Positivity: Police officers turn to God in stressful job

From Omaha:

Jul 24, 2011 / 01:12 pm (CNA).- Driving to the autopsy of an 8-month-old girl killed by her mother's boyfriend, Omaha Police Sgt. Nicolas Yanez pulled over and prayed.

“I didn't think I would make it,” Yanez said of feeling sad and overwhelmed. “Being the father of two daughters myself, it was difficult. I really had to pray: ‘why am I being put in this position?' I decided God wanted me to do this job, and he would give me strength.”

That kind of prayer life sustains Yanez, a member of St. Mary Parish in Bellevue, and countless other police officers – Catholics and those of other faiths – in squad rooms in Omaha, Nebraska, across the archdiocese and around the country.

For many officers in the archdiocese it is a private faith practice, shared at critical times though not organized in any way. But it helps officers treat everyone – including suspects accused of horrendous crimes – with dignity and respect, Yanez said.

“Basically, it's treating people the Christian way,” Yanez said. “You don't want to abuse your authority. You don't want to mistreat people. It doesn't mean we'll compromise our safety. But we can do it in a way that is not demeaning, and not brute force.”

Faith often is part of training police officers, said Brenda Urbanek, deputy director of training with the Nebraska Law Enforcement Center in Grand Island.

Studies indicate a strong faith helps people weather stressful situations and recover from them more quickly, she said. …

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