Bryson Hill is an accomplished Police Officer who joined the RCMP to make a difference and help people; he achieved that goal over his his 21 year career. Having compassion in law enforcement can be very tough, Police Officers face countless difficult situations that can negatively affect their ability to have a sense of compassion. Overwhelming research is showing that first responders are battling compassion fatigue, burnout, and post trauma stress, which will eventually cause a person to shut down mentally, physically, and emotionally, leading to apathy, cynicism, and social dysfunction. It is crucial that Police Officers are fully supported when they suffer a psychological injury, so that they don’t lose this ability to feel compassion. There should be no lines between membership and management when it comes to helping members struggling with a psychological injury, creating a culture of compassion in an agency starts with leadership. It is important that we all lead by example and create robust wellness programs and safe environments to discuss mental health challenges and help members struggling with compassion fatigue. Over time Officers may become emotionally detached or numb and many will then eventually completely break down if not supported. The momentum is just getting started because people like Bryson are out there and have the courage to tell their story. RCMP is made up of the greatest police officers on this planet, they do an amazing job of serving citizens on the 2nd largest countries in the world. We thank them for their service! Bryson’s story is about a career ending post-traumatic stress injury, incredible compassion, and an amazing journey of recovery.
