Officer Safety and Wellness

Additional resources to improve officer wellness and safety to enhance daily lives

E-GUIDE

A self-paced, virtual guide of the best practices and insights from practitioners and subject matter experts

PDFs and Publications

THE SIGNS WITHIN: SUICIDE PREVENTION EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

The International Association of Chiefs of Police Center for Officer Safety and Wellness provides this report. The report includes recommendations for command staff, common factors associated with suicide, and national and local resources.

LAW ENFORCEMENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS: ELEVEN CASE STUDIES

The COPS Office funded this publication on eleven case studies of different department-wide initiatives designed primarily to address officer psychological health and well-being.

IMPROVING LAW ENFORCEMENT RESILIENCE: LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The Officer Safety and Wellness Group (OSWG) brings together representatives from law enforcement, federal agencies, and the research community to address the significantly high number of officer gunfire fatalities and to improve officer safety and wellness. This is a summary of a meeting where law enforcement practitioners, mental health professionals, medical experts, and other experts met to discuss issues impacting the health well-being of law enforcement officers. It includes recommendations and insights into promoting resilience for officers.

HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WELLNESS PROGRAM CASE STUDIES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT

This article was produced in partnership between the COPS Office and the Major Cities Chiefs Association. The article details several case studies of department-wide initiatives that work to address the stress and psychological strain many law enforcement officers deal with.

WELLNESS PROGRAM: LESSONS FROM THE SAN DIEGO POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) is an independent research organization that focuses on critical issues in policing. In a collaborative effort, PERF and the COPS office entered into a cooperative agreement to study the San Diego Police Department’s wellness program, which is touted as being one of the most successful in the nation. This comprehensive report demonstrates how the San Diego Police Department has achieved success with its officer wellness initiatives.

WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)

This U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) site provides guidance specific to law enforcement personnel and COVID-19 precautions.

Web Resources

LEO NEAR MISS

LEO Near Miss is a national partnership to improve officer safety and wellness, save lives, and to promote peer learning

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE – OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS

The International Association of Chiefs of Police is a professional association for police leaders that works to advance community safety worldwide. The Officer Safety and Wellness page includes resources to help officers stay safe while on the job.

POLICE CHIEF MAGAZINE – OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS

Police Chief Magazine is a publication produced by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and its articles are contributed by practitioners in law enforcement or related fields.

LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN – MINDFULNESS AND OFFICER HEALTH, JOB PERFORMANCE, AND WELL BEING

An article that describes the different kinds of stress law enforcement officers must deal with and recommendations to mitigate stress.

LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN – BUILDING COMMUNITY TRUST REQUIRES SUPPORTING HEALTHY OFFICERS

An article that details the relationship between delivering efficient and professional police services and maintaining the well-being of officers.

LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN – OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS

The Law Enforcement Bulletin is a website provided by the FBI’s training division, and it hosts a variety of articles and resources that are of interest to the criminal justice community.

PREVENTING VIOLENCE AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ENSURING OFFICER RESILIENCE AND SURVIVABILITY (VALOR)

The VALOR program is supported by a Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant. The purpose of the VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness program is to help law enforcement officers remain physically and mentally prepared for duty, and it provides training in both virtual and in-person formats to achieve these goals.

BUREAU OF JUSTICE ASSISTANCE ’S NATIONAL TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) provides leadership and assistance to local criminal justice programs that improve and reinforce the nation’s criminal justice systems. The BJA identifies Officer Safety and Wellness as a key priority, and it maintains a page that consists of additional resources that can be utilized by law enforcement agencies to improve their safety and wellness initiatives.

LAW ENFORCEMENT BULLETIN – ADDRESSING OFFICER CRISIS AND SUICIDE

An article that discusses the connection between stressors officers encounter on the job and suicide. It offers recommendations and insight on how to recognize officers in crisis and how to improve their health and well-being.

NATIONAL POLICE FOUNDATION OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS AND THE IMPACT OF NEW TECHNOLOGY

The National Police Foundation works to help the police be more effective in doing their job using innovation and science.

DESTINATION ZERO

Destination Zero works in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, and Preventing Violence Against Law Enforcement and Ensuring Officer Resilience and Survivability (VALOR). The primary goal of Destination Zero is to create a platform that provides all US law enforcement agencies with the ability to research successful and/or promising officer safety and wellness programs and identify the resources necessary to begin their own risk management initiatives.

THE VICARIOUS TRAUMA TOOLKIT

This Office of Crime Victims (OCV) has developed toolkit provides access to resources tailored specifically to the vicarious trauma needs of law enforcement personal.

SAFETY TOOLKIT: FEDERAL RESOURCES

This U.S. Department of Justice site highlights a variety of federal resources that can be useful to officers and agencies seeking guidance about officer safety and wellness.