May 16, 2025
Wealth Management

Police officer mental health


CHIPPEWA VALLEY, Wis. (WEAU) – officers, as well as other first responders have a dangerous and at times, a mentally draining job.

Professionals say it is important to understand officers’ mental health, before judging if they are unfit for the job.

A director at Chippewa Valley Technical College, Kyle Roder, said “It’s important to understand that law enforcement officers aren’t just handed a badge and a gun… A lot of people think that law enforcement is a physical career, which it can be. We really focus on the mental side of it and the communication side.”

The Chippewa Valley Technical College offers a program for training and educating potential officers.

Last year, their simulation building was built. Helping recruits for a potential, real life scenario. Also learning how to interact with the public.

They also show how officers should handle the public when wearing body cameras.

“We teach that you’re always on camera, and that’s really the truth. We acknowledge that whether or not you do have a body cam or a dash cam on you, you need to act the same way. You need to act as a human,” Roder said.

Roder says people often times only see one side of a situation involving an officer.

“The information that is put out about law enforcement is often not long enough to encompass the full story. That becomes a difficult thing when we’re looking at headlines or looking at social media, different, real short stories… and it can’t tell the full story. The full story often has a history to it.” he said.

While preparing for real life situations, they’re also taught on being mentally okay.

“We often say if you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else in the public” Roder said.

“Police officers in particular can be exposed to primary trauma exposures and secondary ones…they might face danger or face a trauma head on… but they also might hear about those things without seeing them. And both of those things create a trauma impact for their brain,” Holly Hakes said.

Holly Hakes is a licensed therapist who works with Eau Claire, Chippewa and Altoona police departments. And many more across northwestern Wisconsin.

Hakes says its important for people to remember law enforcement responses may not always be positive, when lives are on the line.

“They’re guarded, they’re flat, they’re very aware. They might not be personable at times. And the truth of it is, any of us that were faced with something unpredictable will probably show up quite the same,” Hakes said.

She continued, “Police officers of course undergo a lot of training to kind of help override that. Despite those things that are unpredictable or dangerous or scary, they’re taught to sort of override that fight, flight, freeze response and still provide the best customer service that they can.”

Both Hakes and Roder want to remind people officers are people too…putting their lives on the line to protect and serve.

BUT THEY BOTH WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE OFFICERS ARE PEOPLE TOO…PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO PROTECT AND SERVE.

“Any of us that are faced with a high stress or traumatic incident, are gonna respond in a certain manner because we’re not robots, we’re human beings.” Hakes said.



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