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“The Peoples Voice” interview with Dr. Daniel L. Hollar

Play recording by clicking the link below:

Let's Talk Nation Community Conversation

The dynamic duo has secured national experts, Professor David Kennedy, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York City, New York. Dr. Daniel Hollar, Psychology Department Chair and Dr. Randy Nelson, Bethune-Cookman University, Center for Law & Social Justice, Daytona Beach Florida. Retired Cincinnati Ohio Police Captain and Director of the Institute of Crime Science, Dan Gerard of Cincinnati Ohio. All of whom will answer questions, discuss current trends, and offer data-driven proven solutions to combating gun violence.

REIMAGINING BLACK RELATIONS

#43 - Significance of Anti-Black Cultures

JUL 09, 2021 SEASON 5 EPISODE 43

Daniel Hollar, Ph.D.

Daniel L. Hollar, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Chair of the Department of Behavioral and Social Science at Bethune-Cookman University and CEO of Daninger Solutions Inc., expounded on the impact of adopting main stream values while rejecting indigenous cultural values. He proffered solutions that can protect citizens from negative images of dominant cultures. He touched on various topics including traumas in the Black communities, benefits of building culturally competent officers, and the need to address mental health and suicides in the community. For immediate help, call 800-273-TALK (2755). Dr. Hollar can be reached at HollarD@cookman.edu 

"Racism, white supremacy is a criminal enterprise that's organized against Black people. And that kind of surmises it. So, no matter where you go in the world, the system is the dominant system that we are all operating under currently" - Daniel L. Hollar, Ph.D.

Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1221770?client_source=large_player&iframe=true&referrer=https://www.buzzsprout.com/1221770.js?container_id=buzzsprout-large-player-1221770&player=large#

Chicago Tribune“Spate of Suicide by City Cops Raises Alarm” -by Madeline Buckley and Annie SweeneyPublished: March 21, 2019Synopsis: Dr. Hollar is interviewed regarding Bridging the Gap.

Chicago Tribune

“Spate of Suicide by City Cops Raises Alarm” -by Madeline Buckley and Annie Sweeney

Published: March 21, 2019

Synopsis: Dr. Hollar is interviewed regarding Bridging the Gap.

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Please contact us for the full article: Daninger@DaningerSolutions.com

Please contact us for the full article: Daninger@DaningerSolutions.com

Please contact us for the full article: Daninger@DaningerSolutions.com

Please contact us for the full article: Daninger@DaningerSolutions.com

BLOG POSTS

BLUE LIVES MATTER..?

Updated: January 29, 2021

by Dr. Daniel L. Hollar PhD in Clinical Psychology

The Republican party and the FBI are reluctant to prosecute many of the violent insurrectionists even though they purport to be staunch supporters of "law and order." The Republicans do not want to hold their former president to account nor those who participated in the riot that injured nearly 140 police officers from two departments during the concerted pro-Trump & white-nationalist attack on the U.S. Capitol. There are many more officers who were injured but did not bother to report their injuries. Reported injuries include officers who suffered brain injuries, smashed spinal discs and one who is likely to lose his eye, according to the Capitol Police Union (as reported by the New York Times on Jan 28th). One Capitol Police officer died in the attack while two other officers died by suicide in the days and weeks following the violent and traumatic insurrection. Police suicide has been of growing concern in the nation. In 2020, former Attorney General Bill Barr reported that in 2019 "more officers died by suicide than were killed in the line of duty." The Joiner Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (Joiner, 2005) indicates that persons with a history of pain, trauma and violence will be most at risk for death by suicide when they perceive themselves as ineffective and feel like they don't belong. It is common knowledge the violence & trauma officers experience as part of the job can lead to longterm problems with depression, anxiety and PTSD. Couple that with a lack of support from leadership (failure to adequately equip officers & provide timely reinforcements) and the burden that comes with being part of a department increasingly scrutinized for its ineffective response to the most significant riot this century - and we can see why suicide risk among Capitol Police Officers is of growing concern. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), mental health providers, and peer-support staff should be on high alert; screening officers for increased suicide ideation, conducting wellness checks and providing treatment when needed for all law enforcement personnel involved in defending the Capitol and the nation's democracy against white nationalism. -by Dr. Daniel L. Hollar

About the author: Dr. Hollar holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and serves as the Department Chair of Psychology at Bethune-Cookman University. His private research-based consulting firm is tackling difficult issues related to Police officer suicide, screenings for fitness-for-duty, cultural competency, mental health and financial wellness among law enforcement personnel.

For more information you can reach Dr. Hollar online at Daninger Solutions, Inc (www.daningersolutions.com).

BLACK MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD: We are in a civil war.

Updated: April 21, 2021

"I was following the trial against Officer Derek Chauvin for murdering George Floyd when I heard there was another murder just a few miles away from the courthouse where the trial is taking place. That murder was of Duante Wright. The killer was a cop. The vicious cycle continues. These are my thoughts...

by Dr. Daniel L.Hollar PhD, Clinical Psychology

BLACK MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD: We are in a civil war. In this civil war, the enemy doesn't wear Klan sheets or burn crosses, instead they wear civilian clothing and the uniforms of public servants. In this covert civil war things are still very civil. In this civil war you still go to work, the children to school. In this civil war you can still go grocery shopping, to a bar or club, be entertained; as well as bank, trade and conduct business with little to no disruption. In this civil war you can interact in public social spaces like sporting events, restaurants, etc., where you can remain integrated and participate in the normal tenets of a civilized society. All the while, in the midst of this civility, when Black men, women and children leave our home we are forced onto a battlefield. Some enter this field knowing the risks but most have no clue they are in a full-blown (little "c") civil war. Remember... though briefly, the confederate flag flew in the Capitol this year for the first time in history. Voting rights are being overtly restricted. Politicians are invoking the names of Jim Crow and Dredd Scott. We've been informed for more than 10 years that trained, armed white-race soldiers have infiltrated the police, law enforcement, FBI, and military of this country. They've already been in politics. Unarmed Black men, women and children who are civilians have been targeted and killed by trained police and their civilian white vigilante counterparts. The occurrences I mentioned should be a clear sign that a killing season is occurring. Don't get it twisted, as in all matters of war, this is a State funded and operated civil war. Yet, many remain confused in their doubt or hopeful in their delusion that "everything's gonna be alright" because someone else is going to rise up to solve our problem. In doubt and delusion. In both type of individuals exist an intense fear, driven by the subconscious mind's understanding of our reality and the realization of the time we are in. Black man, woman and child we are in a civil war. Not an overt big "C" Civil War but a war nonetheless. It is an undeclared, covert, little "c" civil War. Not in the sense of an internal family feud among ourselves. It is a civil war in the sense being between ourselves and the administrators operating this system of racism-white supremacy. The controllers of this system which through force and deception, exercise global white domination over the natural people, land, and resources of the earth. The record of this criminal system was documented by their own hand but has since been is covered by a facade and made to look like a legitimate system of laws and order. Actually, this uncorrupted and deliberate system is skillfully designed and maintained through fraternity, secrecy, loyalty and oaths which run contrary to the Constitution of this democratic republic. It is this system which has engaged us in civil war. One arm of this system of racism white supremacy is called the State. The State, whose not so hidden hand, plays both the perpetrator of injustice and seeker of justice through its many roles played out by its multiple avatars in the Justice system or court of law. It's not a matter of irony but of design as to how the State, which is responsible for the organized killings of unarmed Black men through the police they train, hire and employ; also plays the role of prosecutor and judge in the court should these matters make it into public awareness for scrutiny. Most do not. The protections or privileges provided by the State are not just for police, law enforcement, or officers; they are often extended to their white civilian counterparts, the militia and other pseudo-vigilante race soldiers who feel emboldened to take Black lives and matters into their own hands (as if they are our Gods). Black men, women and children. We are in a civil war. It is a State funded war that utilizes duplicity against an unarmed civilian element by way of a highly trained over-militarized police force, armed white vigilantes, confederate insurrectionists, lone-wolf assailants or race-soldier gangs against unarmed civilians: Black men, women and children. Black man, woman and child. We are in a civil war. Now is the time to act accordingly." -end.

By

Dr. Daniel L Hollar

PhD, Clinical Psychology




AMERICAN TRAUMA STORY: The Modern Day Public Lynching of George Floyd

Updated: May 10, 2021

by Dr. Daniel L. Hollar PhD, Clinical Psychology

AMERICAN TRAUMA STORY:

Many in our community suffer from a cowardice toward white authority figures caused by centuries of trauma originally instilled through public lynching and/or the humiliation of some of our biggest and strongest Black men (those who represented or symbolized the warrior class). Similarly, the casual killing of George Floyd (a 6 ft. 4 in, muscular Black man) was a modern public lynching broadcasts over social and corporate media airwaves to trigger or instill fear in an entirely new generation of Black men, women and children. Though some will see lynching and rise up or rebel, the intent and overall impact of witnessing such violent acts is to realize outcomes that lynching produced on the plantations during chattel slavery and the Jim Crow south - the social ordering, reordering, control and maintenance of the masses of Black people by a minority of individuals, those who call themselves "white". The growth, development and pervasiveness of this artificial social hierarchy has come to be known as the system of racism-white supremacy.

That being said, it is no wonder why for Black men, being tall increases threat stereotyping and police stops. According to NBC, police target Black men the taller they are. Of note, a 2018 study by Hester & Gray showed the taller the Black man is, the more likely he is to be targeted by police. At 5'4", police stopped 4.5 Black men for every white man; at 5'8", the number rose to 5.3 Black men for every white man; and at 6'4", it's 6.2 Black men for every white man. As I mentioned above, it is no coincidence that George Floyd, a Black man who was 6'4" was murdered in that manner many of us witnessed. He was targeted like many before him and like many after him will continue to be.

Research shows tall Black men face greater discrimination from police officers and elicit stronger judgments of threat. Some Black men train themselves to protect their safety by trying to make themselves seem less threatening through dressing in professional clothing, exaggerated smiling, standing hunched over, not wearing hoodies, do-rags or hats backward in public, and speaking with a higher pitch (nasal/squeaky) or soft toned voice. This is similar to self-imposed buck-breaking which leads to a proliferation of self-emasculated, self-effacing Black males.

In order to change the status quo, we must first change ourselves into ourselves. We must unlearn our oppressor's definitions and disconnect from Eurocentric imposed norms while reconnecting to Afrikan centered ones. Adopting Eastern or Asian philosophies won't be sufficient. Such an adoption only supplants white-supremacy with its close cousin, Asian-supremacy: the historical and modern colonization of African peoples by Arab, Chinese and Indian empires.

Changing ourselves into ourselves is the act of learning, loving and prioritizing ourselves instead of rejecting, denying, or devaluing ourselves. Denying ourselves (forgetting our first love) will always lead to a subservient role for Blacks in this global system of racial-supremacy. This race toward racial-supremacy has been taking place for more than 4 centuries before our hands and feet were unshackled, finally allowing us to run free (though we are only just beginning to truly walk). Denying and deprioritizing ourselves puts us even further behind. Embracing ourselves does not equate to replacing white-supremacy with Black or African supremacy (that would still be a Eurasia-centric world view). The Afrikan world view is not one of supremacy but one of Justice, Truth, and Liberation of Humanity - Afrikan centered people believe all people should be free and allowed freedom. Racism-supremacy is a rampant virus bent on dominating, controlling and ultimately destroying all life; natural systems on the planet earth and throughout the cosmos. Adopting an Afrikan worldview -- embracing ourselves and resisting oppression and confronting racism in all its forms -- is the only effective weapon against it.

By Dr. D.L. Hollar

PhD, Clinical Psychology Email: hollard@cookman.edu

PRISON INDUSTRY BABY (Lil' Nas XXX)

Updated: August 1, 2021

by Dr. Daniel L. Hollar Ph.D., Clinical Psychology

Going to prison is not cool, no matter how much sex or celebrity is used to sell that idea to our community. But it is BIG business.

According to naacp.org, spending on prisons and jails has increased at triple the rate of spending on K-12 public education in the last thirty years. Approximately, $80 billion taxpayer dollars are spent on the prison industrial system. The estimated annual value of prison and jail industrial output is $2 billion. The prison-industrial complex is a set of interest groups, institutions and private corporations. Hundreds of corporations benefit from penal labor, including some of the largest major corporations. The Private prison business models is contingent upon incarcerating more and more people. Marketing and normalizing prison culture to young people via celebrities and pop culture is how those involved in this industry ensure their continued prosperity; the effects of which have been devastating to our Black community and young people.

There are 3 million people in jail and prison today. According to the NAACP, between 1980 and 2015, the number of people incarcerated increased from roughly 500,000 to 2.2. million;

far outpacing population growth and crime. Of note, African American children represent 32% of children who are arrested, 42% of children who are detained, and 52% of children whose cases are judicially waived to criminal court. It has been reported in the Washington Post (2015) that 1 in 4 Black males born today will end up in jail. Polls have indicated roughly, 65% of Black adults have felt targeted because of their race. African Americans are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of whites. The effects of incarceration are felt by the families and communities of those individuals economically, socially and healthwise.

Economically, more than one out of every six black men who today should be between 25 and 54 years old have disappeared from daily life. This equates to a loss of billions of dollars in generated business and labor income circulating in the Black community.

Socially, children whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system suffer from: psychological strain, antisocial behavior, suspension or expulsion from school, economic hardship, and are six times more likely to be involved in criminal activity.

Regarding health, infectious diseases are highly concentrated in corrections facilities. 15% of jail inmates and 22% of prisoners – compared to 5% of the general population – are reported having tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and C, HIV/AIDS, or other STDs. Inmates are 5 times more likely to be infected by HIV than the general population.

As the video "Industry Baby" not only illustrates but glorifies, there are a lot of Black men who have sex with men (MSM) in prison. Using data from the National Inmate Survey, 2011-2012, researchers found that 34.3% of Black men in prison were MSM, while only 8.9% of the total US population of MSM is Black. Who one chooses to sleep with is of no particular importance when viewed in and of itself. However, this becomes of particular importance to the Black community because research indicates Black MSM are at high risk for both HIV diagnosis and incarceration (Source: CDC, Diagnoses of HIV infection in the United States and dependent areas, 2018. HIV Surveillance Report 2020;31). So what's wrong with this glorification and "Industry Baby" is not about homosexuality per se but its weaponization against the Black community by a system that devalues Black life and hides behind a legitimate LGBTQ movement for protection of their human rights. This weaponization may not be readily apparent to those in the LGBTQ community or easy to articulate for those who practice traditional Black/African American values, unless we all take a step back to see the bigger picture.

It's really not about you or me, it's about us.

The high prevalence of HIV in the Black community and the greater likelihood of bisexuality among black men place heterosexual Black women at risk for HIV infection. Black men who have sex with men (MSM) and women but who do not identify as gay or disclose their bisexual activities to main female partners, also known as men "on the down-low," have been cited as the main reason for the increase in HIV infections in Black women. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV, accounting for nearly 60% of new HIV infections in US women, despite making up less than 15% of the female population (Source: Journal of National Medical Association. 2005 Jul; 97(7 Suppl): 52S–59S.)

If you don't see the clear and present danger in artists like the prison industry's baby, Lil'Nas XXX, being paid to use talent, sex and celebrity to market, promote and normalize prison culture to the Black youth in our community, take a closer look at the images below. It is not only disrespectful to disregard the social mores and ethics of our community for individual, financial or tribal gain, it is irresponsible and reckless to do so without understanding the potential ramifications of that disregard and how it may impact the larger community to which one belongs.


Dr. Daniel L. Hollar

Ph.D., Clinical Psychology

CEO, Daninger Solutions, Inc.

Email: Daninger@daningersolutions.com

www.daningersolutions.com

"CATCH-22: Understanding the Interaction of Trauma and Violence Experienced in the Black Community and Among Police Officers"


    Given the frequency of unnecessary killings of Black men, women and children by police in the United States and the lack of accountability that often follows, it is not hard to observe that many Black people are at risk for developing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related to police violence and are rightfully vigilant when police are around. PTSD is also a factor among officers as trauma and poor mental health issues are inherent to policing. An inadequate understanding of the interaction between these two trauma proned groups may lead to increased conflict that places each individual in their own Catch-22 which perpetuates a vicious cycle of violence related to trauma.

In basic terms, PTSD is a type of severe anxiety disorder in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. The condition may last months or years, with triggers (i.e., a stimulus such as a sight, sound, touch or location) that can bring back memories of the trauma accompanied by emotional and physical reactions (such as intense fear, difficulty breathing, racing heart, sweaty palms, headache, nausea, etc). The ocurrence of these physical symptoms in the presence of a stimulus are known as an acute stress response and can make the individual feel as though they are reliving a past traumatic event or are in the midst of an existential crisis. In response to this acute stress, the body goes on autopilot and the sympathetic nervous system is activated by the sudden release of hormones, including adrenaline, that tell the brain what to do. The perception of threat activates the sympathetic nervous system and triggers an acute stress response that prepares the body to flee or fight. This is known as the flight or fight response and is an automatic physiological reaction to an event or trigger that is perceived as stressful or frightening.

In psych 101 we learn the body is hardwired to respond to triggers or perceived threats via one of two ways: 1. avoidance of the stimulus through fleeing (i.e., taking flight; running away) or 2. engaging the stimulus in a struggle resulting in a physical confrontation (i.e., a fight). That being said, it is not hard to imagine that the trauma inflicted upon individuals who belong to communities plagued with brutality from its officers can and will lead to increased vigilance on the part of the citizenry. This is easily understood though the connections are often unrecognized by mental health, forensic and other professionals in authority who speak on issues regarding police brutality in the Black community. Though often ignored it is important to discuss because there may be an interaction between two hypervigilant groups which, if left unaddressed, will continue to leave us spinning our wheels when it comes to addressing the problems presented by policing in the Black community (which usually focus on distal issues like training, cultural competency and community relations but not proximal issues like conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques which require emotional and mental fitness on the part of the officer).

Why are Black persons more so than other communities to experience trauma due to police violence? Black life has historically been devalued and Black people have been dehumanized for so long in this country it is engrained in the culture of America and the foundation of its legal system - I refer you to the Dredd Scott decision which African Americans were not and could never be citizens of the United States; and therefore had no rights which a white man had to respect: On March 6, 1857, Chief Justice Roger Taney of the US Supreme court ruled that Blacks/African Americans "had for more than a century before been regarded as beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white race, either in social or political relations; and so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit. He was bought and sold, and treated as an ordinary article of merchandise and traffic, whenever a profit could be made by it." Although this was eventually overturned by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, for centuries Black people lacked power and basic human and civil rights as well as any of the other protections found in the Constitution that are often ignored and ultimately unenforceable without federal oversight in states, cities and municipalities who still practice the culture and beliefs clearly articulated in the Dredd Scott decision.

This long history of devaluing Black life which crescendos with the bold and vigorous proclamation that Black Life Matters only to be met with repeated incidences of police violence, places us in a vicious cycle of increasing violence and confrontation as Blacks struggle against the real and perceived threat that an encounter with police may bring. Thus Black people also find themselves trapped within a Catch 22: If we defend ourselves against police brutality we will find ourselves dead or punished harshly under the law; yet if we fail to defend ourselves against police brutality, we will find ourselves dead or punished harshly under the law. Indeed for Blacks, particularly men, encounters with police are often a lose-lose situation - take flight/run and get shot in the back or stand our ground against a threat and get shot, beaten or arrested. Even when one has submitted or put their hands up and yelled don't shoot we can still be arrested, beaten, severely injured or killed. Either way, a Black man will lose in the encounter with police and therefore Black men are rightly hypervigilant in their struggle to survive the confrontation with a perceived threat.

The Black community as a whole has been traumatized by police violence and many of its individuals likely experience a heightened state of vigilance (e.g., being on guard, ready to defend, and constant checking for perceived threats) during encounters with police. This looks like the nervousness and jittery feelings we get when we walk by an officer or when a cop car pulls behind or along side our vehicle as we tightly grip our steering wheel, readjust our seat to be be more upright, check our mirrors and silently review the rules of the road in our heads to make sure we are not inadvertently violating any laws that might result in a stop. Though these reactions are not unique to Black people they are often discussed as part of the Black American experience (e.g., Driving While Black).

At this point, almost all have witnessed the horrorible public killing of George Floyd by Officer Derek Chauvin that was broadcasted over social and corporate media. Previous research indicates witnessing such events may vicariously traumatize African Americans even if they are not in the same state where the incident occurred.

In July of 2016, "PBS.org" reported that Dr. Monnica Williams, clinical psychologist and director of the Center for Mental Health Disparities at the University of Louisville, stated, "There's a heightened sense of fear and anxiety when you feel like you can't trust the people who've been put in charge to keep you safe. Instead, you see them killing people who look like you." According to Dr. Williams,, this leads to race based trauma unique to the African American/Black experience. Dr. Williams went on to explain how graphic videos of violence (i.e., vicarious trauma) viewed by individuals who have experienced racism can create severe psychological problems akin to symptoms found in post-traumatic stress disorder.

The collective trauma caused by police brutality might trigger a violent community response, as an act of self-defense, as the community struggles for survival against the high frequency of victimizations from police. This may have been the case exhibited in past "riots", from L.A. in 1992, Baltimore in 2015 and Minneapolis in 2020, where violence by the police triggered a flight or fight response manifested as a community uprising which is actually the last recourse for defense against a repeated threat that is often not held to account by those in authority. The violent outbursts we sometimes see in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is magnified in the community's reaction and often exemplified by a so-called "riot" or violent protest when accountability has been lacking for too long. The killing of George Floyd was a similar event which sparked numerous violent protests, riots and demonstrations throughout the world. A new study suggests how police killings affect Black Americans’ mental health more broadly.

According to a report published in a British research journal in 2018, the Lancet, "Police killings of unarmed Black Americans negatively affect the mental health of Black adults in the states where the fatal incidents occur." The study, lead by Dr. Atheendar S. Venkataramani, relates to the mental well-being of Black adults who are not directly involved in acts of police violence and add to a growing body of research indicating the killings of unarmed Black men, women, and children by police officers are “a public health issue.” Additionally, this study and others like it (Smith, C.A.; 2016) reveal that police violence slowly kills black women “through trauma pain and loss” in the years after an encounter with an officer. Please take a moment to remember activist Erica Gardner who died of a heart attack at 27 years of age while fighting for justice regarding the killing of her father, Eric Garner, by police. Activists like Samaria Rice have offered anecdotal evidence of personal trauma predicated by police violence following the shooting death of her 12 year-old son, Tamir Rice. News outlets across the country have recorded the families of Rekia Boyd and Freddie Gray similarly expressing accounts of trauma and health issues due to police violence. Such trauma spreads like a contagion and is likely exacerbated by the sharing of videos and images of fatal encounters with police, like the viral public lynching of Mr. George Floyd.

The flight or fight response, hard-wired in all human beings for survival, is often activated in encounters with police due to the long history of repeated pain, trauma and violence that has been inflicted upon individuals belonging to the Black community. When I consider the reluctance of the judicial system to hold bad officers to account, I become concerned that it is only a matter of time before hypervigelence leads people to start confronting the perceived threat in self-defense instead of fleeing or submitting which still too often results in the loss of one's life and no recourse for the family. Currently, there is a case in Daytona Beach, Florida (a Stand Your Ground state) where a young man had a violent encounter with a police officer that has divided a small community. Some say the young man acted in self-defense, others claim he had a hypervigalent response to a perceived threat given the current social climate (i.e., the shooting occurred just days after the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict for the of George Floyd); others, mainly those in leadership, unfortunately, dismiss the incident entirely by portraying the young black man as being nothing more than a cold-blooded killer. Whatever that specific case may be is hard to tell at this point (only 20 seconds of video have been released, to date), however, it is my position that the issues related to trauma, PTSD, hypervigalence and policing, must be seriously investigated as part of the solution to improving policing in the Black community.

Black people are a historically dehumanized racial group which has long borne the brunt of violence and mistreatment by those in authority. Given the hardwired flight or fight response, I fear the very real possibility of increased fight responses as African American struggle to find justice against police brutality in a system that devalues Black life and often leaves no recourse for victims of police violence. Coupled with the hazards inherent to policing and the poorly addressed mental health issues related to trauma and PTSD it is my opinion that the problem of police violence will continue and might even increase if issues related to trauma, violence and mental health are not concurrently addressed in the community and among law enforcement.

An equally important matter to discuss in some detail is the prevalence of mental health issues inherent to policing.Trauma is inherent to policing and thus prevalence rates for PTSD and acute stress related disorders are greater than what one would find among occupations in the general public. While exposure to trauma may be an understood consequence of the job, officers often do not report symptoms of PTSD and other mental health related issues for fear of losing their job. Unrealistic stereotypes regarding the imperviousness of police officers feeds a culture of policing which discourages any admission of symptoms of mental illness. Poor leadership in many law enforcement agencies does little to change this culture. This places officers in a Catch 22: officers who report their illness and seek to manage it effectively with medication and therapy often lose their jobs as a result, while those who don't report it increase their risk of engaging in police violence which subjects the city to fines and ultimately still may cause the officer to lose their job. This predicament increases the likelihood that more unhealthy, untreated officers will be in the field. Untreated mental illness may cause affected officers to displace their internal turmoil upon a historically targeted, vulnerable, dehumanized minority group on America. The frustrated and distressed cop who beats his wife and abuses children due to problems at work is a familiar manifestation of such displacement.

Though the tides are changing as more municipalities, agencies, and departments become aware of mental health issues affecting society as a whole, historically, Chiefs, Sheriffs, Mayors and City Managers have often denied, covered up, mismanage or simply neglected the mental health of their officers and in fact have even penalized them for getting treatment. Poor leadership which neglects officers' mental health causes the needless death of Black people, exposes cities and states to liability in the deaths of Black people, and exposes officers to more risk as Black victims may begin to arm themselves and fight back.

These two traumatized groups, police and individuals in the Black community, have a long history of repeated exposure to pain trauma and violence, as well as a shared stigma which impededs treatment for mental health issues related to trauma. As these two hypervigalent groups continue to interact, we can expect more tragic encounters until the issue of trauma is properly addressed in the community and among the officers sworn to protect and serve those communities.

The Association of Black Psychologists have released guidelines for African-Americans experiencing cultural trauma from recent coverage of racial tension in the media and online (https://d3i6fh83elv35t.cloudfront.net/.../07-20-16-EEC...). More research is required to develop evidence and practice-based solutions that help police cope with trauma and the debilitating effects of police-related stress. A good place to start is "Fighting Police Trauma: Practical Approaches to Addressing Psychological Needs of Officers" by Papazoglou and Tuttle (2018).


Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Daniel L. Hollar