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###  Law Enforcement Spotlight: Vallejo Police Department Employee Wellness Program

 May 2017 | Volume 10 | Issue 5

*Law Enforcement  Spotlight is a monthly column that features innovative and creative law  enforcement strategies from law enforcement practitioners around the country.  This column aims to share ideas that can be duplicated in most if not all  jurisdictions. Interested in contributing to this column? Email the*CP  Dispatch*team at**cpdispatch@usdoj.gov**.*

**The Back Story**          The city of Vallejo is largest  city in Solano County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San  Francisco Bay Area.  The city has a  population of approximately 120,000 residents.  

The Vallejo Police Department has an authorized strength of 122 sworn officers and a professional staff of  50.   

The Department is known for  being a fast-paced and challenging place to work.  Within this demanding environment, resources  are often scarce; however, resourcefulness is plentiful. 

The Department averages about  14 Worker’s Compensation Claims per year related to physical fitness areas such  as: object lifting, carrying, jumping, pushing, pulling, reaching or twisting.          

**Addressing the  Problem**          In late 2014, The Police  Department collaborated with the Fire Department to transform a closed fire  station into a public safety training center.   With the use of grant and one-time city funds, workout equipment was  purchased and set-up.  Additionally, a 16  week contract was signed with the Bio-Consultants firm.

Bio-Consultants is a team of  physical therapists, strength & conditioning coaches, and statisticians  focused on combining biometric data, principles of physical therapy, and sports  performance to decrease the risk of musculoskeletal injuries and improve  performance and function.  The team works  with public safety departments to improve employee mobility, stability and  strength all while reducing the risk of injury.           

**Overview of Wellness  Program**          The program is completely  voluntary and open to both sworn officers and professional staff of the Vallejo  Police Department.  A battery of fitness  tests will be administered to participants by the Bio-Consultants team. After the test, the Bio-Consultants team  will review the test scores to determine current fitness levels.  The Bio-Consultants team will meet with each  participant to discuss their test results and what their scores mean for the  development of a personal exercise and wellness program. 

**Physical Fitness Policy**          The Vallejo Police Department  recognizes the importance of physical fitness to employee health. Law  Enforcement work can be very physically and psychologically demanding. These  challenges are better addressed when an employee participates in a regimen of  personal fitness. If employees choose to participate, they must do so in a  manner that is safe, constructive, and in accordance with rules and guidelines.

It is the policy of the  Vallejo Police Department to promote physical fitness among its employees. Each  potential participant must consult with their individual physician concerning  their physical limitations, if any, and obtain their physician’s consent to  participate in the physical fitness program.  

In order to workout on-duty,  employees must be scheduled for a minimum of an eight hour shift during each  day of participation. The employee’s regularly scheduled and approved lunch  period will be extended to 70 minutes, 40 minutes of which must be spent  exercising.  Police supervisors are  expected to uphold the philosophy of the program by safely addressing the  workload, and calls for service on their shifts, while scheduling their  employees’ participation in this program.   Of course, workout time is subject to workload demands and is not  guaranteed.          

**Results**          The program is still in its  infancy and measurable results are not yet statistically meaningful.  However, about 50% of the Department participates  in the program and enthusiasm remains high.   As officers are required to work to an older age to achieve retirement  benefits, this program should prove to be well worth the effort.****

Lieutenant  Joseph IaconoVallejo  Police Department
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