Harvey Schlossberg, the psychologist with a gun had served for over a decade as a police officer before being promoted to be the first onsite psychologist for the New York Police Department. Prior to that, either nothing was done, an officer was disciplined, fired, or a problem officer was referred to an off site psychiatrist. However, having someone who is a police officer with a degree in psychology evaluating and counseling other officers that were sent to him was very helpful in overcoming resistance to therapy and getting to the root of the problem.
In his book, Mr. Schlossberg describes dealing with policemen who had or were; mental illness, psychosomatic illness from stress and anxiety, violent officers, corrupt officers, malingerers, and more. Often, he would have a dubious though sometimes feasible Freudian answer to the problem's cause. He would frequently refer a troubled officer to an off site psychiatrist and the department paid for the sessions. What makes this book interesting is how the mindset on certain issues was very different in the early 1970s. Mr. Schlossberg didn't believe that homosexuals should serve on the force since they've given up their masculinity and that only with psychiatric help could they be turned to heterosexual normalcy. In the meanwhile, they should be fired.
Whenever an officer told him that he beat his wife, there was no scolding, firing, or arrest. At least Mr. Schlossberg would try to figure out why the man did so. Assaulting one's wife was apparently tolerated back then. Mr. Schlossberg also seems to promote the 'Blue wall of Silence' when he opposes using those officers caught in corruption while on duty, to spy on their collogues to find more corrupt officers. Apparently, this method works well but Mr. Schlossberg believes it should stop since "No man likes a squealer."
A number of his ideas and conclusions are either wrong or unsubstantiated personal opinions. But we are often a product of our times and training. His promotion to an easily accessible onsite psychologist was a step in the right direction. There were those who were helped by this man as they worked in a very dangerous profession.