Vol. 7 No. 1 Cheyenne (Jarvis) Jones • 19 Conclusion Law enforcement officers routinely make sacrifices on behalf of the public they serve, even more so for undercover officers. In many cases, undercover officers willingly sacrifice time with their families, their routines, and the known and accounted-for dangers of traditional police work. All of this is for the sake of justice—and yet, so often it goes unnoticed. Not only do these undercover officers sacrifice their “normal” in order to serve in undercover operations, but they risk exposure to a slew of psychological troubles. Many of the psychological side effects of undercover operations are recognized by scholars in both the law enforcement and psychology disciplines; however, law enforcement leadership seems to be taking little action to protect and defend undercover officers in any way they can. This study has sought to demonstrate that the further development of training and preparation policies for officers participating in undercover operations will alleviate resulting negative psychological effects. By studying the current literature and limited data available, it is clear to see that nationwide improvements in training procedures would benefit undercover officers. By preparing themmore thoroughly for their time undercover, officers receive both practical and psychological help. Additionally this study aimed to determine ways to better manage the negative psychological effects that result from undercover operations. Based on what is known from current literature, this study found three additional ways in which these effects can be better managed: dismantling the stigma surrounding mental health services within law enforcement settings; improving policies to make an array of mental health services openly available to officers; and implementing reintegration specific procedures to assist undercover officers with their reentry into society. Ideally these improvements to department culture and functioning will create more opportunities for undercover officers to seek help following an operation if necessary and, as a result, decrease the lasting psychological impact of undercover operations. Assessments are recommended for each individual solution that a department or agency chooses to implement. These assessments include surveys to determine officers’ perspectives on the changes, whether they are viewed as a net positive or negative. Other recommended assessments include collecting and analyzing quantitative data to determine if the changes made have modified officer productivity, performance, or conduct in any ways. These assessments should take place routinely, either every six months or annually, depending on the needs and resources available to the department or agency. It is also recommended that additional modifications to the implemented solutions be made if the assessment results indicate that changes may be necessary. It is important to remember every department and agency will have different needs to be met and different challenges based on staffing and the areas they serve;
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