Increasing police officer resilience to stress in a suburban police service in British Columbia

Abstract

Canadian police officers strive to deliver service excellence to the public under ever-increasing scrutiny. Complex factors (e.g., technology, courts, oversight agencies) steadily shift power away from front-line officers. Powerlessness result in stress and limited coping ability. This inquiry examined police officer stress and resilience within the Central Saanich Police Service (CSPS) in British Columbia, Canada. The study found stress is inherent in policing, but officers can build capacity to turn stress into a learning opportunity. The study recommendations included supporting the CSPS to foster police officer resilience by building a supportive culture, establish a health and wellness program, and modifying suburban police officer hiring processes and practices. To ensure success, the responsibility is now passed to individual officers to build resilient capacity to thrive in the face of obstacles. This study added to the body of knowledge of stress and resilience within the culture of a suburban police service.