General

Emotional counselling, a check-in before duty, to establish if the officer is capable of effective decision making that day - especially with respect to empathy and logic - could reduce the impact of emotional indifference and aggressions rooted in other forms of stress upon vulnerable communities. Far from Robocop or Judge Dredd, we need Emo-Cop, we need Dr Banner Cop, we need Black Widow Cop. Otherwise there will be more black and brown widows, more grieving mothers and fathers, more kids at the funeral of a sibling. These are the stitches in time that save "nine." We need people who are in good enough emotional health to make great choices in high pressure and fast moving situations. This process may further accelerate community healing and thus trust in the public institution of policing if (whenever possible) the officer and counsellor are of different racial backgrounds. Developing such bonds can positively impact both conscious choices and subconscious biases.