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POLICE ACADEMY SLOGAN STIRS CONTROVERSY WITH

VETERANS -- Idaho Police Academy class slogan:

"Don't suffer from PTSD, go out and cause it."

From the class program...

For more about veterans and PTSD, use the VA Watchdog search engine...click here...
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Be sure to watch the video of this story at the link below.

Story here... http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnew
s/stories/ktvbn-dec2707-police_slogan.59370619.html

Story below:

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Police academy slogan stirs controversy with vets

Kaycee Murray/KTVB

Local reaction to slogan

BOISE -- The most recent graduates of the Idaho Police Academy chose a slogan that is stirring controversy.

It read... "Don’t suffer from PTSD, go out and cause it."

PTSD stands for post traumatic stress disorder.

The police academy's director was mortified when he learned about the slogan.

A local counselor who sees many people suffering from PTSD calls the slogan “reckless.”

On December 14th, as 43 officers prepared to graduate from the Idaho Police Officer Standards and Training Academy's latest course, the director says he was shocked when he read the class slogan - "Don't suffer from PTSD go out and cause it."

Jeff Black did not want to go on camera but says, "That’s not something we encourage or condone. It shouldn't have been there. It was inappropriate."

A counselor at the Department of Veterans Affairs, who works with many military veterans suffering from PTSD, wishes the class had fully understood what they were saying before choosing the slogan.

“PTSD is a very debilitating condition and to have that as part of their slogan is very inappropriate,” said Sean Burlile, Ph.D., V.A. vocational rehabilitation counselor.

Burlile says the disorder is caused by a traumatic event or experience.

“For the veterans I work with it really traumatizes their life,” said Burlile.

He says now more than ever the disorder is a major issue in the valley.

“Especially right now with a National Guard unit that was just deployed over there, now they have returned, we are starting to see more soldiers who have PTSD,” said Burlile.

Burlile is hoping the officers don't take the slogan literally.

“I know they are going to go out and become police officers and I want them to empathize with people who have been victimized,” said Burlile.

Academy Director Jeff Black says many of the recent graduates are military veterans who are interested in issues such as mental survival.

He also says, from now on, academy leaders will scrutinize slogans before the messages are printed on programs.

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Larry Scott  --

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