OUTLINING THE pitfalls of alcohol consumption, especially by persons who carry firearms, Bernard Headley, professor of criminology at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, says they (alcoholic beverages) "pack enough punch to impair an officer's judgement, accuracy and reflex time".

Prof Headley's reasoning suggests that impaired judgement could result in the use of excessive force because alcohol consumption has the potential to diminish sound judgement, as in the case of discharging a gun.

"And, most compelling, the officer's diminished authority to execute or do anything while drunk - or appearing to be drunk," says Headley.

For the liberals who question what can one bottle of liquor do, Headley says the Jamaica Constabulary Force's (JCF) ban on alcohol consumption is not excessive.

"It is not at all overkill; rather, it is an essential and necessary move," states Headley. "Drinking on the job by anyone, but particularly individuals engaged in life-or-death occupations (whether as an airline pilot, a surgeon or a policeman or woman), ought to be grounds for disciplinary attention. That's a standard accepted the world over," he adds.

However, he argues that merely banning the consumption of alcohol does not address the causative factors.

psychiatric analysis

"Mere banning will not address presumed, underlying stressors faced by the Jamaican police - anxiety, fear, terror, dread - that precede resorting to the bottle or some other synthetic fixative as means of support," he explains.

Dr Myo Kyaw OO, consultant psychiatrist at Bellevue Hospital, who conducted a study on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the JCF in 2000, tells The Sunday Gleaner that officers have to operate within extreme conditions and may turn to the bottle for comfort.

"The level of stress is high because of the high level of crime and because some officers have been shot and killed on duty, so they may suffer from PTSD," he reveals.

In the 2000 study, the doctor interviewed 134 officers who work in volatile and non-volatile areas to ascertain whether they suffered from the condition. Dr OO says that while his study did not find any officers exhibiting the disorder, it was instructive, as these officers could be suppressing their emotions and turning to other outlets, such as substance abuse.

without treatment

"Research evidence has shown that when PTSD is not properly addressed persons turn to substance abuse," says OO. "There is a tendency for persons who are in a uniform culture - a macho culture - to try not to reveal their emotions, they try to minimise it. They are reluctant to reveal symptoms because they don't want to look weak," he elaborates.

Dr OO opines that officers are afraid to show that they are suffering from stress because they are afraid this could prevent promotion, and that they could suffer discrimination from their peers and superiors. They, therefore, are reluctant to see the support services set up for them within the force, because they do not trust anyone.

Dr Carolyn Gomes, executive director of Jamaicans for Justice, expresses awe over the fact that the JCF has a policy forbidding alcohol consumption on the job, since there are bars on the property that houses some police stations.

"I am surprised to hear that they have a policy because we all know they have bars inside of some stations. That's ridiculous," she says.