Sources of Stress in Detective Jones Life
There are three obvious sources of stress in the life of Detective Jones; the first source is the issue of his wife leaving him for an officer in another department. This was a major event in his life which was for the worse; it led to him being angered which made him take out his frustration on other people.
It was an embarrassing moment for him and it coincided with the time that the unprofessional behavior started. Another source of stress is the spread of the information that his wife had left him among his workmates and outsiders. The shame and embarrassment that resulted from knowing that others had information about his personal life which he had not intended to tell anybody could have led him to be stressed.
The changes brought about by the new chief plus rumors that are being spread about detectives rotating shifts every month has contributed to his stress. Another source of stress in his life is the fact that he was overlooked for promotion; instead, a junior officer who is a lady was promoted. To make the matter worse, the junior officer was less experienced than him, and he had served as a detective for the past 10 years and had been at the department for the past 15 years. This most likely led to him being angry and caused stress in his life.
How the Detective and the Department Should Deal With Detective Jones Stress
Lieutenant Smith should in no way excuse the behavior of Detective Jones even if this is caused by the stressful events that have been occurring in his life. This is because it is in no way appropriate to allow such a behavior to be existent in a department serving the public, and no matter what the cause is, the behavior is one that should not be entertained. The way Lieutenant Smith and the department choose to help him deal with stress is important as it determines whether he will overcome it.
The first step is that they should understand what Detective Jones is going through and not to be little or shame him. They should give him time to go through the process of grief resolution that is necessary for the stress that he is experiencing to resolve. They should also display a positive attitude towards him despite his behavior since this has been shown to be effective in helping someone dealing with stress as this will eventually rub off on him. The Lieutenant should refer him to a specialist like a counselor who can sit down with him, and take him through the steps of overcoming stress.
Morale Issues That Can Result and How to Prevent Them
One of the morale issues that can result from the behavior of the detective is the segregation of the detective by his workmates and none of them might want to work with him. Another is violence that can occur due to confrontation between him, and another officer. The detective’s behavior can lead to dissatisfaction from the public about the way they are being treated by the detective and this can be generalized to the whole department.
The bad publicity of the department that can result from mistreatment of the public can lead to low morale and performance in the department. To alleviate and prevent this, the lieutenant should talk to the Detective and make sure he gets the needed help that he deserves. The Lieutenant should also speak to the the other officers in the department so that they understand what Detective Jones is going through, and to have a positive attitude despite the bad publicity that might arise.
Management of the Stressful Events
Detective Jones can be assisted through the situation he has gone through by receiving positive support from the department; and by referring him to a counselor or psychologist who can help him. The detective can undergo an anger management program which is a therapeutic way used by psychologists.
He will have to undergo a number of exercises in this program to overcome the stressful event he has undergone. He can use relaxation techniques and undergo cognitive restructuring to overcome his problem. Other techniques that are useful in his situation are strategies to dealing with problem solving, and which improve communication.