8 • Psychological Effects of Undercover Policing Channels 2022 duck. It's an erosion of who you really were to begin with. No one really tells [officers] that's what's going to happen (Schreiber, 2013, p.21). The identity challenges may be difficult to avoid in undercover police operations is certainly cause for concern. This further reinforces the necessity for proper selection, as any indication that an officer is at greater risk for this loss of identity should be a disqualifying factor for undercover officers. The second unique stressor for undercover officers is that of reintegration into society. Reintegration for an undercover officer refers to the process in which they are terminated from an operation and return to their previous norms. Numerous factors can impact the challenges and successes of an officer’s reintegration process. The duration of an officer’s undercover operation will naturally impact, whether positively or negatively, the reintegration process. Officers may adjust back into their previous lives more easily after shorter operations, whereas the officer is further removed from their norms and personal identity for longer undercover operations, thus increasing the challenge for them to reintegrate. The reintegration process can become increasingly difficult for undercover officers depending on the presence of any other psychological effects they are experiencing. For instance, if an officer is struggling with their identity, it will make it more difficult to reintegrate into a family setting or even continue to build relationships of any variety. Being unable to discuss the operation or any personal struggles relating to the operation can also make officers face difficulty (Kowalczyk & Sharps, 2016). This only adds to a sense of isolation that can be detrimental to an undercover officer attempting to reintegrate into society. A study conducted by Macleod found that the most common reactions of undercover officers during reintegration are feelings of sadness, relief, and fatigue. Macleod also found that 59% of undercover officers had no reintegration challenges from a clinical perspective, and 24% had some relatively minor clinical challenges during reintegration that were overcome easily through counseling. While it is encouraging to see such a large portion of undercover officers reintegrate with little to no psychological effects, Macleod also notes that clinical symptoms often develop over time. Researchers report that officers can develop and report severe psychological symptoms two to five years after their termination (1995). This study indicates both the complexity of reintegration and the importance of a lasting presence of mental health resources for law enforcement officers. As mentioned above, reintegration involves many complex variables that can significantly impact the reaction an officer has to the reintegration process. These reactions, as indicated by Macleod, can take months to years to develop, or they may not react negatively at all. Therefore, it is important for departments and agencies to be sufficiently prepared to assist and support each individual officer’s reintegration process.
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