Mundelein Police Required To Meet Annually With Psychologist

MUNDELEIN, IL — A revamped wellness program at the Mundelein Police Department now requires all police officers to have an annual meeting with a licensed police psychologist, according to The Chicago Tribune. According to the news report, Police Chief Eric Guenther said the one-on-one sessions are meant to be an outlet for officers to talk about stresses and difficult situations they experience in their profession.

But why the need for these annual meetings? According to The Chicago Tribune, Guenther said police don’t have any special skills for handling stress, adding that heart disease, divorce rates, suicide and alcoholism are much higher for those in law enforcement. He also noted the meetings aren't meant to be an examination to determine whether an officer is fit for duty, and the psychologist will only contact a supervisor if concern arises over an officer causing harm to himself or potential sexual abuse of a minor, The Chicago Tribune said.

“With a happy officer out on the street taking care of business, there’s far less opportunity for there to be any type of issue between them and the citizens they encounter,” Guenther said to The Chicago Tribune. “That’s the hope.”

More: Officer Takes Own Life: Chicago Police 'Hearts Are Heavy'

The new requirement comes at a time when the mental health of law enforcement personnel has become an even bigger concern, as Patch reported an on-duty Chicago police officer took his own life in September, almost two months after another Chicago police officer shot himself in the head in the parking lot of a South Side police station. The July death of Brandon Krueger, a 37-year-old narcotics unit member, was ruled a suicide.

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