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2009 ARC-CSI Crash Conference Presentation
Death Investigations And Their Psychological Effect
on Police Officers / Reconstructionists
Presented By: Brian Smith
Time: 1 Hour
Psychological struggles pertaining to death encounters are significant concerns in human psychology. These concerns are of great relevance to the people involved in the investigation of collisions where a loss of life has occurred. Crash investigators have frequent encounters with the death of others in a variety of circumstances throughout their careers. Many psychologists have dealt with the concept of policing and death. However, death on a daily basis has had an insufficient amount, or no research associated to it. The psychological trauma that may occur from the daily exposure to the death of another human has until recently been an unknown and little understood quantity. The ability to deal with the death of another person on a professional basis requires a psychological mind set that few are able to summon without some sort of long-term psychological affect. After having consulted with numerous psychologists that are leaders in there prospective fields this research has provided some surprising results, which may include long term physiological brain chemistry changes.
About Brian Smith
Provincial Constable Brian Smith has been a police officer for 9 years and a Collision Reconstructionist for 5 years. Brian is currently a Reconstructionist with the Highway Safety Division of the Ontario Provincial Police where he polices what are considered to be some of North Americas busiest highways. Prior to joining the Ontario Provincial Police in 2008, Brian was a Detective-Constable with the Toronto Police Service where he worked in the Collision Reconstruction Squad. For the past 4 years he has undertaken a research project into the psychological affects that death investigations may have on those responsible for the investigation, primarily focusing on crash investigators. Prior to joining the Toronto Police Service Brian previously owned his own business as well as served, as an officer for 6 years, with the Canadian Armed Forces.
