Delivering death notifications is considered to be among the most dreaded and unpleasant tasks given to a police officer. When receiving word about a deceased friend, loved one, or a family member, the survivors tend to express shock and sorrow (Dryden-Edwards, 2015). The police have several guidelines and rules in place that address this subject. When delivering bad news, it is important to minimize the feelings of anger and pain. This paper is dedicated to discussing the process of death notifications, explaining why the immediate relatives must informed before the media, and analyzing the differences between notifications for a police officer and a civilian.
Basic Death Notification Procedures
When tasked with delivering a death notification, there are several indispensable concepts that every officer and counselor must know. These concepts are:
- Delivering death notification in person. It is very important to surround the surviving relatives with compassion and understanding during the initial shock that follows the dreadful news (Darren, 2014). Sending a letter or making a telephone call must be avoided, as it will not provide any support to the survivors. This is why arranging a meeting in person is an indispensable procedure, even if the surviving family members live very far away.
- Delivering the news in time and with certainty. The notifiers must be completely certain that there was no mistake in identifying the deceased person, prior to delivering the bad news (Page, 2010). There were numerous incidents of death notifications delivered to wrong families (Police tell wrong family about death, 2014). The psychological impact of such wrongful news can be devastating and cause long-term trauma.
- Working in pairs. Most notifiers approach the survivors in pairs, and for a very good reason. One might never know what the reaction to the news would be. The initial shock from the notification might induce a catatonic state (Brasic, 2016), which would require urgent medical assistance. At least two persons are required to provide adequate and timely assistance (Darren, 2014).
- Delivering the news in plain language. The message must be related directly, to avoid possible misunderstandings. It is recommended to avoid delivering the notification at the doorstep (Darren, 2014). Instead, the officer must request to come in and prepare the survivors for the news they are about to receive.
- Providing compassion. The purpose of delivering death notifications in person is to provide compassion (Darren, 2014). The notifiers must support the survivors in any way they can. It is important to avoid cliché words and phrases, however, as nobody finds them helpful. Religious rhetoric is potentially harmful.
- Follow-up measures. Many survivors feel abandoned and confused after receiving death notifications (Darren, 2014). It is very important to call them the next day and inquire about how they feel. In addition, the notifiers must provide all necessary information about the cause of death, help retrieve any personal possessions and offer an advisor to help with funeral arrangements.
Death Notifications and the Media
While publishing obituaries is a common practice in many western countries, it is strictly forbidden to spread the news through the media until all direct relatives and close friends have been informed (Darren, 2014). There is a good reason for that. If the media is allowed to publish information about a person’s death, it is very likely that the relatives would hear it prior to being contacted by the notifiers in person. This is very dangerous, as the surviving family members are forced to confront the issue with no preparation, counseling, or psychological padding. This can cause grievous and long-lasting psychological traumas, as the surviving family will remember that moment for the rest of their lives. Should the death notification prove to be erroneous, it would be much harder to reverse the damage (Darren, 2014).
Death Notifications for Police Officers
While the standard protocol for death notifications is not much different between a civilian and a police officer, the process is much more thorough. The reasons for that are simple – most police officers who die in the line of duty suffer violent deaths, which is much different from dying of old age or in an accident. When a police officer dies, one of the notifiers has to be the unit commander, and the other one – a professional counselor or a chaplain (Line-of-duty police death notifications, 2010). The police department tends to have specific plans in place for line-of-duty police death notifications. Aside from notifying relatives and family, the news is also brought to the “police family” – friends, colleagues, and co-workers of the deceased officer. Counseling at this stage is important, as deaths have a great impact on morale and discipline of an entire police unit (Line-of-duty police death notifications, 2010).
Conclusions
It is very hard to plan for the unthinkable. At the same time, we are all human, and experiencing grief from losing our loved ones is an inevitable part of our lives. I believe that it is important to know what to do in such situations, to provide compassion and understanding. At the same time, I believe that families of the police officers who died in the line of duty are entitled to extra support and care. Violent deaths are sudden, bloody, and unexpected, which makes them even harder for the surviving family members and friends to accept.
References
Brasic, J.R. (2016). Catatonia. Web.
Darren, D. (2014). Death notifications. Web.
Dryden-Edwards, R. (2015). Grief: Loss of a loved one. Web.
Line-of-duty police death notifications. (2010). Web.
Page, D. (2010). Death notification: breaking the bad news. Web.
Police tell wrong family about death of son – who then opens the door. (2014). Web.