Grief team mobilized to help
Officers, conditioned to not show emotion, cope with colleague's killing
Trevor Wilhelm , Windsor Star
Published: Tuesday, May 09, 2006They must mourn the death of a fallen comrade and investigate his murder at the same time - it's a nightmare that only a police officer could fathom.
For the first time in its 120-year history, members of the Windsor police force are grappling with that hard reality after the slaying of Const. John Atkinson.
Less than 20 minutes after his death Friday, a team of 40 people including counsellors, padres and a mental health worker mobilized to help Atkinson's fellow officers and civilian co-workers contend with the loss.
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HEARTFELT MESSAGE: Condolence books for slain Windsor police officer John Atkinson were placed at various City of Windsor locations Monday. Shaylene Hart, 7, left, signs a book at the AKO Community Centre, while her sister Daide, 9, holds a photograph of Const. Atkinson.
Scott Webster, Star photo
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"It's a phenomenon that we hope we never have to face and, unfortunately, some forces face it all too often," said Det. Tim Rodd, co-ordinator of the department's Peer Counselling/Stress Management Program. "Our plan is to meet the needs of personnel depending on the issues they face."
Atkinson, 37, a 14-year veteran, was killed Friday after witnessing some illegal drug activity and confronting two young men outside a Seminole Street Mac's convenience store. He was in plain clothes but identified himself as an officer, investigators say. His gun was holstered when he was shot.
Atkinson was fatally wounded but still tried to pursue the suspects.
He pulled his gun and fired three shots before succumbing to his wounds, about 20 metres from where he first approached the pair.
The shooting happened at 2 p.m. By 2:30 p.m., the peer counselling and stress management team was deployed to help fellow officers deal with the terrible loss, said Dr. Bill McDermott, a police force psychologist.
The first task, he said, was to arrange for family notification.
Three fellow officers -- Atkinson's closest friends -- went to his home along with a chaplain, the police chief and mayor.
The second step was to set up a hotline for officers and civilian employees to get accurate, up-to-the-minute information. The third priority was ensuring officers, civilian employees and their families got the peer counselling and psychological help they needed.
By late Friday afternoon, a system of "walkabouts" by counsellors was in motion at police headquarters, the east end precinct and Atkinson's home. Counsellors were also sent to officers at the crime scene and to people in the dispatch office.
"They had an extraordinarily emotional afternoon," said McDermott.
He said the crisis workers talked with those affected late into the night.
Information was also prepared Friday afternoon for officers to take home to their spouses and children.
"There were hundreds of children who heard a police officer just like their parent had been killed," said McDermott.
On Saturday, meetings began for specific groups of people, such as dispatchers, to come together and talk about their experiences. That continues this week, McDermott said.
McDermott, who has worked with many police forces, including those in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and Edmonton, said Windsor has the most sophisticated and efficient peer counselling program he's seen.
"It's the best program," he said.
But it's still a tough job because police tend to be more reluctant to seek help than most people, said Rodd.
