Rather than coming straight home after a hard shift, the officer is frequently stopping at the bar, hoping to take the edge off his rough day before returning home.

Communication is shutting down between husband and wife as the saloon stops become more and more common.

But a significant difference exists between downing a couple of beers after work and crossing over to excessive drinking.

After 25 years of counseling police officers, Brown says he has seen too many who cross that line."Police that abuse alcohol is just as bad (as in the past)," he said. "So many police officers I know drink excessively."

Although there is no official number on how many officers are affected by alcoholism nationally, data clearly show the addiction can lead to other serious problems, according to executive director Robert Douglas with the National Police Suicide Foundation.

In the 450 documented police suicides nationwide in 2004, 95 percent were alcohol-related, Douglas said. Drinking is also commonly linked with police domestic violence issues and homicide/suicides, he said.

The issue of police and excessive drinking has drawn recent attention locally after three South Bend Police officers were cited on alcohol-related charges in two months.

The most recent occurred Monday night, when off-duty officer Cpl. Joseph A. Muszer was found by police outside his squad car near the intersection of Miami Street and Ireland Road. He was detained on suspicion of driving under the influence.Responding officers smelled alcohol on Muszer's breath and administered a field sobriety test, which he failed, according to a court affidavit.

He was then taken to the St. Joseph County Jail where a test showed his blood-alcohol level was 0.17 percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Muszer's citation follows the cases of detective bureau chief Eugene Kyle and detective Ron Nowicki, who were accused of operating vehicles while intoxicated in December.

Stress and distress

In his 17 years with the South Bend Police Department, Lt. Scott Ruszkowski said he's witnessed his fair share of fellow officers with drinking issues."I've seen more than I care to see," he said.

Stress is a primary factor for police who begin extreme drinking, according to experts.

Officers deal with ordinary day-to-day dilemmas along with on-the-job pressure, said Ruszkowski, past president of the South Bend chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police.

"I honestly believe people tend to dehumanize officers," he said. "He or she is not supposed to have any problems."

Ruszkowski is currently taking classes at the National FBI Academy in Quantico, Va., including courses on stress.While there, he's learned the biggest stress for many police officers doesn't come from responding to calls but from administrative issues, he said.

Anxiety can also build from constantly being around tragedies and death. Studies show in the current 940,000 sworn officers in the United States, 20 percent suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, according to Douglas.

Often, officers fail to recognize their stress, burying anguish in the back of their mind, explained South Bend Police Sgt. Steve Noonan, FOP president.

"This job by nature, even as a rookie, you have to be in control," he said. "Sometimes you lose sight of your personal feelings."

And reaching out in a culture where the police perception is to "suck it up," makes acquiring help difficult, Ruszkowski said.Officers often worry about ramifications from work or being labeled as an alcoholic if they attempt to seek counseling, he said.

Although many officers turn toward working out or playing sports to alleviate tension, it's not hard for police to look toward alcohol as a release, according to Douglas, an officer for 25 years.

"It's part of the culture," he said. "It's a component used many times to socialize."

But it's a depressant, he stresses, that can easily turn into a dependence.

Searching for solutionsMany officers with drinking problems, in Brown's experience, have reported that it took a close call or near accident to point them in the right direction.

"Sometimes it takes a dramatic wake up call for alcoholics to break through their own denial and get some help," he said.

Support groups and approachable alcohol programs could be the start of curbing police alcoholism before it becomes extreme, however.

Brown has come across several departments who have a "stress unit," or "stress officer," designated to work with officers dealing with substance abuse problems.

The South Bend Police Department does not have someone with that title, Noonan said, but is looking for ways to raise alcohol awareness.After recent events, local police have already said they plan to push awareness that counseling programs are available for officers.

The FOP is meeting with Police Chief Thomas Fautz and his administration this week, Noonan said, to discuss preventative measures.

Education is also key. In Noonan's recent Police Executive Leadership Academy class, an instructor explained how important it is to monitor fellow officers, watching for personality changes or negative behavior.

In the same way an officer would lay down his life for another in the line of duty, Noonan said, officers should urge another to seek help when their life is at stake off-duty.

Noonan hopes the recent alcohol-related incidents involving his fellow officers will inspire some change within the department."I hope it raises awareness for officers," he said. "Maybe it's time to now look at some of the stresses, bring them to the surface, and do a self accountability check."