This may not be a popular question after the indictment of six officers in connection with the death of Freddie Gray ("Six Baltimore Police officers indicted in death of Freddie Gray," May 22), but is anyone asking about the wellness of the city police as a whole?
As a former Baltimore after-school program administrator, I suffered a certain amount of anxiety and trauma simply from working in a stressful and occasionally dangerous work environment.
That environment probably pales in comparison to the even higher levels of stress and more consistently dangerous work environment that police officers face every day.
They are over-worked, distrusted by much of the public and too often unappreciated by the people they serve, despite having to do one of the most difficult, dangerous jobs in our city. The often violent environment in which police work must at times feel akin to an actual war.
I don't condone abusive or careless behavior regardless of their work circumstances. But if we expect the police to carry out their duties in a calm and measured way, they must be operating from a place of calm, presence of mind and personal wellness.
We expect our country to provide veterans with the treatment and support services they need to heal the psychological injuries they suffered at war. We have the same responsibility to demand similar support systems be available for our police officers as well.
Christa Gray, Baltimore