Just this morning Friday March 21st sitting on my desk at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Rosharon Texas, looking around at my colleagues walking into the office and smiling at each other saying our good mornings and TGIF’s while getting ready for what the day will hold.
All I could think of in my own personal head space is my countdown to the day I have set in my mind to quit from the agency as the unit AD 10.20 Officer. That day is Monday March 31st and amid that thought, I also have a feeling of nostalgia, a little bit of fear and may be anxiety even though I did not want to admit it but that is what it is.
Why do I have those feelings or you may want to ask why do I even want to leave a job that offers me one of the best health benefits in the country, a monthly salary enough to pay my bills but not enough to have anything saved but at least I can take care of my children and aged parents back home in Nigeria as well as afford gas back and forth driving my 13 year old vehicle.
There are many underlining factors with any law enforcement job that folks are not paying attention to, the most crucial one comes down to Mental Health. This is one topic that is never talked about enough. Just yesterday, I was watching the TV as I always do for at least an hour or less a day to be conversant with what is going on in my community in Houston and Fort Bend.
I saw on ABC 13 the report of how the Harris County Sheriffs Office have lost 4 officers both former and current in the last 6 weeks to due to apparent suicide. https://abc13.com/post/4-former-current-harris-county-sheriffs-office-deputies-take-own-lives-last-6-weeks/16060117/
Sad as it is, this situation only got into the news because it happened back-to-back, what the public do not talk enough about is how most of these officers get to the stage of taking their own lives. I will make myself as an example in what I believe happens and the progression of it that mostly leads to the stage of one thinking about ending it all. The first point is that this feeling comes quick and fast, how do I know?
I have been there a few times in the last 7 years I have been working as a Correctional Officer. The life of a law enforcement officer is not like any other profession, it is even worse as you stay longer on the job which informed my personal decision to say ENOUGH and it’s time to move on and do something else.
Law enforcement officers and first responders historically experience a high rate of suicide due to the intense pressures and traumatic situations they encounter daily. It’s a combination of what happens on the job and what the job entails. I realized this challenges early on in my correctional career and thanks to my background in the broadcast and sports industry, I began to think of ways to use my knowledge in navigating the job.
Also, as someone that loves to read good books, I came across a book in the summer of 2021 when my life took a turn that I never expected, the book was by a former US Navy Seal David Goggins titled Can’t Hurt Me, the revelation of that book has been one of the most life changing decisions I took. It introduced me running and the importance of being fit and remaining in a good head state.
I share all this to let my readers understand how tough it is when you are in the law enforcement work. This profession, unfortunately, takes a huge toll on people. And, over time, the longer you’re in it, the more of a toll it takes, and it also changes people. In all of this, I believe that there are only a few options available to you as someone who is considering going into the profession, already in it for some time or just retired. You need to keep your mind engaged. Keep it engaged by taking any of these steps I will be sharing.
Find a passion beyond your job: A lot of people believe the word passion is just some random word that folks throw around but to me it is much more than that, apart from me already knowing what I love to do before relocating to the United States in February 2015 which is soccer, I have always find time to engage one way or the other with that passion of mine. As soon as I could when I came into the country, I began to look for a way to get involved in the sport and as early as the spring of 2016 I found a way, I became a grassroot soccer referee with the United State Soccer Federation under the South Texas Youth Soccer Association STYSA. Beyond refereeing soccer, I also started earning my soccer coaching license and volunteered with a few soccer teams to coach kids on basics of the sport. This is what I suggest you do to keep your mind engaged. Find something you love to do beyond your job. Whatever that is you find that lights you up, get involved for a few hours or days a week in that thing.
It can go a long way in helping you sustain the pressure of your fulltime job as a law enforcement officer and first responders.
Take your health and diet seriously: The pressure of being in the law enforcement cannot be predictable, you have no idea how or what kind of day you are going to have ones you leave your house, the unpredictability has led many of us into a very poor habit of eating and physical activity.
I have seen it too many times how my fellow brothers and sisters shove down their gut every kind of unhealthy food and drinks, nothing against the fast-food industry as I have indulged in it few times but its unfortunate that some of my colleagues made this their permanent diet.
I know of some folks that tells me with so much confidence that the drink between three to six cans of soda a day just to stay awake or just to keep the caffeine up and stay alert. I know of some that don’t prepare their own food from home but depend on the food available in the Officer Dinning Room ODR, I am not in a position to judge anyone but this is one of the areas that need your attention, remember, your body is the only thing that truly belongs to you and if you treat it like trash, guess what? You know the answer.
It is of utmost importance that you begin to take your diet seriously, there is a saying in my broadcast world when it comes to the quality of image that people see on their TV, it is garbage in and garbage out. If your camera is of HD standard, you will send out good image to your viewers and they will receive a clear image on their TV, same goes for your body, if you feed it with junk food, you will feel like junk and will not perform to the level you hope. Same with not doing any type of exercise, personally I practice 100 pushups and squats a day no matter what, sometimes I do it in one 7 minutes workout in the morning before shower and sometimes I do half and the rest of during my day.
I am not suggesting that you start with that much or that little but if you have not been on this adventure before reading this article, I suggest you get to it. Becoming a gym member is also very beneficial but I know of how many folks that sign up for a gym membership and renewed every year who never shows up. Important reminder again is for you to realize that it is you vs you. This is about your life, your longevity, your mental health, your wellbeing.
No one can do this for you, not your wife, lover, husband or partner. You need to take it personal and declare to yourself that you will not go down that part of self-destruction.As a correctional officer, the pressure is unreal, but we need to always remain firm, fair and consistent in our dealings with the inmate population.
The public have no idea how tough it is. Our need to be consistently courageous in a place that is dominated by aggressors and predators. We must be aware that we are the law behind these walls and anything less than direct obedience from the inmates is seen as a threat.
Our interactions with the inmate population consist of multiple elements that define the role of a law enforcement officer, excluding the recognition.
The CO’s put stops to assaults, prevent suicides and homicides, suppress gang activity, identify and seize contrabands, conduct investigations, make an inside arrest, and, most important, prevent escapes. All these elements assist other law enforcement agencies in maintaining a safe and secure society and it is what some of us face daily.
Some have done it decades and the thought of doing anything else is out of it for them. For every young man or woman that I encounter and have a chance to mentor in the system, I always give them these three simple keys to never forget and to hold dear.To have a spiritual practiceTo have a healthy habit or begin to create oneTo have a passion that is beyond the job.In all this, it is important to also have a social life. Do not isolate yourself. Have someone you can confide in; someone you can talk to when you need to talk.
Someone you can party with if that is your thing.Get some help. Do something to be able to not stay stuck. It is important. I am always rooting for you.If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers confidential support 24/7 at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
