Stress is one of those topics that we are all experts in, regardless of our actual job or rank. We have all experienced stress in our work or personal lives and we are a good judge of how stress affects us personally. When managed appropriately stress has a positive impact on performance: just think about the extra learning achieved immediately before an exam, or the burst of adrenalin that carries you through a major incident. Stress becomes harmful to health and performance when the stress experience is prolonged and it is this psychosocial relationship between work stress and health that has maintained our interest over the last 15 years. In this article, we briefly review four recent developments in the work stress and health relationships, explore some of the police gender differences in stress experiences, and conclude by reviewing the more innovative stress management practices currently being adopted by some police services.