Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Michael Knight

Abstract

Municipal law enforcement officers contend with unique occupational stressors. They must overcome stress from their employing agency and the pressures that arise from performing their basic enforcement duties. This study was designed to examine how municipal law enforcement officers in southeastern Virginia perceived their agency's wellness policy and to determine what recommendations they had to improve the effectiveness of the current wellness policy. Lazarus and Folkman's theory of cognitive appraisal and coping served as the theoretical framework for the study. Qualitative inquiry was used to examine the perceptions of 15 purposively sampled law enforcement officer participants. The data were then analyzed thematically, resulting in key findings that indicated junior officers are more likely to use institutional wellness services, such as PEER support and employee assistance programs, than senior officers. The data also suggest that officers prefer improved access with enhanced confidentiality to PEER members and the agency psychologist. It is recommended that supervisors and those in leadership roles become champions of agency wellness policy espousing the benefits of available resources. More research is needed to determine positive stress coping mechanisms for senior officers. Positive social change for municipal law enforcement officers could be realized through the use of wellness-focused public safety organizations that would improve the mental health of employees via more practical wellness policy, as well as by removing the cultural stigma attached to seeking support through institutional counseling services.

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