Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

September/October, 2001

“Safety In The Workplace”
by Paula Christofoletti, New Hampshire DDS

NADE in NH SPONSORED A TRAINING seminar during the noon hour on 7/31/01. Lieutenant David Goldstein of the New Hampshire State Police Force addressed many NADE in NH members and non-members. Dave Goldstein has been a State Policeman for nineteen years. When you think of state policemen, you think of those guys who cruise up and down the highways checking for speeders, for drunk drivers and for expired license plates. David Goldstein completely erases any preconceived notion that you may have of a State Policeman!

First of all, Lt. Goldstein possesses a great sense of humor and we all thoroughly enjoyed his lively and skillful presentation on personal safety and crisis intervention. At the very beginning of his presentation, he asked us why we thought state policeman always wear sunglasses? According to Lt. Goldstein, the reason is because when a state trooper apprehends an individual, the officer should prevent himself from establishing any kind of eye contact with the apprehended person. “The eyes are the gateway to the soul.” During an investigation, the officer needs to be free to visually examine the (crime) scene without the suspect’s complete knowledge of where the officer’s eyes are looking. In his nineteen years on the NH State Police Force, Goldstein has held various positions from undercover agent for the Narcotics Bureau to serving as an adjunct college professor in criminology. He has served on a homicide unit and as an investigator in child-related sexual assaults. He has been a senior crisis negotiator on a SWAT team; he has been an instructor of rookie state police students in basic training programs; and, he has also been a polygraph examiner! Lt. Goldstein has had a wide variety of experiences in dealing with crime. He has worked his way up the ranks and he has also pursued advanced college degrees. The lieutenant has earned his Masters Degree in Counseling and a Ph.D. in Traumatology. This extraordinary NH State police officer has also been repeatedly invited to give presentations on the subjects of safety in the workplace and crime in our society.

Lt. Goldstein emphasized that “there are no experts in the field of human behavior…no one can predict human behavior… psychology is not an exact science…” So, he says, it is better to be “forewarned” and have “foreknowledge.” Even in this seemingly peaceful northern New England State of New Hampshire where we live, the incidents of violence proportionately are as great as those incidents which occur in other more populated areas of the U.S. He reminded us that if a mass slaughter of human lives can take place in a town hall in the small village of Newbury, NH, then such a violent crime can also take place anywhere we live or work in New Hampshire. However, Lt. Goldstein reassures us that we can be well prepared to deal with any kind of assault that is directed our way.

Goldstein cautions us that there are a lot of potentially violent individuals in our society who are simply “hanging by a thread.” The lieutenant has seen the tragic violent acts against humanity… from a six year-old newborn child to a ninety year old woman. Sometimes, these violent individuals act in the way that they do because they are faced with a problem that they cannot solve and they feel helpless. They turn their acts of violence upon themselves or others. However, the lieutenant reassures us that we area all able to deal with these violent individuals because we all have acquired some kinds of training in crisis intervention. If we have been married, if we have raised teenagers, if we have been a coach or a teacher, or if we have served as an intermediary for a friend, we have all learned effective techniques in crisis management.

Lt. Goldstein illustrates how, during Boot Camp, he identifies those exceptional rookie policemen who will have the “right stuff” to stand up in the face of extreme crises. Lt. Goldstein distributes a needle & thread to each rookie officer. The lieutenant says that he wants each officer to thread the needle in ten seconds. Only those officers who can keep their cool and their wits about them pass the test. (When we are anxious, we lose blood to our fingers and our small motor skills are impaired.) Essentially, what Lt. Goldstein wants us to do daily on the job is to be cognizant of those physiological changes that we are bound to experience in a stressful situation and to practice training ourselves in keeping the “rationality” of our behavior more powerful than our “emotionality.” When an angry and demanding boss, or customer, or fellow colleague, or child or spouse threatens you, you need to assume a behavioral change by practicing 1.) Active Listening Skills 2 ) Staying Calm 3.) and to never say “No” to the combative individual because from their point of view, they are right. And remember 4.) Sometimes we may be wrong!

Lt. Goldstein also discussed security in the workplace. He suggested that fire drills should be conducted on a regular basis in order to be prepared in case of fire or in case a violent individual has gained access to the workplace.. He also suggested that we know all of the areas in our building which are “lock-up” areas where we can escape when we are faced with a violent situation. The lieutenant suggests that shrubbery outdoors be removed in order that all entrances and exits be free of potential hiding place for assailants. The lieutenant reminds us to lock our car doors when coming to work, and he suggested that we use the “buddy system” when we leave our office at night. We should also look around our cars for any suspicious signs of danger. Proper lighting in the parking lot is also important during those hours in the early morning and late in the evening when we are apt to be at the office where few other employees are present. Better yet, don’t arrive at the office unless you are sure other colleagues will be present in their offices, too.

The Lieutenant sent us back to our offices with this final message… What separates us human beings from the animals in the Wild Kingdom is our EGO. When confronted with a potentially dangerous attacker, forget your pride and your self-esteem. If you feel threatened, tell another colleague as soon as possible! And if you are in the presence of that threatening individual, know your limitations, and tell the individual you have to leave to run an errand, go to the ladies’ room or answer a phone call.

Lieutenant Goldstein reminds us that one of his duties as a state police officer is to confront and be confronted on a daily basis by violent individuals, but he reminds us that this kind of responsibility IS NOT PART OF OUR JOB DESCRIPTION!