| Documentary shows a different kind of courage |
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| Written by Randy Stone |
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“The Pain Behind the Badge” is a one-hour documentary film featuring three police officers from different agencies who are brave enough to share their battles with job-related stress, marital problems and post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. In the film, two of the officers put it all on the table as they share their personal struggles on their journey from bright-eyed rookies to troubled public servants on the brink of ending it all by their own hands. The film explores these issues with a psychologist, a counselor and an officer’s spouse. The film, which has received favorable reviews, was created and produced by Clarke Paris in conjunction with 100-Watt Productions and director Jon Giddinge, who did all the camera work and editing. Giddinge’s father is a sergeant with the Las Vegas P.D. Clarke says the three officers who are featured in the film are some of the bravest individuals he has ever met. “When you’re a cop and you end up at the point of no return like these guys did – the lowest point in your life – and are willing to share that with the world regardless of what people think only because you don’t want it to happen to any other cops – I call that man a hero,” Clarke said. Clarke hopes the film will have a positive impact on the law enforcement profession and will encourage other officers who may be up against it to see their personal pain as part of a larger picture. The high rates of suicide among law enforcement officers of every rank and agency has been the elephant in the room, so to speak, for quite some time. The idea is that by seeing fellow officers having the same difficulties with the job, personal life and other issues actually talking about their experiences will make it easier for those who are choosing to keep it all inside. The film will be used in a series of upcoming lectures at law enforcement agencies about mental health issues that Clarke has studied over the course of his 23 years in law enforcement. “Police officers are expected to be tough, fair, cool under pressure and a host of other qualities that human beings just can’t maintain 24/7,” Paris says. “This can take a massive toll on working cops over the course of a career. Many of the most troubled law officers choose suicide over getting help, which can be incorrectly perceived as a sign of weakness.” There’s very little in terms of new department policies in “The Pain Behind the Badge.” Police suicide has been a problem for generations. But what is new is the personal nature of the struggles cops face in the documentary. It’s easy to blow off the horror stories most officers accrue in the course of their work but it’s much harder not to listen when there’s a name and a face telling the story. If you’re a cop, you’ve undoubtedly heard the standard reasons people would rather tough it out than admit to themselves and others that they need help. “That shrink can’t tell me how to deal with this!” or “He was in med school when I was chasing armed felons,” is what you’ll hear over and over again. One of the most common refrains Clarke heard while making the film was the surprise that officers expressed when they found out they weren’t alone in having difficulty with issues on and off the job. The same cops were also surprised to learn that the brave souls who do seek help more often than not feel and get better and usually return to work. “The Pain Behind the Badge” is an important film documenting the struggle police officers face trying to balance being a hero and a human being at the same time. It’s been endorsed by the Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance, the Police Managers and Supervisors Association and the National Police Suicide Foundation. Chuck Remsberg, the author of “Street Survival,” is already a fan. “This film is a powerful testimonial to the police spirit from officers who fought their way back from dark places and is a must for modern law enforcement training,” Remsberg says. If your agency wants to schedule a training seminar which includes a screening of the film in its entirety, or if you have any questions, please go to: thepainbehindthebadge.com or call the film-maker, Clarke Paris, at 702-573-4263. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites          Comments (0)
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