The Lived Experience of Law Enforcement First Responders During a Pandemic Proposal

Introduction

First responders are individuals who undergo special training in order to aid in emergency scenes and situations (Hagler, 2013). First responders include law enforcement, fire fighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). For the purpose of this study, law enforcement first responders represent the population of interest. The general purpose of law enforcement is to maintain order in society. Law enforcement first responders have been trained to process and evaluate critical situations mentally due to the high stress and uncertainty of the profession. The challenges of their profession require all first responders alike to manage and maintain both their physical and mental health (Hagler, 2013). Thompson and Drew (2020) provided a comprehensive overview of existing methods used for addressing first responders’ mental health needs. It was found that the current efforts were insufficient for strengthening resilience and helping address the emotional burden that goes hand-in-hand with the profession (Thompson & Drew, 2020). Occupational acute stress of first responders leads to burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious traumatization, which calls for the deeper insight into their experiences and implications of adverse events for mental health (Doyle et al., 2021).

Due to various personal and environmental challenges, ranging from stigma surrounding mental health to the lack of time or trust, law enforcement first responders are unlikely to seek help to address their emotional concerns (SAMHSA, 2018). Self-stigma can cause reluctance among law enforcement first responders to display signs of vulnerability to themselves, their colleagues, as well as friends and family (SAMHSA, 2018).

Statement of the Problem

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic took the entire world by surprise. A rapidly spreading virus with unknown transmission specificity and the increased amount of contraction by humans resulted in deaths on an international scale (Cascella et al., 2022). During the beginning phases of the coronavirus pandemic, there were stay-at-home restrictions in most regions across the country, and only essential workers were given more flexibility to leave their homes to continue to work their frontline jobs (Tomer & Kane, 2020). Frontline workers included but were not limited to health care workers, sanitation workers, firefighters, paramedics, and law enforcement. With stay-at-home mandates established by the Congress, the general public’s routine changed with increased eating at home and increased sedentary lifestyles, significantly impacting individuals and causing higher health concerns to develop including declines in mental health (Flanagan et al., 2021). Law enforcement first responders have been required throughout the pandemic to perform routine tasks, such as patrol, investigations, and upholding the law (Tomer & Kane, 2020). but with the rise in mental health concerns, all law enforcement first responders and not just special crisis teams have been required to add community mental health care to their regular job tasks with little to no training (Lorey & Fegert, 2021). Awareness on how the general public reacts to those with mental health needs is a public stigma that adds additional pressure to law enforcement officers when responding to a mental health related call (Corrigan & Watson, 2002).

Law enforcement agencies have used Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) to aid in interdisciplinary work with mental health professionals to assist those experiencing mental health distress on emergency calls to receive professional and compassionate assistance (Chopko, 2011; Lord et al., 2011). Team members’ training allows first responders to find compassion and willingness to be patient with individuals in mental health distress until care can be provided by a mental health professional. Forward-thinking to create an operating procedure to be implemented during public health emergencies would allow the unification of law enforcement, first responders, and public health institutions (Sharma & Hossain, 2019). Nevertheless, no one expected that the operating procedure would be launched so soon (Sharma & Hossain, 2019). The reality that there could be a public health emergency on a large scale caused a worldwide mental health crisis onset. A year later, control is trying to be regained, which has limited the ability to train new officers properly, reduced staffing, and caused a lack of funds to put action steps in place, increasing the stress and struggle to perform job duties (Jennings & Perez, 2020).

Ungureanu and Bertolotti (2020) proposed an updated process teaching emergency roles, knowledge, interpersonal relations, and emotional management of all those involved in the emergency situation, care, and service to manage this need during the continued pandemic crisis. CIT training encompasses knowledge about how mental health affects an individual’s ability to process and function based on the crisis experienced. This knowledge begs the question: why do self-stigma and social-stigma discourage law enforcement first responders from seeking the same mental health help assistance that they help civilians procure during their own personal and professional crisis or post-trauma situations?

On another level, law enforcement first responder’s job security is a social topic that raises public attention and discussions. Importantly, high-profile society members argue in favor of defunding the police. The continued protest from racial justice movements including, but not limited to Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA, occur across the United States in their fight for social justice and equality, increasing racial and anti-ageist movements across the nation (Gonzales et al., 2021). The impacts of publicized killings of minorities by White law enforcement first responders have contributed to negative perceptions of law enforcement held by the general public.

Purpose of Study

It is the purpose of this study to focus on the actual lived experiences of law enforcement first responders working through an international pandemic and describe their cognitive experiences and self-health utilization. The sub-topics related to this purpose include concerns of personal safety when working during emergencies, the exposure to varied social perspectives, and considerations of personal mental health. In order to meet the defined objectives, the researcher will collect basic information. Qualitative data collected for this research aims to explore the nature of law enforcement first responders’ experiences and their mental health consequences working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, research involving the defined target population is scarce (Doyle et al., 2021). The importance of conducting this research begins in a research study conducted by Klimley et al. (2018) that determined that emergency personnel are at high risk for developing PTSD symptomology but do not seek help or receive a confirmed diagnosis of the disorder.

Research Questions

This interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) research study will utilize critical theory as the research paradigm to examine participants’ lived experiences to raise awareness of areas where mental health issues stemming from exposure to emergencies in the COVID-19 may exist. The research will provide a comprehensive overview regarding the experiences recorded from first-hand accounts of participants that fit the sample criteria, such as professionals working as first responders within law enforcement units. Therefore, this study’s research questions include: A) What are the lived experiences of law enforcement first responders regarding working during the COVID-19 pandemic? B) What is the lived experience as a law enforcement first responder coping with public opinion during the COVID-19 pandemic? C) What is the lived experience in managing personal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic? and D) What is the lived experience of personal safety as a law enforcement first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Significance of the Study

Developing a greater understanding of what life is like as a law enforcement first responder helps mental health professionals gain better insight into this phenomenon’s importance as a deeper look into this research topic (Thompson & Drew, 2020). In conducting this research, the hope is to start bridging the gap in previous surface-level research relative to understanding police culture and stigmatism affiliated with on-the-job trauma experienced (Fleischman et al., 2018; Ingram et al., 2018). Drawing from the knowledge acquired as a result of this study, in the future, it may be possible to create a training program to help improve and long-term sustain supported mental health needs of law enforcement first responders in a non-stigmatized environment.

Definition of Terms

The following provides a list of definitions to give clarity for this study.

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic. As defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2020), “Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a new coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Because it is a new virus, scientists are learning more each day. Although most people who have COVID-19 have mild symptoms, COVID-19 can also cause severe illness and even death. Some groups, including older adults and people who have certain underlying medical conditions, are at increased risk of severe illness.”

Critical Intervention Teams (CIT). Bahora et al. (2008, p. 159) defines Critical Intervention Teams (CIT) as a “program is a collaborative model involving mental health professionals and law enforcement officers that is being implemented in a multitude of localities across the country.”

Defunding the police. Glauser (2020, p. E1644) defines defunding the police as “governments to redistribute funding for law enforcement to social services in the wake of recent deaths in custody.” In the article “What ‘defund’ the police’ really means”, written by Simon Balto (2021) this term is expanded upon a historical, “Over the past year, calls to defund the police have been embraced by some Americans and met with bewilderment or hostility by many others. The argument for defunding, however, is fairly straightforward. It is an argument predicated upon resource reallocation, in which portions of the vast sums of money that get spent on policing — an institution that inflicts demonstrable harm upon many communities of color and poor people — is redirected toward funding for things that would enrich people’s lives: housing, health care, job training, food and so on. In a world where people have what they need to live healthy, nourished lives and opportunities to pursue a wide range of dreams and ambitions, whatever “need” people imagine there to be for police would be radically diminished.”

De-policing. Shjarback et al. (2017, p. 42) define de-policing as “withdrawal from active police work—in response to unprecedented levels of negative attention, as well as the correlates of changes in police behavior.”

Law enforcement first responder. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) (2019) defines law enforcement first responder as “police officers, detectives, deputy sheriffs, state troopers, highway patrol officers, investigators, inspectors, correctional officers, parole or probation officers, and park rangers who perform work such as preventing crime or accident victims; preventing or detecting crimes; conducting investigations or inspections for violations of law; performing surveillance; pursuing, restraining and apprehending suspects; detaining or supervising suspected and convicted criminals, including those on probation or parole; interviewing witnesses; interrogating and fingerprinting suspects; preparing investigative reports; and other similar work” (para. 6).

Police Subculture. Chopko (2011, p. 317) defines police subculture as “a term used to describe the values held by law enforcement agencies and formed by the unique stressors inherent in police work.”

Public Stigma. Corrigan & Watson (2002, p. 16) defines public stigma as “the reaction that the general population has to people with mental illness. Public stigma can be understood in term of three components: in a stereotype component as a negative belief about a group (e.g., dangerousness, incompetence, character weakness); in a prejudice component as an agreement with belief and/or negative emotional reaction (e.g., anger, fear); and in a discrimination component as a behavior response to prejudice (e.g., avoidance, withhold employment and housing opportunities, withhold help).”

Self-Stigma. Corrigan & Watson (2002, p. 16) defines self-stigma as “the prejudice which people with mental illness turn against themselves. Self-stigma can be understood in term of three components: in a stereotype component as a negative belief about the self (e.g., character weakness, incompetence); in a prejudice component as an agreement with belief, negative emotional reaction (e.g., low self-esteem, low self-efficacy); and in a discrimination component as a behavior response to prejudice (e.g., fails to pursue work and housing opportunities).”

Sociopolitical. Sociopolitical is defined as “of, relating to, or involving a combination of social and political factors” (Sociopolitical, n.d.)

Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are defined for the reader:

• CDC. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• CIT. Critical Intervention Teams
• COVID-19. Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
• IPA. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis
• PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Assumptions, Limitations, Delimitations

Assumptions

In the context of scientific research, assumptions represent unexamined beliefs that may be present. The following assumptions are incorporated into this study:

1. The participants in the study will answer interview questions with honesty and transparently.
2. The inclusion criteria are appropriate for this study and ensure that participants have all experienced the study’s same phenomenon.
3. Participants have a sincere interest in participating in this study.
4. An adequate number of law enforcement first responders will be interviewed to satisfy a phenomenological research study’s requirement.
5. All participants who participate in interviews will conscientiously review interview transcripts and communicate accuracy with the researcher.

Limitations

Study limitations represent shortcomings and disadvantages that may potentially hinder the research procedure, such as insufficient samples or flawed methodology. The limitations associated with this study are as follows:

1. The researcher made attempts to maintain objectivity, but the potential for subjectivity to occur exists.
2. The authenticity of the data collected to produce themes may be limited or interpreted differently by other researchers based on the participant’s willingness to be honest and transparent.
3. Creating a safe space as an outside member of the police culture to allow for discussion on mental health and stigma-related questions.
4. Based on qualitative research standards, saturation will be attained but may not contain all representations of perspectives of law enforcement first responders.

Delimitations

Delimitations represent the boundaries and the scope of the study, based on the decision of the researcher as to what should be included and excluded. The following could be considered as delimitations within this study:

1. Our study focuses on the effects of working during a pandemic and the lived experiences of law enforcement first responders during this time.
2. Law enforcement first responders who were not considered active duty during any part of a pandemic are not included in this study.
3. As the current Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic is still a concern for public safety, interviews of participants will be offered to be conducted face-to-face and through technological means where the participant has the added option for video and audio recording to take place or only audio recording to take place.
4. Based on the means of interviewing participants, nonverbal behaviors expressed during this interview may not be observable.

Summary

In this chapter, the described purpose and guidelines for this research study are presented. This chapter introduced how actively working as a law enforcement first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic has added additional work stressors to an already stressful occupation. However, self-stigma and social stigma discourage law enforcement first responders from seeking mental health help assistance that they provide to civilians for themselves to address personal and professional trauma. The study’s purpose is to explore the lived experiences of law enforcement first responders working during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing their cognitive experiences and self-health utilization. Relevant sub-areas for study related to this purpose include concerns of personal safety when working during emergencies, the exposure to varied social perspectives, and considerations of personal mental health.

Literature Review

This chapter is the foundation of knowledge obtained from the review of existing literature applicable to this study’s components. The topic of this study is to gain knowledge and understanding based on the lived experiences of law enforcement first responders that worked during a pandemic including the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic. Exploring the research participants’ phenomenological experiences is essential to have a basic understanding of the profession, current events involving this profession, and the impacts of a pandemic on community and mental health (Laufs & Waseem, 2020). The current study explores the safety perception and stigma surrounding the profession of law enforcement first responders working during a pandemic. This study’s findings examine the cognitive experiences and self-health utilization of law enforcement first responders through lived experiences. New knowledge and insight will allow for additional explorative research, resulting in support programs. The initial intention is for these programs to be customized to fulfill the mental health needs by providing a non-stigmatized counseling program that all law enforcement first responders can utilize without waiver setting a gold standard of mental health and crisis management for law enforcement first responders.

Police Culture

According to McCartney and Parent (2015) common academic themes that arise when describing police culture as negative and possessing an “us versus them” mentality in regard to social classifications to those who are not law enforcement officers. However, it is also mentioned that the law enforcement subculture exhibits positive core values that aid in support of one another through post-traumatic stress and the bravery of working together in dangerous situations to provide safety to the communities they serve (McCartney & Parent, 2015). Storytelling is a core characteristic in police culture, offering support and education and acting as a type of bonding behavior among fellow officers to develop trust and communication van Hulst (2013). Using storytelling as a coping technique to decompress, process emotion, and release stress with others in their trusted circle, their brotherhood of fellow officers, their work-family.

Law enforcement first responders can offer the release and support needed without fear of misinterpretation that they are unfit for duty or concern for other officer’s well-being. Twersky-Glasner (2005) reminds the reader that law enforcement is a unique occupation where there are distinct differences in perception of comradery to fellow officers and exclusion of being understood by all other members of civilian society. At its core, the police culture lies in the perception of professionals that see themselves as protectors of the public and enforcers of the law (Morin et al., 2017). The main challenge is that the public does not understand the risks that law enforcement encounters on the daily basis, which creates misconceptions about the police culture (Morin et al., 2017). Notably, in a direct observation qualitative study Loftus (2010) determined the police culture possessed two characteristics: cynicism and moral conservation. Although it was stated that storytelling had a negative effect on police culture resulting in cynicism and conservation (Banish & Ruiz, 2003),

Police Subculture

Police subculture is a term used to describe the values held by law enforcement agencies and formed by the unique stressors inherent in police work (Chopko, 2011). Understanding the work environment, mental status stressors, and responses to stressors are imperative to counselors’ and other clinicians’ foundation to relate and work with law enforcement first responders—allowing for more effective communication to occur among everyone during Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) training.

Being able to understand police culture lacks in research of understanding and has several gaps. To better understand the culture behind law enforcement first responders’ attitude and behavior, their experiences must be studied with a willing and open mind (Morin et al., 2017). Ingram et al. (2018) examined cultural strength in a multilevel theoretical framework to examine officer’s cultural attitudes and behaviors of their primary work environments. The study revealed that the workgroup culture was associated with officer’s behaviors but was not always linear (Ingram et al., 2018). This gap in research calls for the need to explore police culture on a deeper interpersonal level.

Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT)

The Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT) is a unique training model program developed by mental health professionals for law enforcement officers to professionally engage in healthy positive interactions with individuals experiencing mental health distress. Not only does the training allow officers to engage safely, but it helps the individual in need remain safe until helped (Thompson & Drew, 2020). Counselors use warrior codes from various times and groups in history to give knowledge to CIT officers on how to tap into a warrior and caregiver mindset simultaneously while creating compassion and connections to the individuals they will serve (Chopko, 2011). The evaluation of the CIT relies heavily on a qualitative perspective of the law enforcement first responder and does not provide longevity of effects (Chopko, 2011). There was a significant difference comparing small and large law enforcement agencies, and there was a significant change in the mental health community’s disposition over time (Lord et al., 2011).

In a survey conducted by Bahora et al. (2008), the pre- and post-CIT training of U.S. officers for the self-efficacy and social distance with specific persons of the mental health community included individuals experiencing depression, cocaine dependence, schizophrenia, and alcohol dependence. Findings revealed that trained CIT officers had increased self-efficacy and reduced social distance with those experiencing mental illness or substance disorders, which resulted in the CIT officers being more confident and supportive of those in need to provide them proper help (Bahora et al., 2008). This research bridges the gap in understanding the efficacy of CIT training and how officers do the job. The CIT training is to help those with mental illness or substance use disorders receive care and services through the assistance of law enforcement officers as a resource (Bahora et al., 2008). On an international level, a similar study was conducted in Liberia, West Africa, by Boazak et al. (2020) on a smaller scale due to CIT not being used in low and middle-income areas, where results were comparable to the study conducted by Bohora et al. (2008).

Both studies showed improvements in the CIT officers’ knowledge and attitudes after training was conducted and showed a need for the training program as an influential positive resource for officers. The study in Liberia, West Africa, was set up by developing the CIT program in 2013 (Boazak et al., 2020). Mental health clinicians, law enforcement officers, and mental health service users collaborated to implement the CIT program that has shown improved attitudes, engagements, and collaborative relationships among law enforcement officers and clinicians (Kohrt et al., 2015). This improvement of partnership and trust was essential to the public health needs affiliated with the Ebola epidemic.

Similar CIT Program During World Disasters

Amid the current worldwide Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) Pandemic, the goal is that there can be a reconstruct and have similar outcomes among the collaboration of law enforcement first responding officers and clinicians. Amid the current worldwide Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) Pandemic, collaboration of law enforcement first responding officers and clinicians may benefit from a similar program.

Law enforcement organizations and emergency health teams are under significant pressure in the current Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic to provide rapid and effective socialization strategies. These socialization strategies include training and sending out new emergency health team groups to do an adequate job while maintaining community and personal safety (Ungureanus & Bertolotti, 2020). Concerns regarding designing a new process that teaches emergency roles, knowledge, interpersonal relations, and emotional management of all those involved in the emergency, care, and service will be evaluated in this study.

A growing amount of research discusses the implementation and effectiveness of law enforcement first responder’s engagement and care towards mental illness in civilians encountered on the job on an international level. However, limited research discusses the first-hand care of these law enforcement first responder responders ‘ mental health (Fleischman et al., 2016). The need to examine what law enforcement first responders do for their mental health is supportive information to acknowledge needs of possible mental health services that can benefit these agencies. Fleischman et al. (2016) began to answer this question with their study as little research was available regarding the perception and responses to stressful and traumatic events experienced by law enforcement officers, which influenced their research. Their research revealed that many CIT officers had experienced traumas on the job, but due to pervasive stigma, they were left unreported, and these officers never received help to cope. The understanding and exploration of pervasive stigma in personal mental health care are other research gaps desired to evaluate this research study.

Role of Law Enforcement First Responders

Like the CIT working with mental health professionals, Hossain (2019) stated that realigning the operating procedures during public health emergencies to allow law enforcement officers and public health institutions to collaborate to overcome challenges posed to societies is crucial. The ability to develop new policy, express and clarify doubts, and examine, follow-up, and evaluate all scenarios would be crucial to an evidence-based successful collaboration among fields providing lawful methodologies.

The need and ability for law enforcement officers to perform their daily duties to, protect and serve the community they work in is complex and has differing opinions based on whom is asked. An evaluation of six years of call data made to law enforcement first responders to the London Metropolitan Police Service in the United Kingdom and the New York City Police Department in the United States informed the calls were fulfilled despite cross-national dissimilarities of public holidays (Ashby & Tompson, 2017). However, they did not show different frequency changes when comparing crime versus temporary changes in an area’s population for an event or holiday (Ashby & Tompson, 2017). A police-action model was proposed, which would essentially give checkbox stipulations as to when a law enforcement first responder could search an individual in addition to the human experience component that includes an officer’s knowledge, instinct, and intuitive decision assessment (Ashby & Tompson, 2017). There has been an increase in accountability and transparency regarding law enforcement first responders over the last 50 years (Washington Post Editorial Board, 2021). There are more laws, procedures, and policies that go hand in hand when looking at police policy, acts, and decisions made by the law enforcement community as a whole (Walsh & Conway, 2011).

Klinger’s Ecological Theory

David Klinger, an ecological researcher in criminology, developed a theory in 1995 of policing that tested the structure on police practices based on environment and police responses in correlation to police patrol practices referred to as Klinger’s Ecological Theory (Taniguchi & Salvatore, 2017). The patrol officer communication regarding types of calls reporting to a shift and the areas in which violent crimes occurred as a pattern to provide safety and success to fellow patrol officers (Neusteter et al., 2019). There was an association in high-crime areas having more officers working and lower unfounded incidents versus lower crime areas having fewer officers but more unfounded incidents. The findings supported that more time and staffing will be spent protecting communities with higher-crime areas from serious violent incidents than areas with lower crime areas that will not be as staffed but will address potentially more minor incidents (Taniguchi & Salvatore, 2017).

Police Force

Force is a defining characteristic of policing, and research has observed determinants, prevalence, and control of the use of force, particularly in the United States (Stenning et al., 2009). However, limited research has studied the police officer’s phenomenological view on using and justifying force on the job (Stenning et al., 2009). The inclusion of seven countries in this qualitative study explored the use of force and lethal force, although limitations existed in the study. Limitations included the amount of reliable record-keeping of each country on reported incidents involving law enforcement first responders, the inability of all countries included in the study to carry firearms, and specified training on self-protection in lethal use of force when unarmed in a life-or-death situation. On a quantitative level, data acquired did not tell whether the use of force, the type of force, or the action used was similar based on the participants’ scenarios. However, when seeking the why component of the type of force used, a shift occurred, and officers in all groups responded with similar strategies to defend their putative actions: the legal responsibility to investigate crimes or make arrests; force as a legitimate response to civilian resistance; and the right to self-defense. Defending their putative actions was a supported response in a secondary study by Waddington et al. (2009). Six international jurisdictions validated that the normative of using force by law enforcement first responders in a given case scenario would not be uncommon (Waddington et al., 2009). The type of force differed by the jurisdictional circumstances officers typically works in. Each jurisdictional department’s limitations are limitations; i.e., if they do not typically carry firearms as in England and the typically justified reputation shootings occur in Latin America.

Police Killings Involving Racial and Ethnic Minorities

Sociopolitical interpretations and protests against the violence of police killings involving racial and ethnic minorities have become topics of discussion and broadcasted across news and social media networks increasingly since 2012. Investigating the impact of race on police behavior in the United States in 2014 and 2015, there was no evidence to support white officers’ use of more lethal force than nonwhite officers, despite more minorities suspects were killed by police overall (Menifield et al., 2019). With such an impact on communities, research on this topic is abundant (DeGue et al., 2016; Reinka & Leach, 2017), look into the actual deaths and interpretations of the situation. While polling community members on the awareness of different attitudes towards police violence, attitudes towards protest from groups such as Black Lives Matter, and personal interpretation of the black versus white racial divide (Reinka & Leach, 2017). A similar purpose of seeing how these attitudes and reactions affect police officers’ ability to do their job and apply lethal force when needed for the officer and other civilians’ safety. The additional information obtained in the research can educate and implement prevention strategies to avoid deaths caused by lethal force of law enforcement first responders and increase the safety of all community and law enforcement first responders.

Ferguson Effect on Law Enforcement First Responders

On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown was fatally shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. The effects of this fatal shooting have led to the increased movement of Black Lives Matter and heightened media coverage of all law enforcement first responders, especially white officers accused of racial profiling. To understand officer’s attitudes, perspectives, and strategies, Deuchar et al. (2019) conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 law enforcement officials and recorded first-hand responses to post-Ferguson effects on policing. The study data results suggest that law enforcement officers referenced what happened in Ferguson and are more aware of procedural justice, and exhibit a reduction in morale and proactive policing strategies (Deuchar et al., 2019). With continued changes in police policies and the effects of a more procedural justice framework to increase law enforcement legitimacy in correlation with reducing crime is the ultimate goal.

However, this does not address the issue of law enforcement first responders being called racist or accused of racial profiling when doing their job to protect and serve the communities and uphold the law and constitution no matter who is breaking the law. Shiarback et al. (2017) explored this negative attention by collecting data from 118 police departments in Missouri. The multivariate models indicated that de-policing within the departments did occur, especially those serving larger African-American populations (Shiarback et al., 2017). There was a direct correlation as negative attention and implications of law enforcement first responders being racist increased traffic stops, searches and arrests decreased.

Violence Against Law Enforcement First Responders

Limited research exists on violence against police officers. However, violence against first responder law enforcement officers occurs more often when multiple officers are involved and when offenders are female, have a larger body mass index, or are under the influence of alcohol (Covington et al., 2014). Targeted assaults and ambushes on law enforcement first responders are becoming more prevalent, and intentional fatal assaults occur at higher reported rates (Crifasi et al., 2016; Schouten et al., 2016). Exploring the fatal and nonfatal assaults a significant increase in overall fatal assaults from 1998 to 2013 (Crifasi et al., 2016). There has been a decrease in fatal assaults when a law enforcement first responder wore body armor and increased fatal assaults when law enforcement first responders were involved in an ambush attack (Crifasi et al., 2016). Mandatory wear of body armor policies adopted by numerous departments has increased law enforcement’s survival rate for first responders involved in assault situations.

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

As defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2020), Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a new coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Because it is a new virus, scientists are learning more each day. Although most people who have COVID-19 have mild symptoms, COVID-19 can also cause severe illness and even death. Some groups, including older adults and people who have certain underlying medical conditions, are at increased risk of severe illness.

Previous Pandemics

In recent history, the only two notable pandemics that required more attention from first responders included the AIDS and the N1H1 swine flu pandemics. Since its identification in the 1920s, AIDS has claimed an estimated 35 million lives as it made its way globally. For several decades since discovery, the disease had no cure; however, today, there is medication that allows people with HIV have a normal lifespan (Trickey et al., 2017). First responders had to be aware of the presence of AIDS in the public and the issues of the immunity as it could have affected their response to the emergency assistance given (IASC, 2010). The N1H1 swine flu is more similar to the coronavirus outbreak, infecting 1.4 billion people worldwide (Hickok, 2020). The addressing of the swine flu concerns and precautions required the attention of first responders as individuals with symptoms had to be transferred quickly to safe locations to get tested and isolated.

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic Effects on Law Enforcement First Responders

During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, stay-at-home orders were implemented at state and national levels across the world. Relying on updated information to come across daily announcements from the White House became a social norm and the highlight of world events internationally watched on local and social media networks. Increased coverage on the safety of working as a front-line worker, the Black Lives Matter movement, ANTIFA, racial injustice, and the proposal to defund the police were among leading topics of coverage surrounding law enforcement first responders (Aljayyoussi, 2020; LaFree, 2018; & Glauser, 2020). The push to defund the police to reroute city funds based on reports made by the New York City Department of Health addressed the proposed impact of inequities in health, economic factors, and social conditions. This has made black and Latinx populations more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus. It sparked a racial and anti-ageist movement across the nation, exacerbating a motion to defund the police with the expectation that defunding the police stereotypes will be undone (Gonzales et al., 2021).

During a pandemic, there is a shift in the job description and responsibilities for law enforcement agencies to collaborate with the government and public health officials to contain the spread, serve the local communities, and maintain public order (Jennings & Perez, 2020 & Ungureanu & Bertolotti, 2020). The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic that started in 2020 has added new stressors to law enforcement officers’ safety. In addition to the typical safety stressors experienced when there is no pandemic—restricting how to protect and serve communities to protect community members and law enforcement first responders from the spread of the coronavirus (Laufs & Waseem, 2020). Departments around the United States have put various suggestions into action, including but not limited to reducing contact with offenders by only citing low-level crimes, reassigning officers to high-traffic areas, and reducing or eliminating training, debriefings, and community outreach. These changes were recommended for implementation by the CDC (CDC) (2020).

Despite implementing these suggestions, agencies have still left law enforcement first responders vulnerable to the coronavirus with a lack of proper safety training and personal protection equipment (PPE) for all law enforcement first responders. In addition to the proposals to defund the police, law enforcement first responders remain expected to perform their instructed duties, including coordinating local shutdowns, enforcing stay-at-home orders, monitoring social distancing, and performing pre-pandemic work tasks (CDC, 2020). However, the impact of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic has had many effects on law enforcement first responder’s increase in stress, the decline in mental health, resiliency, and misconduct compared to the effects from the experiences of the HIV epidemic and 9-11 Terrorist attacks on the United States (Stogner et al., 2020).

First Responders’ Mental Health Needs and Considerations

Due to the complexity and intensity of their work, first responders face multiple stressors daily, which have shown to lead to anxiety disorders, PTSD, burnout, depression, alcohol and substance abuse, and other challenges (Thompson & Drew, 2020). Notably, PTSD is a condition that affects between 15% and 30% of first responders due to their profession, with around 20% of those diagnosed with the disorder also having a substance abuse disorder (Thompson & Drew, 2020). However, stigma is a significant determinant of responders not seeking mental health assistance, with 90% of Fraternal Order of Police study responders acknowledging it as the key barrier (Kaplan, 2019).

The mental health challenges arise in first responders because of the ongoing stress they experience at work, such as putting themselves at risk, the lack of organizational support, as well as the inability of the organizations in which they work to provide safe environments. 180 traumatic incidents is an average number that first responders experience in the course of their careers (Heyman et al., 2018). Over a prolonged period of time, mental health challenges exacerbate, leading to adverse outcomes among first responders, including absenteeism and emotional fatigue (Violanti et al., 2017).

Research has shown that individuals with mental health issues, including first responders, are subjected to stigma and prejudice, which significantly affects their choice of seeking help for their psychological concerns (Royle et al., 2009). Therefore, it is important to facilitate education and training to replace myths about mental illness with facts. Moreover, some first responder officers noted that they should increase contact with their peers to normalize reactions to stressful events and hope for recovery.

Need for Study

Policing and police work during and after natural disasters and public health emergencies showed four categories of issues. Included issues are police and community relations, mental health and well-being of officers, intra-organizational challenges, and interagency collaboration and cooperation (Laufs and Waseem, 2020). This study aims to learn more about police-community relations’ personal experience and explore officers’ mental health and well-being through interviews. Looking at law enforcement first responders’ lived experiences and how their views of safety have changed working through a pandemic helps bridge gaps in previously discussed literature in this chapter and start discussions never introduced before this study. These discussions will create a support program that will potentially assist the well-being of active law enforcement first responders’ mental health.

Method of Procedure

This chapter provides a study overview of the method of procedure and research design used in this study. All encompassed, this chapter will give knowledge into the methodology, paradigm, research design, participant sample and selection, data collection, and data analysis used in this study. Furthermore, this chapter will explore the role of the researcher, researcher trustworthiness, overview research questions, and ethical considerations implemented in this study.

Through detailed interview responses of study participants, the researcher identified and explored the lived experience of law enforcement first responders during a pandemic and how their view on safety may have changed. The researcher utilized a qualitative methodology to explore, identify and interpret recurring themes among participants based on their interview responses relative to their personal experiences with the phenomenon in question. The researcher guided this study using an interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach to describe the participants lived experiences as law enforcement first responders working during a pandemic, their views on safety, and how their views on safety may have changed working during a pandemic compared to working when there was no pandemic.

Design of the Study

Grove, Burns, and Gray (2013) declare that the qualitative research method is a systematic, interactive and subjective approach used to describe life experiences and give meaning. This study utilized a qualitative approach for the analytical framework. Before analysis, data tends to be textual to be considered qualitative data. In this research design, the textual data came directly from transcribed study participant interviews analyzed and interpreted into themes and observations acquired from the interview, summarized into codes for data analysis and determining themes.

Qualitative Research

There are different qualitative methods used in research to obtain the data needed to get first-person accounts surrounding the phenomenon researched in this study. “Qualitative inquiry represents a legitimate mode of social and human science exploration, without an apology or comparisons to quantitative research” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 7). In this study, the researcher will conduct in-depth, semi-structured interviews with qualified participants to answer a series of open-ended questions. The purpose of the in-depth interview and open-ended questions will allow the researcher to transcribe the recorded interview and utilize content or thematic analysis to determine if there are recurring themes from one study participant’s responses to another. The researcher’s themes will be evaluated and interpreted for clarity of understanding after confirmation from the study participant is achieved.

Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) Design

This study aligned with the qualitative interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodological approach to allow the researcher to explore the shared lived experiences of the study participants who experienced the same phenomenon. Through the collection of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with active law enforcement first responders working during previous and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemics, the study will inform counselor educators on the cognitive experiences of first responders and the self-health utilization they utilize.

Sample Selection

Conducting a phenomenological study, all study participants must have experienced the phenomenon being investigated and illustrate with words their lived experiences (Tidball et al., 2015). Purposeful sampling utilized in this IPA study of the phenomenon explored, and all participants will have to have the lived experience of working as active law enforcement first responder during a pandemic. The sample is a representation of the whole population (Grove et al., 2013). Conducting research with human subjects, review, and approval from Texas A&M University Institutional Review Board (IRB) and signed informed consent forms from all participants are mandatory and obtained.

Recruiting Strategies

Recruiting participants for this research study utilized purposeful, snowball, and convenience sampling. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants directly from contacting law enforcement agencies and from personal resources active in law enforcement. Additional study participants were due to snowball sampling, where an interview participant informed another candidate, and they too inquired and participated in the study. A convenience sample was used to recruit from a public message on the social networking site, Facebook, where a public study participant recruitment flyer was posted to a public community page. To be qualified to participate in this study, participants were required to meet all of the following recruiting criteria requirements: 1) Participant being at least 21 years of age, 2) Participant completed police training, 3) Participant worked in the field as an active law enforcement officer during a pandemic, 4) Participant completed a ten-question demographic questionnaire and 5) Participant signed and returned proper informed consent form related to this research study. Meeting the required recruiting criteria, study participants will have supported qualifications to provide at least minimal experience on which to reflect. In approving qualified participants based on returned responses, no preference was given to age, the number of years of service, sex, race, rank, or type of field duty. Recruitment and study participation continued until the research study reached saturation.

Research Questions

This interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) research study will utilize critical theory as the research paradigm to examine participants’ lived experiences to understand and implement awareness for change in areas where social limitations may exist. Creswell and Roth (2018) suggest interpretive frameworks may be used to focus on empowering people to rise above constraints placed on them by race, class, and power, such as seen in the critical theory framework. Applying critical theory allows the researcher to focus on changes in thought perception and can provide a comparative analysis based on a shared lived experience.

This research will offer information regarding political and social topics that will surface the deeper realities of these lived experiences—these experiences recorded from first-hand accounts of participants that fit the study participant requirements. The main research question guiding this study was: What are the lived experiences of law enforcement first responders working during a pandemic? The study’s secondary research questions include the following:

1. What is your interpretation of being a law enforcement first responder?
2. What is your response to public opinion about law enforcement first responders during a pandemic?
3. How have you managed personal mental health during a pandemic?
4. What is the lived experience of personal safety as a law enforcement first responder?
5. How does one care for themselves mentally, emotionally, and physically on and off duty?
6. What changes would you like to see regarding the mental health support of law enforcement first responders?
7. What social justice changes would you implement as a law enforcement first responder and why?

The research questions above were developed to provide rich, detailed information of lived experiences from the study participants using a phenomenological approach. The interviews conducted in this study utilized an open-ended question approach.

Instrumentation

In order to collect, analyze and interpret data, a research instrument is used. Conducting a qualitative study, the research instrumentations used in this study will include a survey/questionnaire and interviews. A questionnaire instrument is utilized to obtain responses to both guided response types and free-answer questions. The evaluation of responses obtained in the questionnaire is to ensure the study participant inquiring to complete the study interview meets the study requirements set to qualify as a valid participant. The in-depth, semi-structured interview questions will use the researcher as a tool to verbalize the questions to qualified study participants, at which the responses will be recorded for transcription and theme analysis to occur before member-checking takes place to validate the interview responses. It is essential for this study that the researcher implement a person-centered humanistic approach while conducting interviews to establish a safe space for the participant to allow the participant to respond to the open-ended questions on a more open and unfiltered level.

Surrounding the limitations of conducting face-to-face interviews during the pandemic as a safety measure to prevent coronavirus contraction, face-to-face interviews preferred over technological means of interviewing, such as through zoom or over the phone. The preference in conducting face-to-face interviews is for content analysis to occur when the researcher is analyzing the study participant/s nonverbal expressions, body language, etcetera which will aid in the person-centered humanistic approach to interviewing participants by creating that safe space and allowing them to spend as much time on a specific question, thought process, or feeling.

Interview Process

The participant’s role in the study will be to complete an interview were asked about their lived experiences as law enforcement officers during a pandemic and how they care for themselves on and off duty. Participants will fill out a brief demographic survey about themselves and career history/experiences to determine qualification to interview. The interview will take up to 60 minutes to complete and conducted face-to-face or technological means such as video chat or over the phone; all of which will be, at minimum be audio recorded for transcription purposes. There will be ten open-ended qualitative questions for participants to answer, and they are encouraged to include as many detailed reflections as possible.

Data Collection

In this research design, purposeful sampling to collect our data. Participants will be individuals who have experienced being a law enforcement first responder during a pandemic. The sample size will be between 1-6 participants and or until sample saturation obtained. With this being the first study of its kind exploring this population and phenomenological experience, the rationale of sample saturation is unknown but can add to the foundation of future research. The data collected will be collected from research-guided interviews conducted through in-person or technological means such as video chat or over the phone; all of which will be audio-recorded and video recorded if the participant agrees to video recording use for transcription purposes.

Data Analysis

Interviews conducted with participants are transcribed, names changed by the researcher to alias names, and participant numbers by the researcher to anonymize and protect identities. A full transcription record of the interviews with be conducted using secure transcription software. Once transcribed, the researcher will overview all transcriptions and identify themes for the data for each interview. To validate assigned themes, the researcher will use member checking to verify the accuracy of the themes and transcription. Member checking will allow study participants to edit transcriptions and to expand for clarification if needed. Determining themes for the study participant’s responses, the student researcher will code the data collected one participant at a time. Starting with the transcript, the student researcher will read through the transcript to get an overview of the interview.

Taking segments of the transcript, the student researcher will begin a data analysis of the emphasis on study participant’s direct spoke words called in vivo type of coding (Matthes, 2017), assigning a code word that sums up what the study participant was saying in that segment of the interview. It is helpful to assign a codeword using a word used by the study participant if possible. The student researcher will then record the assigned code words in an excel spreadsheet under each study participant’s assigned alias name and participant number. Once all study participant’s codewords are entered, the student researcher will overview the data and identify recurring themes and relationships between them. Once recurring themes and relationships are established, the researcher will enter the data into SPSS software and make data, graphs, and charts.

Role of the Researcher

In qualitative research, the researcher is an instrument. Often intentionally being a subjective component, the researcher will use their own experience to yield interpretation based on the observation of actions and context (Stake, 2010, p. 20). In this study, the researcher took a philosophical stance to inform each participant with a written and verbal informed consent that described their role. The informed consent also provided an overview of the study before the start of interviewing. The researcher informed all participants that they could stop their participation in the study at any time with either verbal or written notification.

The anonymity of all participant’s identification to create a safe space for interviewing was provided. The researcher also provided the option to the study participant to be video and audio recorded or only audio recorded to provide an optimal environment of security to allow the study participant power in how they wanted their interview to be conductive that was inclusive of their need for a safe environment and also to build rapport with the researcher. To validate the accuracy of interpretation of themes, the researcher also displayed trustworthiness with each participant with the use of member checking to allow transcripts to be reviewed for editing, expansion, or correction. Resources for counseling support were made available upon request for each study participant and other advocate resources if needed.

Before beginning the research, the student researcher evaluated and identified any biases working with this population. The student researcher openly identifies as having first-hand experience working as a first responder in a healthcare setting and working with law enforcement first responders. The student researcher also identifies as having friendships and acquaintances with additional law enforcement first responders of various positions and ranks. The student researcher identifies these as potential biases or misinterpretation of character be reviewers but upholds the ethical obligation as a researcher to not allow this to influence the participants, data, or analysis of the study as the student researcher will also be using 1-3 additional auditors to perform theme and data analysis checking and conduct interviews as well if possible.

Auditor Selection

The auditor review process examines the trustworthiness of the study findings by examining the process and results of the findings (Creswell & Miller, 2000). The credibility of this study will bring in individuals who are external to the study and allow them to examine the transcripts and test for credibility when reviewing the student researcher codes and themes selected for each study participant and the comprehensive study. The auditor will create a documented audit trail that will include an analysis account for each step in the documentation. The external auditor examines this documentation with the following questions in mind: Are the findings grounded in the data? Are inferences logical? Is the category structure appropriate? Can inquiry decisions and methodological shifts be justified? What is the degree of researcher bias? What strategies were used for increasing credibility? (Schwandt & Halpern, 1988).

Strategies for Validating Findings

When conducting qualitative research, it is imperative to take steps to validate the findings. Unlike quantitative research, which is objective and quantifiable, qualitative research is subjective and speculated to influence the researcher’s own bias, feelings, and experiences. In this study, reflexivity using the epoché process will be taken into account and required member checking and peer review validation of data and findings.

Bracketing

The epoché process, also referred to as bracketing, was taken by the student researcher to reflect on biases related to the personal experiences among working alongside law enforcement first responders and having friendships and acquaintances with the subject population. As a medical first responder working during a pandemic, I added to the reflection and understanding of my bias on a different experiential level. Transparency sharing this information in this study and taking responsibility to take additional measures to validate findings and stay objective and not influenced by the findings by journaling internal reflections post-interview and throughout the analysis of data as suggested by Creswell and Poth (2018). Overall, through the epoché process, I was able to bracket any prejudgments, biases, or preconceived ideas of law enforcement first responder working during a pandemic. Although the student researcher was classified as a first responder working during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic, it was noted in reflexive journaling that the roles of all first responders are different and affect individuals in those roles differently. The need to bracket the associated feelings and thoughts was necessary. The participants in this study are all active law enforcement first responders who have worked during a pandemic and have different job roles, duties, experiences, expectations, and environment as a medical first responder. It is noted that each person thinks, feels, and processes information and feelings differently and even situationally.

Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness is described as the rigor of a qualitative study. In order to create and display trustworthiness in this study, interviews, member checking, verification of themes, and use of peer debriefing and review audit are used. The recorded interview aspect of the research design was put in place to provide transcripts of the in-depth interviews. Not only is the transcript necessary for documenting the interview, but it is a tool used for reference in determining themes that will educate on the lived experience of the study participants.

Another purpose of the transcripts is for the researcher to create validity in the analysis by utilizing member checking. The study participant will review the written transcript and assigned themes and confirm if the researcher’s interpretation was accurate or needs clarification and revising. Additionally, the transcripts and recordings are essential to create trustworthiness and validity of the study by using peer debriefing and review audit. It is the purpose of this study to provide an accurate and valid interpretation of the data to educate on the findings of what it is like to work as a law enforcement first responder during a pandemic.

Ethical Considerations

In consideration of working with law enforcement first responders, ethical issues are addressed to ensure anonymity and confidentiality. To ensure a safe space was created, each study participant was sent a digital copy or provided a hard copy of the participant’s informed consent form acknowledging the following measures to address these ethical issues. The audio recordings of the participants will be saved on an external drive and stored in a locked location. No participant identifiers will be recorded; participants will be numbered chronologically in the order they are interviewed and assigned an alias name for transcription purposes. All study participant’s records will be also be stored chronologically in the order interviews were conducted. Questionnaire data will only be linked to the participant by chronological numbering; identifying information will not be recorded on the questionnaire.

The questionnaire data, interview protocols, audio recordings, and data analyses will be stored on an external drive, and the drive will be stored in a locked file cabinet in the primary researcher’s office. Hard copies of the letters of informed consent with participants’ original signatures also will be stored in this locked file cabinet in the primary researcher’s office. The data will be maintained for three years prior to destruction and disposal.

If a study participant was satisfied with the steps taken to address these ethical considerations, the participant was required to sign the informed consent form and return it to the researcher before the next step of interviewing took place.

Summary

This chapter described the method of procedure for this research study. The purpose of this study provided details on the personal lived experience of law enforcement first responders working during a pandemic, their views on safety, and how their views on safety may have changed while working during a pandemic compared to working when there was no pandemic. The IPA methodology utilized in this study provided a voice to participants and the researcher the ability to construct a deliverance of knowledge from those shared experiences. The researcher took appropriate steps to limit researcher bias and prove validity in the study. Study participants were taken into special consideration to protect them from any ethical considerations that may arise. This study provided insight into the lives of law enforcement first responders working during a pandemic and created public awareness of the profession in a modern context.

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