The Argument Against the “Law Enforcement Gangs” Narrative
“Our first responders are uniquely strong, brave, and emotionally flexible. They are called upon to support us on the worst days of our lives. They hear and see things that are burned into their memories forever. They see the worst of humanity, and then they go home and do their best to be a loving partner, parent, and friend.”
The Human Toll of Trauma for Law enforcement Officers
Shauna H. Springer Ph.D.
May 4, 2022
Much has been said and written lately regarding what many, including myself, believe to be a burgeoning crisis in law enforcement. We are talking about the issues of increased law enforcement related suicides, mental health issues, ongoing physical and emotional trauma, burnout, and the seemingly divergent and controversial belief that law enforcement “gangs” have somehow seized control of various agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Let’s take a look at what experts in the field of the police psychology have to say about some of these issues.
Doctor Shauna H. Springer Ph.D. is a well-known, highly regarded, leading authority on trauma, close relationships, suicide prevention, and initiatives that impact the military and veteran community. Doc Springer’s” work has been featured on NPR, NBC, CBS Radio, Forbes, Psychology Today, and Military Times. In short, she knows what she’s talking about. Here are a just a few of her observations regarding the untold human toll of a career in law enforcement:
- Nationwide, the risk of suicide among police officers is 54% greater than among American workers in general;
- More officers die by suicide each year than are killed in the line of duty;
- Nearly a quarter of officers have seen a fellow officer being killed or injured in the line of duty;
- Nearly a third have been exposed to a badly beaten child, or have been personally seriously injured in the line of duty;
- About 40% have been trapped in a life-threatening situation, or have had to make a death notification;
- Over half have been threatened with a gun or knife;
- Nearly all have seen someone dying.
These are all mind-numbing statistics to be sure.
Another professional in the field of law enforcement trauma is Ana Gamez, Ph.D., MBA, who has been studying law enforcement trauma for over two decades. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Badge of Life, a law enforcement support group, which is a 501(c)(3) organization (badgeoflife.org).
Both Doctors Springer and Gamez have noted the abundance of evidence which validates the phenomenon of Trauma Bonding in both law enforcement and the military.
Regarding the phenomenon of Trauma Bonding, Doctor Gamez writes:
Trauma Bonding in law enforcement emerges from the unique high-pressure experiences officers encounter in the line of duty. The nature of police work, marked by shared trauma, isolation, and coping mechanisms – creates an environment that makes it possible for officers to form deep emotional connections with other officers who have experienced similar traumas.
Police officers routinely face high-stakes situations such as violent crime scenes, life-threatening encounters, and exposure to human suffering. These intense, often dangerous experiences create a cluster of shared experiences between officers, similar to those developed in the military. These emotional bonds result from connections repeatedly established in a highly stressful environment.
In her follow-up article, The Mental Health Crisis Within Law Enforcement (May 19, 2025), Doctor Gamez discusses the concept of T.I.C.E, which is a Mental Health Framework for First Responders, which she developed after years of experience in the law enforcement environment.
The acronym T.I.C.E. stands for Trauma – Ideology-Coercion-Ego. Doctor Gamez explains that it helps explain the psychological shifts that occur in first responders who are repeatedly exposed to high-stress and life-threatening situations. She explains that someone unconnected to law enforcement or military service will experience 2-4 significant events of trauma in their lifetime. Law enforcement officers, on the other hand, will experience such trauma 3-4 times per month!
Doctor Gamez goes on to note:
Similar to military men and women who are deployed and return home with post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and who only choose to share their feelings and thoughts with other military personnel, law enforcement officers also establish powerful bonds with one another. These bonds are developed in many cases because the officer feels that only another fellow officer understands their pain. Thus, nobody else, including their spouses, understands what they are going through. These powerful connections are in many ways the body and brain’s response to trauma exposure. Thus, what some people may interpret as “cliques” or “subcultures” are often the only support systems these officers have.
Now that we have a solid framework for understanding the concept of Trauma Bonding in law enforcement, let’s get to the meat of the argument against the thought that gangs have somehow run wild in the LASD.
Doctor Gamez succinctly notes her concerns regarding California Penal Code Sections 13670-13675 (Anti-Peace Officer Gang Laws):
This legislation criminalizes perceived “subgroups’ within law enforcement by broadly labeling them as “gangs” based on shared identifiers such as tattoos, group names, or mutual loyalty. Such sweeping mischaracterization undermines officers’ mental wellness by penalizing the very camaraderie and coping mechanisms essential for managing the cumulative trauma experienced throughout their careers.
These coping mechanisms emerged in the military after exposure to trauma. Criminalizing these internal support structures ignores the fundamental truth that a gang member’s ideology differs from that of a law enforcement officer. A gang member operates under a self-serving ideology, often driven by power, criminal enterprise, violence, and rebellion against societal order. Whereas, a law enforcement officer operates under an oath-bound ideology rooted in service, sacrifice, duty, and life protection, even at their own cost.
Doctor Gamez concludes:
Criminalizing trauma-bonded officer units under anti-gang laws does a great injustice to those who serve. Rather than labeling these subgroups as threats, we must understand them through the T.I.C.E. lens and build structured wellness programs that reflect the unique trauma burden of law enforcement professionals.
These two professional, highly respected doctors have identified what those of us in law enforcement have known all along: There is good reason to doubt the notion that an organized gang culture thrives within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Officers frequently face life-or-death situations, critical incidents, or emotionally taxing events (shootings, accidents, or domestic violence cases as examples). These shared experiences create a sense of camaraderie and mutual reliance, as officers depend on each other for physical and emotional safety.
Have some people done dumb things on the job? Sure. Have some of those dumb things been done by people with station tattoos? Sure. Just as surely though, if you show me someone with a tattoo who did something stupid, I can show you just as many who did something equally dumb who didn’t have a tattoo. Taking an opposite approach, I’m sure that personnel with station tattoos have also done extremely brave and selfless deeds in service to the community, and contrary to their own wellbeing.
In this case, the truth may very well be an inconvenience to those who continue to shout the “deputy gang” mantra. Some of them want to keep the faux controversy alive, since they get social media “clicks” from their stance or gain some type of “validation” for their beliefs. While others don’t like cops anyway, so they point to it as proof that all cops are corrupt.
It is my understanding that not a single member of the LA County Sheriff’s Department has ever been found to have violated department policy regarding the anti-gang issue, nor have any been charged, tried and/or convicted of violating state laws regarding the issue. There’s a reason for that. The policy and state law are built upon the false premise that deputies have established gangs within the department. On the contrary, it appears that a number of our deputies have been so affected by continuous trauma that they have engaged in the phenomenon of Trauma Bonding with fellow deputies who have experienced the same.
Let’s face it folks, the average person on the street will never know, let alone understand, what cops put up with on a daily basis. They cannot possibly fathom the inhumanity that other humans can subject their fellow man to. After all, they don’t need to; it’s one of the things cops take care of so they don’t have to.
About The Author
Mike Bornman