When the men in blue start feeling blue

Clarke Paris walked across the stage cool, calm and relaxed.

“Hey, Clarke,” an officer said to him.

“Hey, how are you? … How’s work? … How’s the family? … Enjoying the weather?” Paris replied.

Then Sgt. Clarke Paris of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police walked across the stage with a swagger: sunglasses on, hands on his hips, chest puffed out.

“Hello, Sarge,” an officer said to him.

“Hello, Officer. Be good. Stay out of trouble. Stay safe,” Sgt. Paris responded.

Role playing first as an everyday citizen and then as a member of law enforcement, Paris was trying to demonstrate how the public perceives the police, how the police perceive each other and how police officers perceive themselves, Paris said.

This formed the basis of “The Pain Behind the Badge” documentary and seminar, which was offered March 16 and 18 at Middlesex County College in Edison for more than 500 police officers from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Maryland.

“The Pain Behind the Badge” was developed about four years ago by Paris, who realized that he was suffering mentally from the stress of his job as a 21-year policeman. He said he began his career as a proud, strong cop who thought he was handling his life and work just fine.

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