atment.The peer supporter will follow up on the officer’s or employee’s behalf, if he or she did not participate in the referred treatment.STAFF PROFILEThe S.E.A.R.S. program is staffed and run by a retired police officer from one of the Davison Area Police Departments. The program will also maintain a group of volunteer clergy, who can be called upon, should the need arise.There are several logistical and financial advantages to a retired police officer from one of the Davison Area Police Departments staffing and running the program. These advantages include but are not limited to:The individual’s life and work experience.The individual’s increased availability, due to flexible schedule.The individual’s familiarity with the departments and their personnel.The individual’s familiarity with the community.The individual’s personal interest in the departments and the community.The individual’s established resources and contacts.The individual’s lack of dependence on full time employment and benefits package, due to pension and benefits package from retirement.LAW ENFORCEMENT REACTIONLaw enforcement reaction to the S.E.A.R.S. program was obtained through the use of a seven-question questionnaire, which was distributed, for return, to all officers and employees of the Davison Area Police Departments. Officers and employees were given ample space, following each question, to elaborate their responses.The first question posed to officers and employees asked if they would be in favor of the program. Seventy-one percent of those officers and employees, who returned their questionnaire, said they would be in favor of the program. Comments that were expressed dealt with difficulty in getting the three agencies to participate, concerns that the program would not be needed if officers and employees utilized established bonds between each other, concerns about the amount of input supervision...
