CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve their communities.

In fulfilling that role, officers can find themselves in high stress situations that can often be traumatic. There has long been a stigma around reaching out for mental health help in the law enforcement community, but that's been changing in recent years.

“Nothing really to pass on from the watch report, we had something earlier today, just look at your email for specifics about that," Patrol Sgt. Joseph Haywood said.

This is how the night shift starts at the Chapel Hill Police Department.

“Suspicious person that's been in the area, just take another look at that, be on the lookout for that," Haywood continues.

Haywood leads a team of about 10 officers in these nightly pre-shift meetings. Then, he heads outside to his patrol car to make sure the siren lights and sounds are in good order.

After a quick scan of the rest of the car’s exterior, Haywood enters the car, activates his body camera and is ready to hit the streets.

“Right now, we're just kind of going out and we’re going ride around. I may check in on a couple of calls just to see if the officers need anything," Haywood said.

He’ll spend the majority of the night, until the sun comes up, patrolling these streets, keeping track of every call, and responding to his officers' needs. So far, it’s a quiet night.

“This is about par for a Wednesday," Haywood said.

Others aren’t so serene. Haywood says he’s been to countless crime scenes that have taken a toll on his mental health.

“Eventually, it's going to affect you some way or the other, and I’ve learned that the hard way over time," Haywood said.

He says everyone deals with those, especially difficult crime scenes, in their own way.

“My wife is a school psychologist. She’s been there a long time for me and she's helped me out greatly through a lot of situations," Haywood said.

But, of course, not every officer has that kind of access.

It's why, beginning last week, all North Carolina sheriff's offices and police departments will require in-service training on effective mental health strategies.

Additionally, before any officer is hired, they’ll have to do an in-person psychological screening to determine if they can properly perform their duties.

"Dealing with stress and calls that leave a memory or an image or affect you psychologically — we deal with those all the time. Unfortunately, it gets to the point where it's normal for us to see that stuff, when really it’s not normal," Haywood said.

It's all part of a new law known as Support Law Enforcement Mental Health.

“I think it's great. We know before they come into this career if there are issues or if we can address that at the beginning. I also think that's something that should be continued throughout the career because you're constantly dealing with stress," Haywood said.

Haywood says all too often, officers feel they have to hide their true feelings.

“The stigma is you push this stuff down and you bury it," Haywood said.

He hopes the bill will change that perception and give officers across the state the resources they need to push through difficult circumstances.

“The biggest thing I tell my guys and gals on this shift, we have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of anybody else," Haywood said.