The labor supply of police officers is affected by stressful working conditions that may result from the death of a partner in the line of duty, or the killing of a person in a shootout between police officers and armed criminals. Other stress factors that may demoralize officers and reduce effective deployment of their labor are lack of support from departmental bosses and rigid working schedules. This means a police officer has little time for family and leisure activities that might help him relax and reduce stress levels to maintain his emotional stability.
According to a study conducted with the help of 2,376 Buffalo, New York, police officers, high stress levels within the police force increases their mortality rates for suicide and heart diseases. Though the state is able to recruit and train officers to fill in the gaps left by the departed officers, it takes time to orientate them to the job, as it requires experience and expertise to fight crime and offer other police-related services like rescues effectively.
Lifestyle diseases such as obesity are a problem in the police force and this affects their ability to competently deliver protection services to the general populace. Crime rates are on the increase due to joblessness especially amongst the youths who are energetic and capable of outrunning obese police officers. This increases the crime levels and the number of unsolved cases in police departments because obesity reduces a person's ability to perform intensive physical activities, which decreases the number of hours obese police officers can work efficiently on daily basis.
According to a poll result by Pew Research Center, a non-partisan think tank that offers information on issues, attitudes and trends affecting America and the world, 55 percent of African Americans lack confidence in their local police force. This makes it difficult for the police to offer their services efficiently within certain communities because the police force needs civilian cooperation -- like the regular reporting of gangs and organized criminal activities -- to competently carry out their work.