# Do police psychologists actually work at the station, like in the movies?



## ironpony (Aug 21, 2018)

Since I'm into writing screenplays I use movies as examples, and in movies like Lethal Weapon or Basic Instinct for example, they have a police psychologist who works at the station with his/her own office, and they treat the officers as patients, when their jobs become too much for them and the officers need help, or are sometimes ordered to undergo help such as in Basic Instinct.

In that movie, not only did the psychologist treat officers, but she also offered psychological opinions on the murderer the police were after to help catch them.  I am wondering, is this realistic, that the police would have such a person with his/her own office right there in the station? 

And would that person's duties not be only treating the officers, but also doubling to help catch murderers or other criminals that are psychologically complex to catch?


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## Bloggsworth (Aug 22, 2018)

No.


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## patskywriter (Aug 22, 2018)

If police psychologists are in Lethal Weapon and Basic Instinct, it’s probably because the writers wanted them there. After all, this is fiction, not manuals of police procedure, right? I get a vision of you getting an idea, not bothering to write it down, posting a question here, casting doubt on the answers given, dropping the idea, and then entertaining a new one the following day. ](*,)


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## ironpony (Aug 22, 2018)

Well like to know if the idea works first before writing an execution for it, or I have to know how to proceed first, before I know if it works or not.  That's normal, right?

I can just write it so that the psychologist character has an office in a building that is in a completely different part of the city then, if that works better.


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## patskywriter (Aug 22, 2018)

ironpony said:


> Well like to know if the idea works first before writing an execution for it, or I have to know how to proceed first, before I know if it works or not.  That's normal, right?



You’re kinda missing the point. What I’m saying is that You’re the boss—this is Your world, and You determine what goes. You seem to be going about this very timidly, wanting everything to be “right” and “correct.” I’m not saying that you shouldn’t, but I’m respectfully trying to point out that if you were a bit bolder (like whoever wrote Lethal Weapon and Basic Instinct), you’d set your own rules and expect the readers to go along because you’ve written it so well.


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## ironpony (Aug 22, 2018)

Oh okay, thanks, but I don't want to get too carried away with that, cause in the past when I was the boss, people were telling me that my stories were too crazy or too complicated so I felt I need to get confirmation on if ideas work in the first place, before getting carried away, unless that is the wrong way to go about it.

When I set my own rules, the readers didn't go along with it, so how does one get them to?


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## patskywriter (Aug 22, 2018)

ironpony said:


> When I set my own rules, the readers didn't go along with it, so how does one get them to?



You stand tall and continue to write. You get better with practice. Don’t let others, especially nonwriters, make you cower. I doubt if there exists any truly good writer who seeks preapproval for every twist and turn of his or her novel. To be your own boss you don’t have to dispense with the laws of physics and common sense—I mean, you don’t have to go crazy with power. But on the other hand, you probably shouldn’t doubt your every thought. You’re never going to appeal to everyone, so don’t try to please everyone. Stephen King would have quit a long time ago if he based his writing career on my opinion. I’ll probably dislike every book he’ll ever write and every movie based on his books, but what does he care? He’s got enough fans to make millions, so I’ll bet he’s pretty darn happy right now.


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## Ralph Rotten (Aug 22, 2018)

Shrinks are contract workers usually. They get called up when they are needed.
In a very large prison there might be a shrink on site much of the time, maybe even have an office where they treat prisoners, but rarely is it their full time job.
Lethal Weapon is a fun movie, but a lousy source for ANY research. I mean the guy carries a 9mm. Pffft.


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## Jack of all trades (Aug 22, 2018)

ironpony said:


> Since I'm into writing screenplays I use movies as examples, and in movies like Lethal Weapon or Basic Instinct for example, they have a police psychologist who works at the station with his/her own office, and they treat the officers as patients, when their jobs become too much for them and the officers need help, or are sometimes ordered to undergo help such as in Basic Instinct.
> 
> In that movie, not only did the psychologist treat officers, but she also offered psychological opinions on the murderer the police were after to help catch them.  I am wondering, is this realistic, that the police would have such a person with his/her own office right there in the station?
> 
> And would that person's duties not be only treating the officers, but also doubling to help catch murderers or other criminals that are psychologically complex to catch?



It might depend on the location. New York City may have one or two on staff, covering several precincts, but Smallville USA probably doesn't. If there's enough need and enough money, a psychologist can be part of the staff. But Canada, UK, Australia, or any other nation may be different.

If this is going to be set in your location, and you want to be as realistic as possible, the next time you see a cop who's off duty, ask. Be polite, and explain that you are writing a screenplay. Whenever I've done that, the response is usually helpful. (Though not always what I want to hear.)


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## RobbieO (Sep 24, 2018)

I don't think there is such a thing as a "police psychologist".  If a person needs to be mentally evaluated, that is usually by court-order and the wizard is appointed by the court and will likely be a certified expert witness.  A court system may have several shrinks to choose from.


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