Police Humor in Suicide Investigation (In: Suicide and Law Enforcement, edited by D C Sheehan & J I Warren)

Humour is a highly specialized psychological response to the stress of human tragedy. This chapter reports personal observations of police humour encountered in more than 2500 suicide investigations; describes the red, yellow, greeen, & white zones of primitive, immature, adolescent, & mature humour; relates these zones to officer maturity; gives examples of each zone, & indicates their underlying psychological mechanisms. The humour cycle is introduced, general & specific influences & uses of investigational humour are discussed, & the relationship between the zones of humour & both stage of suicide investigation & the degree of officer experience is traced. JA