown in a survey of police officers from Germany and four other European countries. The study was conducted under the leadership of PD Dr Marie Ottilie Frenkel, a stress researcher at Heidelberg University, and also contains proposals for improved crisis management aiming to reduce stress. These include effective communication, also via the media. In the context of the study, which is part of a European research project, over 2,500 police officers were surveyed in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Spain.