March 7, 2026

Helping fellow officers address excessive alcohol use

PERF members,

It’s the call no police chief or sheriff ever wants to receive: One of their officers, off duty and driving home from a social event with fellow officers, has crashed into another vehicle. Responding officers suspect it’s a drunk driving incident.

That’s what happened earlier this year in Mt. Pleasant, NY, outside New York City. A police sergeant left a police fraternal event in nearby Scarsdale and allegedly drove her car 50 miles per hour the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway. Within minutes, her vehicle slammed head-on into another car, killing the driver instantly. The sergeant’s blood-alcohol concentration, according to news accounts, was 0.26%, more than three times the legal limit in New York State.

Sadly, there is a long history of alcohol misuse among police officers. The issue was highlighted in a recent New York Times and New York Focus investigation into police officers in New York who had committed DUI-related offenses. What stood out was not only the harm that ultimately took place—usually alcohol-related car crashes—but the many missed opportunities for early intervention with officers who showed signs of a problem with alcohol misuse. Fellow officers are often in the best position to see the warning signs before a situation spirals into a tragic, preventable outcome. And a colleague’s timely intervention is vastly preferable to watching a fellow officer’s life and career collapse in the aftermath of a high-profile—and potentially fatal—traffic crash.  

Excessive alcohol use within the ranks of policing can be difficult to talk about, but with incidents like the Taconic Parkway crash, it becomes impossible to ignore. The instinct to protect a colleague from scrutiny about their drinking—to look the other way—is deeply human, especially in a profession built on trust and solidarity. But sometimes, that instinct can unintentionally shield someone from the intervention and support they desperately need. The historical practice of driving a fellow officer home instead of making an arrest for DUI may prevent that officer from reaching an inflection point that prompts their recovery. It also ignores the reality that many modern police agencies do not automatically seek termination for a first offense, assuming there aren’t aggravating circumstances. In these agencies, the focus is on getting the officer into treatment (residential or outpatient) to address the underlying condition and prevent future incidents.

Failing to confront clear warning signs—whether at work, at social events, or on the road—may feel easier in the moment, but it often delays the honest intervention an officer needs long before a crisis occurs. The question at modern police agencies usually isn’t whether resources exist; it’s whether colleagues are willing to speak up early enough for those resources to matter.

Research shows that alcohol use disorder is disproportionately prevalent among law enforcement professionals. For example, a 2010 study published in The American Journal on Addictions found that 18.1 percent of male officers and 15.9 percent of female officers reported experiencing adverse consequences from alcohol use (compared with 9.7 percent of the general population). In addition, 7.8 percent of officers met the criteria for lifetime alcohol misuse or addiction. The authors write that “these data suggest that the police officers in this sample were more likely to engage in a binge-drinking episode than the general population, with female officers being two or three times as likely.”

The reasons behind these statistics are clear—first responders face unique stressors and are exposed to significantly more trauma and PTSD-inducing events than the general public. To help cope, many officers turn to alcohol, and some of them eventually misuse it.

Changing the Culture

Law enforcement agencies need to address alcohol misuse before an officer finds a colleague intoxicated behind the wheel of a car. Police leaders have an opportunity—indeed, a responsibility—to foster a culture where alcohol misuse is not simply brushed off as a colleague “just getting drunk again.” This means naming the problem without stigma, encouraging peers to speak up, providing the necessary resources for officers who need help, and ensuring that seeking help is treated as a strength, not a liability.

There is a range of support services that agencies can offer to officers who have a problem with excessive alcohol use. PERF's recent report, Call for Help: Treatment Centers for Police Officers, highlights six culturally competent residential treatment centers vetted by the National FOP Division of Wellness Services. Staff at these centers understand the unique stressors officers face, as well as the camaraderie and values that unite members of law enforcement. Chiefs and sheriffs should encourage and support this type of treatment for those officers who need intensive help.

But not every officer requires residential care. Departments should ensure their personnel have access to and information about confidential substance abuse counseling. This should include information about the availability of medication-assisted treatment, such as naltrexone, an underused but highly effective medication that dramatically reduces cravings for alcohol.

Leadership and Accountability

Police leaders must set clear expectations about this issue. From the academy forward, officers should be encouraged to look out for one another’s well-being and trained to intervene when they see signs of excessive alcohol use. Just as PERF’s ICAT training teaches officers how to “step up and step in” when a colleague is unnecessarily escalating a situation on the street, agencies should provide protocols and training for employees who witness alcohol misuse among their coworkers. These are not merely lofty ideals; they are practical necessities for a healthy department. A colleague choosing to step in at the right moment, even when it's uncomfortable, might be the difference between a new beginning and a car crash that ends a life and a career.

Policing is a stressful and demanding profession, but excessive drinking cannot be the default coping mechanism—and pretending otherwise is a gamble with lives. As the tragedy in New York illustrates, one overlooked incident can lead to a fatal crash, shattered families, and the loss of a community’s trust.

Chiefs and sheriffs have a unique opportunity to send a clear message about excessive drinking in their organizations. They can create a culture that makes it clear that alcohol misuse will be addressed with honesty, compassion, and consistency. This kind of leadership does more than just reduce harm to individual officers—it preserves lives, careers, and the trust that communities place in their police departments.

Best,

Chuck