• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Upped Terror Level Not Causing More Stress

Posted on: Friday, 4 April 2008, 12:00 CDT

The U.S. government's color-coded system to warn about the risk of a terror attack does not seem to cause undue stress on law enforcement, a study says.

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey reviewed calls to a law enforcement crisis hot line.

The study, published in the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, finds no statistically significant increase in calls with periods of increased alert.

With regard to New Jersey law enforcement, we did not find any evidence to support the concern that elevating the alert status places undue stress on those receiving the alert, George S. Everly, Jr., of Bloomberg School's Center for Public Health says in a statement.

Our study needs to be replicated with groups other than law enforcement, especially the civilian population.

The Cop 2 Cop crisis hot line was established by the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey to provide counseling to police officers in the state. The research team analyzed call data from Sept. 9, 2002, to Jan. 30, 2004, during which, the Homeland Security national alert level was raised five times from yellow -- elevated -- to orange -- high.

Source: United Press International

More News in this Category