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At least 631 records · Page 35Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Does night work favor sleep-related accidents in police officers?

Several studies of sleep-breathing physiology have suggested that sleep deprivation may worsen obstructive sleep apnea. The aim of the study was to determine the direct effect of night work on breathing variables during sleep in fast-rotating shift workers. Twenty one men - police officers, fast-rotating shift workers, underwent polysomnography on 2 occasions: under a normal sleeping condition after day work and after sleep deprivations after night work. Both sleep studies were conducted within 2 to 3 weeks of each other. Approximately half of the group was tested under control conditions (day work) first, with the remaining subjects tested under sleep deprivation conditions (night work) first. After a night shift the subjects did not show a significantly different apnea-hypopnea-index (AHI). However, night work significantly increased several breathing variables recorded during sleep after it: total duration of obstructive apneas (OA) during REM sleep, mean duration of OA during arousal, total duration of OA during NREM sleep, apnea index during arousal, mean length of OA during sleep period time, total duration of OA during sleep period time, mean length of OA during total sleep time, mean length of hypopnea during REM sleep, total duration of hypopnea during sleep period time and during total sleep time, maximal length of central apnea and OA, and total sleep time. Night work does not favor obstructive sleep apnea episodes during sleep, but worsens many an obstructive sleep apnea variable, as measured by polysomnography.

Accidents↗
PubMed2005

Don't tip the scales! Care for patients involved in a police investigation.

Occasionally perioperative nurses are involved in the complex role of caring for medical-legal evidence while also advocating for the patient's right for privacy. Appropriate management of evidence may be the deciding factor in the outcome of a criminal investigation. Understanding the importance of evidence is the first step in learning how to prevent its unintentional destruction during the surgical procedure. Our first consideration with every patient is to provide safe and efficient care. In the OR, cooperation with the police is balanced with the patient's right to privacy and confidentiality of their health care information. This is not always an easy task. Perioperative nurses have a responsibility to their patients as well as to investigators to do what is appropriate, since our actions can have direct effects on the outcomes of criminal investigations. Understanding the importance of evidence is the first step in learning how to keep evidence from being destroyed. Hospital documentation is often accepted in a court of law without challenge.

Confidentiality↗
PubMed2005

Forensic facial approximation: an overview of current methods used at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine/Victoria Police Criminal Identification Squad.

Forensic facial approximation involves building a likeness of the head and face on the skull of an unidentified individual, with the aim that public broadcast of the likeness will trigger recognition in those who knew the person in life. This paper presents an overview of the collaborative practice between Ronn Taylor (Forensic Sculptor to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine) and Detective Sergeant Adrian Paterson (Victoria Police Criminal Identification Squad). This collaboration involves clay modelling to determine an approximation of the person's head shape and feature location, with surface texture and more speculative elements being rendered digitally onto an image of the model. The advantages of this approach are that through clay modelling anatomical contouring is present, digital enhancement resolves some of the problems of visual perception of a representation, such as edge and shape determination, and the approximation can be easily modified as and when new information is received.

Aluminum Silicates↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Health protection among urban police forces].

After paying homage to the guest Authorities and to the organizers of the meeting, the author briefly describes the main occupational risk factors of local police forces: ergonomic and postural agents, work with videoterminals, air pollution, noise, cold-humid climate, stress. In conclusion, the symbolic importance of the uniform and the related civil and moral responsibilities are recalled.

Air Pollution↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Symptoms and musculo-skeletal changes among personnel of the State Police exposed to mechanical risk].

The aim of this present study was to inquire about spine morfo-functional alterations among policemen with jobs regarded as potentially hazardous, in order to identify preclinical alterations of column and to plan adequate preventive measures. A physiopathologic and working anamnesis was carried out by means of questionnaire about personal data, jobs, reported rachidian symptomatology and presence of orthopedic diseases, given to policemen on duty in Bari. Every chosen worker was subject to orthopedic and neurological examination, radiography of column, Formetric tridimensional examination, telethermography of spine. We stratified the sample on the basis of age and job. Under the jobs we individuated 4 biomechanical hazardous activities, performed separately or together: driving motorcycle, driving car, flying helicopter, video terminal use. The whole sample, formed by 211 subjects, all male, had the average age of 39 years (Standard Deviation: +/- 4). About the reported rachidian symptomatology, only 41 (17, 98%) subjects were asymptomatical, contrary to clinical results, that were normal in almost the entire sample, with the exception of 3 workers (1, 31%), who had neurological clinical alterations. Structural alterations were checked by radiography among 64, 9% of subjects. The Formetric examination found alterations in different tract of rachis, also coexiting between each other. The telethermographic changes affected 63,99% of the sample and involved especially the lumbar tract (38,86%), dorsal region (18%) and cervical zone (7,1%). The relative frequency of dorsal tract increased with growing of age. The morfo-functional changes of the sample seem to depend rather on the performed job, than on degenerative process of age, partly because the average age of the sample is not much elevated and because the enlistment in Italian Police Force is subordinated to verification of optimum conditions, also characterized by absence of anomaly of column. The absence of clinical alteration, in contrast to reported rachidian symptomatology by 82,02% of subjects and with discovered objectivity, demands more clinical attention in presence of symptomatology and proposes supplementary non-invasive techiniques of investigation, as the telethermography and the formetric tridimensional examination.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Exposure to low doses of inorganic lead and arterial pressure among fire arm instructors of the Italian State Police].

UNLABELLED: Firearm instructors represent a particular occupational group exposed to low lead (Pb) doses. Even low blood lead levels (PbB) of this metal can cause an increase of blood pressure (BP). OBJECTIVE: To assess the Pb exposure of the firearm instructors of the Italian State Police (SP) and the effects of Pb on their PA. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 376 instructors were studied, including 188 subjects working at indoor and 188 at outdoorfiring ranges. After obtaining informed consent, information on work, social and pathological history was collected and measurements of body mass index (BMI), BP and blood lead (PbB) level were obtained from the medical records. RESULTS: The mean PbB level of the instructors of outdoor ranges (6.7 +/- 5.3 microg/dl) was significantly lower than those of indoor ranges (8.5 +/- 7.6 microg/dl). In the instructors of outdoor ranges the diastolic BP (DBP) was significantly influenced by BMI and PbB, also considering the common confounding factors. DISCUSSION: The mean PbB level of the firearm instructors of the Italian SP resulted to be clearly below the biological limit value for Pb. In the instructors of outdoor ranges the even low PbB levels detected were able to determine a slight, but significant increase of DBP, also after correction for the main confounding variables. It is therefore necessary to keep on effecting biological monitoring and health surveillance of firearm instructors of SP and to promote the reduction of their body weight.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed2006

The impact of posttraumatic sress on Iraqi police.

This paper explores the psychological impact of posttraumatic stress on a sample of the Iraqi Police Service (IPS). Four separate surveys of lPS members were administered utilizing a 17-item National Center for PTSD checklist. In total, 231 of the 520 IPS (44%) achieved scores indicating that they had met the criteria for the diagnosis of PTSD. As a result, a two-hour lecture dealing with critical incidents, stress, cumulative stress, vicarious traumatization, posttraumatic stress disorder reactions to terrorism, compassion fatigue, burnout, and acute traumatic stress management (ATSM--which helps manage individual responses during traumatic events) was developed. This intervention was translated and conducted in Arabic for the IPS. It was noted that the majority of IPS surveyed never had been given information regarding traumatic stress symptoms or reactions, nor were they aware that they themselves might have traumatic stress. In addition, there is very little access to appropriate psychological assistance, either on the job or in the community.

Burnout, Professional↗
PubMed1991

The involvement of the International Association of Airport and Seaport Police in drug abuse control.

The International Association of Airport and Seaport Police is an international organization comprised of law enforcement agencies. Its responsibility is to enforce criminal law at airports and seaports, ensuring that those facilities are not used for illicit activity. The Association was established in March 1970 to satisfy a long-standing need to improve coordination and communication among security agencies of the world's major commercial ports and facilities. Programmes have been developed and implemented that contribute to reducing the incidence of drug smuggling and related criminal activity. The Association stands ready to assist its members, as well as others involved in dealing with illicit drug activity.

Aviation↗
PubMed1994

Linking work and domestic problems with police suicide.

We reviewed the records of 134 police officers who had undergone their first fitness-for-duty evaluation at our center. Fifty-five percent admitted to previous suicide attempts. We examined possible contributing factors. A logistic regression model correctly classified 79.1% of subjects as to whether or not they attempted suicide. Results indicated that officers reporting marital problems were 4.8 times more likely to have attempted suicide, and 6.7 times more likely if they had been suspended. Interestingly, complaints of being administratively harassed were associated with a lower likelihood that an officer would attempt suicide. Variance explained due to age, race, gender, and substance use was nonsignificant.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Police-ethnic minority relations].

In this testimony, the author presents a critical analysis of relations between the police and black minorities in particular. The author explores the underlying mechanisms and the origins of the deterioration of these relations, and suggests measures to change the respective perceptions and attitudes, and to create a positive climate leading to mutual trust.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1997

To wear or not to wear: current contact lens use in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

OBJECTIVE: The Canadian Ophthalmological Society was asked by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Canadian Human Rights Commission to render an opinion on the acceptability of contact lenses as a reasonable accommodation to the uncorrected visual acuity standard. DESIGN: Survey by mailed questionnaire. SETTING: Canada. SUBJECTS: All RCMP general duty constables with a visual acuity code of V3, V4, V5 or V6 (n = 348) and a random sample of approximately 25% of the constables with an acuity code of V2 (n = 809). Of the 1040 questionnaires returned, 1037 were usable (final response rate 89.6%). Of the 1037 respondents 316 were in the V3 to V6 group and 721 were in the V2 group. OUTCOME MEASURES: Reported frequency of problems with spectacles or contact lenses, weighted according to sampling fraction. RESULTS: A total of 934 respondents indicated that they used some form of visual acuity correction while on duty; of the 934, 360 reported that they wore contact lenses at least some of the time. Approximately 75% of the spectacle wearers reported having to remove their spectacles because of fogging or rain. Although contact lens dislogement or fogging (21.2%) was less frequent than spectacle dislogement (59.2%), 35.4% of the contact lens wearers reported that they were unable to wear their lenses because of irritation on at least one occasion in the previous 2 years; the median length of time was 3.14 days. When the additional amount of time due to other causes is factored in, it is clear that contact lens users wear spectacles for substantial periods while on duty. CONCLUSIONS: Not only are RCMP general duty constables who usually wear contact lenses likely to have to wear spectacles at some time, but it is also possible that they will have to remove their spectacles and function in an uncorrected state in critical situations. Thus, altering the current standard to allow the use of contact lenses as a reasonable accommodation would not ensure effective and safe job performance.

Canada↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Aerobic fitness in police officers].

According to act n. 626, individual assessment of fitness and absence of contraindications for carrying on a job is fundamental. We considered a group of 44 Urban Police officers (36 males, 8 females), age 39.7 +/- 9.1, whose principal job requirement is a good energetic and motor availability, for a fitness evaluation through a submaximal treadmill test, with subsequent steps of 6 minutes. During the test, physiological variables (VO2, VE, QR through a metabograph, Hr trough an Ec-monitor and Pa through a manual sphygmomanometer) and subjective evaluations of fatigue and dyspnea were monitored. Studying the individual variables trend it was possible to identify the critical metabolic level that was easily tolerated by each individual. This level, an average of 6.8 MET corresponding to a heavy activity, is an endurance predictor and can be utilized in subsequent controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Sudden death in police pursuit.

A rare complication of sickle cell trait is sudden death and collapse. Military recruits, pilots, and subjects exposed to hypoxic stress such as high altitude and experiencing sudden cardiorespiratory collapse as a result of sickle cell trait have been well described. This is a case of a 13-year-old black male who collapsed after a police pursuit and was found to have sickle cell trait and microscopic evidence of asthma.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1995

Prediction of police officers' traffic accident involvement using behavioral observations.

The current study used scores on the Driver Performance Measurement (DPM) test and data gathered over four years on accident type and frequency from 47 police officers to provide evidence that cognitive-behavioral observations of driving patterns can lead to predictions of subsequent accident involvement. Results indicate that after controlling for age and experience, scores on the DPM test predicted involvement in preventable accidents but not unpreventable accidents. Implications for future research involving the observation of cognitive-behavioral sequences are discussed.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1996

The feasibility of linking hospital and police road crash casualty records without names.

Government and other agencies routinely collect complementary information on road crash casualties and there may be opportunities to widen the scope of data available for research and policy evaluation if mechanisms can be established to combine these data sources. Where unit record data are available, direct links within and between individual records can often be achieved using record linkage techniques. Without the benefit of unique identifiers, sufficient other identifying information such as the full name, date of birth and sex of the casualty, their role in the crash and the date of the crash are required to enable correct links between individual records to be made. However, all these data items may not be available and it is therefore important to investigate the effect this may have on the quality and quantity of links between records. The research reported here used the hospital admission and police records from the Western Australian Road Injury Database, which had previously been linked using all the identifying characteristics mentioned above, special purpose software and comprehensive manual checking. This set of linked records were considered to be a "gold standard" which could be used to measure the quantity and quality of links produced using fewer identifying characteristics. Results from this process showed that about 90% of the original links could be identified when a phonetic code of the family name of the casualty was used with age, sex, road user type and crash date. However, only about 50% of the original links were found if linking was performed without using names or phonetic name codes.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1980

Audible warning signals for police vehicles.

Ten audible warning signals, selected by the Police Scientific Development branch as alternatives to the current signal, were evaluated in the laboratory in comparison with the conventional signal as to their 'attention getting' effect. Forty-two subjects were required to detect signals of rising intensity against a background of in-car noise whilst also carrying out a tracking task. The main conclusion of the study is that a significant improvement over the conventional signal can be achieved. It is also recommended that any change in audible warning signals should be applied to all appropriate vehicles.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1982

Ergonomics investigations of work-places in a police command-control centre equipped with TV displays.

Ergonomics experiments were performed in a police command-control centre using computer controlled text processing systems with three alternative input devices: function keys, a light pen and a touch panel. A group of 14 operators was examined while using the alternative devices. Significant differences were found between the devices in terms of the following: sensory and motor activities, local muscular strain, transgressions of tolerance limits for 4-hour work sessions, and increases in heart rate. Suggestions for redesigning the control centre are given using anthropometric analysis. The paper also shows the relation between the sub-optimal design of a work system and the resulting strain.

Journal Article↗