OCTOBER 2 0 1 6 

Officer Safety and

Wellness Group

Meeting Summary

Improving

Law Enforcement

Resilience

LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This project was supported, in whole or in part, by cooperative agreement number 2014-CK-WX-K055 

awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The opinions contained herein are those of the author(s) or contributor(s) and do not necessarily represent 

the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific individuals, 

agencies, companies, products, or services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s) 

or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of 

the issues. 

The Internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of publication. Given that 

URLs and websites are in constant flux, neither the author(s) nor the COPS Office can vouch for their 

current validity.

Recommended citation: Spence, Deborah, ed. 2017. Improving Law Enforcement Resilience: Lessons and 

Recommendations. Officer Safety and Wellness Group Meeting Summary. Washington, DC: Office of 

Community Oriented Policing Services.

Published 2017
OCTOBER 2 0 1 6 

Officer Safety and 

Wellness Group 

Meeting Summary

Improving 

Law Enforcement 

Resilience

LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Contents

Letter from the Director. ... v

History of the OSW Group . . vii

Overview of the October 2016 Meeting on Resilience. . . ix

Part I. The Impact of Mass Casualty Events on Officer Resilience.1

Initial Remarks 3

Case Study Presentations 5

Dallas, Texas 5

Orlando, Florida 7

San Bernardino, California 8

Case Study Discussion about Planning for Resilience .

.

 .....................

. .

. .

. .

...................

...................

...................

...........................

...........................

...........................

.............. ............. ................... .

...................

...................

...................

..............

..............

............. ...... ........

.

.

.

.

11

Recommendations for a Resilient Crisis Response 17

Part II. Building Physical and Emotional Health and Resilience 21

What is Resilience? 23

Five Pillars of Resilience 25

Physical Health 29

Emotional Health 33

Recommendations for Building Resilience 41

Conclusion. 45

About the COPS Office 47

v

Letter from 

the Director

Colleagues:

In July 2016, we watched in horror as the events unfolded in Dallas, Texas, where five police officers 

were murdered. No doubt, your first concerns, like mine, were for the injured and murdered officers 

and their families. But we must also concern ourselves with the surviving officers, many of whom 

suffered emotionally in the aftermath of the shootings and experienced survivors’ guilt for months. 

It would be easy to assume that the men and women who enter this profession know what they 

will face on the job and are prepared for it. Yet, the long-term effects of dealing with difficult, often 

dangerous people; sitting in a squad car for hours; working night shifts; and adapting to other 

work-related stressors can lead to problems such as obesity, heart attacks, alcoholism, substance 

abuse, accidental injuries, and even suicide. 

In recognition of the cost emotional trauma can take on the mental and physical health of law 

enforcement officers, the OSW Group convened a meeting of law enforcement practitioners, mental health professionals, medical experts, and other stakeholders in October of 2016 to assist law 

enforcement agencies in identifying the best strategies and resources for helping law enforcement 

officers to build personal resilience. By resilience, I mean the ability not only to withstand the profoundly disturbing effects of responding to a mass casualty event but to thrive amidst the daily 

challenges and work-related stress that come with being a law enforcement officer. 

The following report, which covers the participants’ discussion, offers their insights and recommendations for promoting mental and physical health—the foundation of resilience. There is a great 

deal of practical information here, with advice that can benefit your entire staff and, as a result, 

improve relationships with your community. Officers who are mentally and physically healthy not 

only respond better to emergencies and other challenging situations but also relate better to the 

people they interact with, both on the street and in the precinct.

On behalf of the COPS Office, I thank all who participated in the October meeting, as well as our 

partners at the Bureau of Justice Assistance. I believe this eye-opening report is a must read for all 

law enforcement leaders. The personal resilience of the men and women who put themselves in 
vi Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

harm’s way for us every day should be a matter of deep concern to us all. Their mental and physical 

health are critical not only to their on-the-job performance but also to their individual and collective safety and that of the people they serve to protect.

Participants in this meeting stated that there is no way to completely prepare officers for the horror of a mass casualty event but that having a detailed plan to deal with such an incident is key to 

maintaining officer resilience. This report is an excellent first step.

Sincerely,

Russ Washington

Acting Director

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
vii

History of the 

OSW Group

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), a component of the Office of Justice Programs, formed the national Officer Safety and 

Wellness (OSW) Group in 2011 to bring attention to the safety and wellness needs of law enforcement officers following a number of high-profile ambushes on police. Since 2011, the OSW Group 

has raised awareness, increased knowledge, and encouraged law enforcement agencies to adopt 

practices that recognize that a law enforcement agency’s most valuable resources are the men and 

women who put their lives on the line every day in the name of protecting and serving their communities. For this reason, it is critical that the COPS Office and BJA—with support from U.S. Department of Justice leadership—research, discuss, and promote the best possible information to keep 

our nation’s law enforcement officers safe on the job.

To that end, the OSW Group, regularly brings together law enforcement practitioners, researchers, 

and subject matter experts to help amplify new and existing efforts to improve officer safety and 

wellness in the field. The founding goals of the OSWG are

 to create an opportunity and environment for law enforcement organizations and researchers 

to collaborate on improving officer safety and wellness;

 to bring together law enforcement organizations and researchers to share knowledge and information about officer safety and wellness initiatives;

 to broadly disseminate information and best practices to the field through the government and 

law enforcement organizational communications mechanisms.

The OSW Group identified 16 priority areas, grouped into four main themes, on which to focus:

I. Operational and emergency responses

1. Injuries and death from gunfire

2. Premeditated and unprovoked ambush situations

3. Rifle and long-gun threats and assault weapons

4. Task force operations (federal and local)

5. Offenders (behavior during incident and history) 

6. Court security
viii Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

II. Leadership and management

7. Leadership and safety practices

8. Equipment

9. Deployment strategies and communication technologies

III. Mental and physical health and wellness

10. Physical health (e.g., fatigue, alcohol, weight, and nutrition)

11. Psychological health

12. Maintaining good health

13. Former military in law enforcement

IV. Training

14. Education and training

15. Emergency vehicle operation and safety

16. Foot pursuit safety

Over the last six years, the OSW Group has discussed these critical officer safety and wellness issues 

and produced a number of resources to encourage the nation’s law enforcement agencies to adopt 

a culture that embraces the value of safety and wellness. The COPS Office and BJA continue to strive 

to provide agencies with the tools necessary to develop effective programs that address some of 

the most persistent and prevalent safety and wellness issues facing law enforcement officers today.

In the first half of 2016, the country witnessed an unprecedented number of police ambushes, the 

most notable being the July 2016 attack during which five Dallas, Texas, police officers were killed. 

Given this disturbing upward trend and the need to facilitate resilient officers and organizations, 

the OSW Group convened in October 2016 to discuss first-responder resilience and organizational 

health. This document is a summary of that meeting and provides readers with critical information, 

promising practices, and recommendations from law enforcement leaders at that meeting. When 

first responders have the tools and support they need to take care of themselves and manage the 

stress and trauma of their jobs, the benefits far-reaching positive effects in both their personal and 

professional lives. Safe and resilient officers help build safe and resilient communities.
ix

Overview of the 

October 2016 

Meeting on Resilience

T

he last several decades have seen a downward trend of violence against law enforcement officers; however, the threat of on-the-job injury or death is still real for officers nationwide. For 

example, vehicular accidents remain a persistent and high cause of officer deaths, but 2016 

saw a noticeable uptick in the number of firearms-related officer fatalities compared to recent years.1

These realities—combined with 

the daily exposure to stress and 

trauma that result from working 

in a 24/7 profession that regularly requires officers to interact 

with people under some of the 

worst possible circumstances—

highlight that policing can be 

a dangerous and potentially 

life-threatening job.

Work-related stress has been associated with a number of negative 

outcomes, most notably physical and mental health problems. 

However, such stress also can affect officers’ families, colleagues, and, for officers who interact with 

the public on daily basis, the community. Stress can lead to poor decision making and increase mistakes, both of which may jeopardize the success of the mission and the safety of the public. 

1. 135 Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Nationwide in 2016, Preliminary 2016 Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report 

(Washington, DC: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 2016), http://www.nleomf.org/assets/pdfs/reports/

Preliminary-2016-EOY-Officer-Fatalities-Report.pdf.
x Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

To help address these issues, the COPS Office and BJA decided to focus the October 2016 OSW 

Group meeting on how to develop and support resilient officers and agencies. A law enforcement 

officer’s individual resilience is essential for helping him or her to cope effectively with the stress 

inherent in the job. “Individual resilience involves behaviors, thoughts, and actions that promote 

personal well-being and mental health. It refers to a person’s ability to withstand, adapt to, and 

recover from adversity.”2

 When first responders have the tools and support they need to take care 

of themselves and manage stress, the benefits have far-reaching positive effects in both their personal and professional lives. Resilient officers are 

 physically and mentally healthier and have overall lower recovery expenses and service needs;

 miss fewer days of work;

 get back to routines more quickly;

 work through the strong emotions that come from being a first responder without relying 

on unhealthy coping strategies (e.g., self-medication);

 have greater job satisfaction and career longevity.3

To facilitate a robust discussion on this critical topic, the October meeting included representatives 

of major law enforcement membership and research organizations, labor unions, and law enforcement officers of different ranks from agencies across the country. They were joined by subject matter experts from the medical and mental health fields (see the sidebar “October 2016 OSW Group 

Meeting Attendees” on page xi).

2. “Individual Resilience: Factsheet for Responders,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, last modified 

April 10, 2015, https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/abc/Pages/resilience-factsheet-responders.aspx.

3. Ibid.
xi

OCTOBER 2016 OSW GROUP MEETING AT TENDEES

Brenda Auterman

Senior Policy Analyst, Office 

of Community Oriented Policing Services, U.S. Department 

of Justice

James Baker 

Director, Advocacy, International Association of Chiefs 

of Police 

Dianne Bernhard 

Executive Director, Concerns 

of Police Survivors 

Nick Breul 

Director, Officer Safety and 

Wellness Initiative, National 

Law Enforcement Officers 

Memorial Fund 

Helene Bushwick

Supervisory Policy Analyst, 

Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice

Jim Burch 

Vice President, Police 

Foundation 

Clarence Cox 

Vice President, National 

Organization of Black Law 

Enforcement Executives 

Dwayne Crawford 

Executive Director, National 

Organization of Black Law 

Enforcement Executives 

Mark Damitio 

Accreditation and Grants 

Manager, International 

Association of Directors of 

Law Enforcement Standards 

and Training 

Vince Davenport 

Supervisory Policy Analyst, 

Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice

Ronald L. Davis 

Director, Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services, 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Alexander L. Eastman, MD, 

MPH, FACS 

Lieutenant and Deputy Medical Director, Dallas (Texas) 

Police Department; 

Chief, Rees-Jones Trauma 

Center, Parkland Memorial 

Hospital

Andrea Edmiston 

Director, Governmental 

Affairs, National Association 

of Police Organizations 

Steven Edwards

Senior Policy Advisor, Bureau 

of Justice Assistance, Office of 

Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

Michael Ferrence Jr. 

Executive Director, Major 

County Sheriffs’ Association

Craig W. Floyd 

Chairman and Chief Executive 

Officer, National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 

Rick Gregory 

President and Chief Executive 

Officer, Institute for Intergovernmental Research (VALOR 

TTA) 

Virginia Hays, PhD 

Director, Montgomery County 

(Maryland) Police Department 

Stress Management Team 

Larke Huang, PhD

Director, Office of Behavioral 

Health Equity, Substance 

Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration 

Mary Hyland

Acting Director Intergovernmental Public Liaison, 

Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security

Nicole Juday 

Officer; Manager, Peer Support and Mentoring Programs; 

Indianapolis (Indiana) Metropolitan Police Department 
Raymond King 

Captain, San Bernardino 

(California) Police Department

Wade Lanphear 

Major, Olathe (Kansas) 

Police Department 

Kristen Mahoney

Deputy Director, Bureau of 

Justice Assistance, Office of 

Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

Lindsay Miller-Goodison 

Deputy Director, Center for 

Applied Research and Management, Police Executive 

Research Forum 

John Mina 

Police Chief, Orlando (Florida) 

Police Department 

Denise O’Donnell 

Director, Bureau of Justice 

Assistance, Office of Justice 

Programs, U.S. Department 

of Justice 

David Orr 

Sergeant, Norwalk (Connecticut) Police Department 

Travis Parrish 

Director, Client Services and 

Relations, Commission on 

Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. 

Robert K. Reed 

Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. 

Attorney Eastern District 

Pennsylvania 

Catherine Sanz 

President, Women in Federal 

Law Enforcement 

Jonathan Sheinberg, MD, 

FACC 

Lieutenant, Cedar Park (Texas) 

Police Department;

Medical Director, Central 

Texas Regional SWAT;

Special Deputy, U.S. 

Marshals Service

Cornelia Sorenson Sigworth

Associate Deputy Director, 

Bureau of Justice Assistance, 

Office of Justice Programs, 

U.S. Department of Justice

Darrel Stephens 

Executive Director, Major 

Cities Chiefs’ Association

Deborah Spence 

Assistant Director, Office of 

Community Oriented Policing 

Services, U.S. Department 

of Justice 

Laura Usher 

Senior Manager, Criminal Justice and Advocacy, National 

Alliance for Mental Illness 

John Violanti, PhD

Research Professor, State University of New York at Buffalo

Ron Vitiello 

Executive Assistant Commissioner, U.S. Customs 

and Border Protection, U.S. 

Department of Homeland 

Security 

Tracy Wilt

Office of Suicide Prevention, U.S. Department of 

Veterans Affairs
1

Part I. The Impact of 

Mass Casualty Events 

on Officer Resilience
2 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience
3

Initial Remarks

“Injuries and death because of gunfire, premeditated, and unprovoked 

ambushes and the threat posed by rifles, long guns, and assault 

weapons are the OSW Group’s top priorities,” said Denise E. O’Donnell, 

then director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), as she opened 

the OSW Group’s October 2016 meeting. About 13,000 officers were 

injured last year because of assaults, said O’Donnell. 

“Everybody has to look out for the safety and wellness of law 

enforcement officers,” said Ronald L. Davis, then director of the Office 

of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). “It’s up to 

all of us, especially those of us at [the DOJ], to convey to our communities the respect that officers deserve.” 

5

Case Study 

Presentations

T

o start the day’s conversation, three police departments shared with the OSW Group their 

experiences of responding to mass casualty events in the last year and the impact those events 

have had on their officers: 

 In December 2015, two terrorists killed 14 people and seriously injured 22 others in San 

Bernardino, California. 

 Six months later, in June 2016, a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 53 others at the Pulse 

nightclub in Orlando, Florida. 

 One month later, in July 2016, a gunman killed four Dallas, Texas, police officers and a Dallas Area 

Rapid Transit (DART) police officer. The gunman also wounded nine officers from three departments and two civilians. 

The OSW Group heard from representatives of the three departments to find out what resources they 

had, what resources they needed but did not have, and what steps they took during and after the 

crisis. Ultimately, the presentations were meant to help identify ways to support officers during and 

after critical incidents and to build the resilience that officers must have to weather intense crises.

The representatives said that there is no way to completely prepare officers for events such as these, 

but they agreed that having a detailed plan to deal with a critical incident and its aftermath is a key to 

maintaining officer safety and wellness. 

DALLAS, TEXAS

Dallas Police Department (DPD) Lieutenant Alexander Eastman, MD, who is the medical officer for 

the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit and a trauma surgeon at Parkland Memorial Hospital, 

responded to the chaotic scene as an armed gunman attempted to kill police officers during a public 

demonstration. As Eastman arrived, he saw officers trying to protect civilians and themselves while 

the gunman moved about and continued to fire. 
Dr. Eastman observed that the stress of the shooting was enormous for the officers who were dealing with the shooter and tending to the dead and wounded. The attack also had a negative impact 

on the department’s civilian staff, including the dispatchers who were handling the multiple incoming calls. In the hours, days, and months following the shootings, Eastman observed that officers 

experienced intense grief and survivor’s guilt. 

One difficult task following the attack was finding counselors who had expertise in counseling people dealing with trauma and who understood police officers and their work. Counselors within the 

DPD were trained to deal with human resource issues such as screening candidates to hire and 

counseling for substance abuse. Counselors available through worker’s compensation were not 

trained in trauma. The department found a private agency that had counselors with the appropriate experience and found a way to have the counseling paid through workers’ compensation. 

However, Dr. Eastman warned about the well-intentioned meddler. Many people may come forward in the wake of mass casualty events, promoting programs and services to help. It is important 

that agencies focus on assistance that is scientifically based and proven in the field.

Peer support is critical during this time. Peers are skilled at reassuring officers that their reactions to 

such a horrifying event are normal. Peers can tell others that “not feeling okay is okay.” Dr. Eastman 

also spoke about the importance of officers having downtime to take care of themselves and their 

families. The Dallas SWAT officers found themselves on duty for a month straight after the shooting, 

limiting their opportunities to work through their reactions and feelings.

The DPD uses the Psychological First Aid program,4

 which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 

(VA) and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network developed, and had been doing so for about 

a year before the July 2016 attack on Dallas police officers. The program includes a self-paced, 

return-to-work checklist that an officer works through before returning to duty and a visit with a 

psychologist for a stress screening. The customizable program is integrated with the DPD’s peer 

support program, offering peer support officers a framework within to work.

With the help of available counseling, the Psychological First Aid program, and the peer support 

program, not a single officer resigned or had a crisis as a result of the July attack in the months 

between the shooting and the OSW Group meeting. The department identified that some officers 

needed additional help and worked to ensure they received it. 

4. Melissa Brymer et al., Psychological First Aid: Field Operations Guide, Second Edition (National Child Traumatic 

Stress Network and National Center for PTSD, 2006), http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/materials/manuals/

psych-first-aid.asp. 

6 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience
Case Study Presentations 7

Dr. Eastman also spoke about the need for departments to prepare for the ways in which they will 

assist officers’ families after a crisis. In some cases, the families of the killed and injured officers 

did not have adequate support, yet they bore the greatest emotional burden. In one instance, the 

department was able to find a private donor to cover the cost of counseling for a family member 

of a slain officer. 

Dr. Eastman has also seen survivors’ guilt reach beyond officers who were on the scene of the attack. 

He saw this not only in other direct responders to the shooting but also in members of the command staff and other members of the department who were not near the actual shooting but were 

still very much affected. For Eastman, as a medical professional, he chose to methodically examine 

dash camera video to see if anyone injured could have been better treated and, in particular, if he 

and others at the scene could have done anything differently to have saved lives. 

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

No amount of training could have prepared officers for the carnage at the Pulse nightclub and 

the emotions the attack provoked, said Orlando Police Department (OPD) Chief John Mina. He 

described his department’s response when a heavily armed man began shooting people inside the 

club. An officer who was doing a detail at the club exchanged fire with the shooter. Other officers 

and the SWAT team were dispatched quickly to the club. 

The number of dead—20 people on the dance floor alone—and the cries of the wounded affected 

the officers emotionally. A number of officers remained on the scene for many hours while the 

crime scene was processed and the victims were removed. Even officers who had served in Iraq 

and Afghanistan said that this was the worst scene they had ever experienced. Their statements 

are a good reminder that officers are not robots; they can be traumatized by seeing the suffering of 

people they cannot help. 

His officers reported being particularly disturbed by the constant ringing of victims’ cellphones in 

the club as friends and families repeatedly called people who could no longer answer. After the 

attack, officers reported that hearing cellphones ring could trigger memories of the event. 

Chief Mina also spoke about the challenge of balancing public demand for transparency in an event 

that garnered significant national attention with the needs of the investigation and the officers’ 

needs for privacy so they could heal. Chief Mina gave responding officers additional time to return 

to work. When they did return, they were assigned desk duty for about a month before returning to 

the street. All officers who had been in the club were required to attend counseling. Because mass 
8 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

casualty events can also affect officers who were not at the scene, non-responding officers could 

receive counseling if they needed it. The counselor decided how many sessions each officer should 

attend, and the city paid for the counseling.

In addition to running critical incident stress debriefings, the OPD also made sure officers were 

aware of and had access to peer support. However, Chief Mina said an officer had reported that 

many were hesitant to use the service because officers feared superiors would find out and that it 

would affect the officers’ abilities to obtain transfers or promotions in the future. At the time of the 

OSW Group meeting, one officer had not yet returned to work since the shooting. 

Chief Mina also shared that feelings of grief and guilt can extend through the ranks to the command 

level. While officers usually have access to peer support programs, chiefs don’t necessarily have a 

similar program and may be the least likely to get help. Peer support is critical for the well-being of 

not only the officers and command staff but also the chief. When chiefs or other executive leaders 

model self-care behavior, staff are more likely to acknowledge the importance of taking care of 

oneself. Mina shared with the OSW Group his experience with receiving peer counseling from other 

chiefs who had experienced similar mass casualty events. 

Chief Mina noted that similar to Dallas, the OPD SWAT officers worked approximately a month 

straight after the shooting. Mina also said that he received assistance from 27 neighboring law 

enforcement agencies that provided personnel in the weeks after the attack, ensuring community 

needs could still be met. This assistance also allowed Orlando police to attend vigils and other community gatherings that were important to the healing process for both officers and the community. 

In many ways, the attack brought the police and the community closer together. 

SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA

San Bernardino Police Department (SBPD) Captain Raymond King recounted his department’s 

response when two terrorists burst into a gathering of city workers at the Inland Regional Center 

and opened fire. On the day of the attack, the men and women of the SBPD were already operating 

under stress, as the city was in bankruptcy, the police department was shorthanded, and officers 

were working forced-overtime shifts. 

Three hundred officers, including those from surrounding agencies, arrived to secure the scene and 

remove the victims. The officers arriving at the center faced a disturbing scene with multiple people 

killed or wounded. The SBPD officers later tracked the two terrorists driving a rented motor vehicle. 

The terrorists fired on the officers and were killed in the subsequent gun battle. 
Case Study Presentations 9

The department embedded counselors with the witnesses and survivors from the center. The witnesses were later transported to a different location where they were reunited with family. Counselors also met with the officers who had been involved in the shootout that killed the two terrorists. 

The SBPD held three separate debriefings: one for the officers involved in the shootout; one for the 

officers who responded to the center; and one for all other officers. The department encouraged 

each of the responding officers to talk to a counselor. 

Similar to what Chief Mina heard in Orlando, the SBPD had to deal with the issue that officers perceived getting help as stigmatizing and potentially detrimental to their careers. Captain King said 

he made a point to share his experiences and feelings with officers to help normalize the behavior 

but noted that it can be difficult to break through to some. One officer had had a particularly difficult time recovering, and he was reassigned to duties that gave him the time and space to work 

through the emotional aftereffects. 

The City contracted with a counseling agency that was on call 24 hours a day. The agency recognized that it is important for officers to know that the counselor understands their job and what it 

entails; thus, the counselors had experience working with law enforcement. The SBPD also made 

plans to offer additional support to officers, including counseling, in preparation of the first anniversary of the event, which raised for the OSW Group the important fact that immediate, shortterm, and long-term considerations need to be factored into resilience planning for mass casualty 

events. The City is also offering assistance to the victims.

11

Case Study 

Discussion 

about Planning 

for Resilience

During the discussion, the presenters and meeting attendees identified a number of basic lessons learned that could benefit any law enforcement agency. One of the key considerations 

raised in the discussion was that trauma can impact agencies of all sizes, so recommended 

approaches needed to be feasible for smaller departments. A number of attendees noted that most 

agencies do not maintain medical officers or staff psychologists who can help them triage and organize services for officers, civilians, and families in the aftermath of traumatic events. Even large agencies that do have these professionals on staff are unlikely to have hired enough to meet all employee 

needs in the aftermath of a large-scale crisis, or the professionals are unlikely to have the breadth of 

expertise necessary to meet all personnel needs for every possible circumstance. 

Thus, outside individuals and organizations will likely be critical in helping agencies and their personnel address trauma and access local resources, but agencies must remember that relationships 

with support service providers cannot be built in the middle of a crisis (see the sidebar “Preparing for 

Crisis” on page 15). Law enforcement agencies need to have someone whom leaders can trust to look 

out for the well-being of their officers, and that someone also needs to have gained the trust of the 

officers. The agency can delegate a staff member to this task and expect him or her to learn about 

trauma exposure and local resources, or agencies can reach out to their local medical communities. 

Doctors and psychologists do not have to embed themselves into the law enforcement agencies; 

instead, they can be approached as partners with mutual interest in the well-being of the community. 

For example, Dr. Eastman noted that in San Angelo, Texas, the police found some interested physicians, and together they formed a regional collaborative that the law enforcement community could 

call on when needed. 
12 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

Chief Mina of the OPD relied on his commanders and members of the medical community to 

help him make decisions about psychological support for officers, and the OPD director of human 

resources led much of that work. Captain King said the SBPD relied on human resources and a contracted counselor. The DPD got counselors from a private agency who were skilled in trauma counseling and were familiar with police. The OSW Group meeting attendees all agreed that counselors, 

whether internal or external to the agency, should be trained to help those dealing with trauma 

and have experience working with law enforcement officers.

While this discussion demonstrated that agencies of all sizes should plan for outside assistance, it is 

also important to be selective about offers of help. The attack on the Dallas police officers brought 

an outpouring of offers of help from the community. Agencies should plan for this ahead of time 

and assign an individual or group to vet offers. Some individuals 

who offer their services are reputable, but some are not. Likewise, 

not all services are helpful. In some instances, it may even be better to refuse offers to honor fallen officers to avoid re-traumatizing 

their families and colleagues (see the sidebar “Helping Bereaved 

Families” on page 16).

Seeking and accepting support and assistance from outside agencies is not just about health and counseling services; they also can 

extend to operations. Dr. Eastman, like many other officers in his 

department, worked every day for a month while the DPD and the city at large remained on alert 

and hosted numerous public events for people to pay their respects. In retrospect, he believed this 

was a mistake because it delayed many from taking the time required to assess their own needs. 

Chief Mina noted the same mistake was made in Orlando. Everybody, including the chief, needs to 

take time off to decompress. Police in particular need a break from the frontlines where they remain 

on high alert. Many of the participants noted that officers from nearby agencies will often be glad 

to help, but that has to be structured and coordinated. 

Meeting attendees also discussed extensively counseling services for law enforcement after critical incidents. Everyone agreed that counseling, both peer and professional, is critical to helping 

officers respond resiliently to crisis and trauma. However, overcoming financial and logistical 

challenges to accessing counseling, identifying evidence-based programs that have proven track 

records with first responders, and promoting the use of programs and services by people who work 

in a hyper-masculine profession and have concerns about stigma and career advancement are not 

small tasks. In particular, agencies cannot effectively address these challenges in the middle of a crisis. Agency leaders need to make identifying services, preparing for their use, and creating a culture 

in which self-care is a valued part of their everyday work.

Agency leaders need to 

make identifying services, 

preparing for their use, and 

creating a culture in which 

self-care is a valued part 

of their everyday work.
Case Study Discussion about Planning for Resilience 13

There are places where agencies can seek assistance in this planning process. For example, the 

VA has suicide prevention coordinators in all of its facilities across the country, and those coordinators could be a consulting partner for evaluating resources. And Larke Huang spoke of how 

the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is working to build collaborations 

between behavioral health providers and law enforcement officers so that each understands the 

culture of the other in serving community needs. When a law enforcement agency partners with a 

community mental health center to provide services, the agency could make the center a part of 

its own preparedness plan. 

Another important planning step an agency can take is to regularly remind officers that counseling 

is protected by the confidentiality requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the counselor’s licensing requirements, shared Laura Usher of the 

National Alliance on Mental Illness. Usher also said that agencies can build trust by building programs in concert with the union and command staff. Everybody has to buy into the program for it 

to be successful. According to Usher, education and leadership are the first steps to building a good 

counseling program. 

Sergeant David Orr of the Norwalk (Connecticut) Police Department also stated that leadership 

should not overlook the fact that union leaders are trusted by officers. Moreover, he said union 

leaders not only should be part of the process to select, promote, and manage counseling efforts 

but also could be important leaders in critical incident debriefings.

Several attendees said that peer counselors can also be an effective way to help officers heal. Peer 

support programs are good for helping officers manage mid- and longer-term wellness. Some 

attendees also noted that personnel may fear a lack of privacy 

in talking to peer counselors, but there are ways to address that. 

Nick Breul of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial 

Fund gave the example of Outagamie County, Wisconsin, where 

seven agencies pooled their resources to train peer counselors. To 

help combat the stigma of seeking help, officers can seek assistance from any of the agencies, not just their own. Jim Baker of 

the International Association of Chiefs of Police noted that Vermont has done something similar, 

with the League of Cities and Towns regionalizing peer support programs because all the agencies 

are too small to go it alone. Other attendees also suggested that military bases and veteran hospitals in some regions may also be able to assist local law enforcement with advice and resources on 

peer support programs.

Attendees also agreed that officers should be cautioned against going to the bar and discussing 

the incident among themselves. This kind of self-medicating can lead to negative perceptions and 

groupthink. However, there were some differences of opinion among attendees about how and 

when to use peer support. 

Peer support programs are 

good for helping officers 

manage mid- and longerterm wellness.
14 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

Some attendees said that both structured and unstructured peer support can help, but it should 

be an official activity, take place in a safe healthy environment, and be facilitated by someone with 

training. Others said that informal get togethers among officers may also be helpful and should 

not necessarily be discouraged. Some attendees preferred the self-paced model of Psychological 

First Aid, whereas others felt Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) was more effective. More research, or better 

access to research, is needed to fully inform decisions on what 

models to use. 

The OSW Group also discussed other challenges to resilience 

in the wake of the mass casualty events identified by the case 

study presenters. For example, balancing the need for public transparency with the need to fully 

investigate an attack can be difficult. In the immediate aftermath of the Pulse nightclub incident, 

Chief Mina briefed the press, and coverage was positive, but later reports incorrectly suggested that 

officers failed to do enough to protect those inside the nightclub. This coverage caused unnecessary stress for officers in the process of healing. To help relieve this stress, Mina broke his silence on 

the ongoing investigation to provide more detail to the public and to victims about what officers 

did when they went inside the club. 

Another challenge to resilience is that mass casualty events not only can make officers feel less physically safe while on duty, increasing their stress, but also can raise anxiety among officers’ families, 

who directly or indirectly increase the pressure on the officers to be hyper-vigilant. Thus, agencies 

should not overlook how addressing concerns of physical safety can improve mental well-being. 

For example, in the wake of the Pulse nightclub attack, the OPD purchased additional safety equipment, including heavy plate carriers and Kevlar helmets. The department is purchasing more rifles 

for patrol officers and redesigning their training. Prior to the attack in Dallas, officers assigned to the 

demonstration had been instructed not to wear heavy protection, because commanders did not 

want police to appear militarized. After the attack, the command staff told officers to make their 

own decisions about what to wear. Meeting attendees suggested other changes such as increasing two-person patrols, which an attendee noted was done in the wake of an ambush of two officers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Data may never prove that any of these policy decisions improve officer 

safety, but giving officers a greater say in what makes them feel safe on the job is important in its 

own right. 

In addition, meeting attendees discussed how mass casualty events can become important, teachable moments with the community. Law enforcement agencies should let their communities know 

that the victims’ pain causes officers immense stress. Helping the public to understand this humanizes the officers and can increase the public’s interest in ensuring officers are safe on the job. Law 

enforcement agencies can also explain to their communities that any military-style equipment 

deployed after a critical incident is there to protect the officers, not to intimidate civilians. 

Agencies should not overlook 

how addressing concerns 

of physical safety can improve 

mental well-being.
Case Study Discussion about Planning for Resilience 15

PREPARING FOR CRISIS

Though most law enforcement agencies have 

trained and equipped their officers to immediately respond to mass casualties, few have 

prepared their personnel for the psychological 

impact. Tragic events can have a profound 

effect on first responders, who may suffer 

emotional distress that can linger long after 

an event. To help the Newtown (Connecticut) 

Police Department cope with the murder of 26 

people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook 

Elementary School, the COPS Office reached 

out to the National Alliance on Mental Illness 

(NAMI) to provide guidance. The publication 

Preparing for the Unimaginable is the result 

of NAMI’s work with Newtown’s police chief, 

Michael Kehoe, who notes,

As chiefs or sheriffs, we can make a difference in the quality of life our brave men 

and women will experience from hire to 

retire and beyond. Protecting the health 

and wellness of officers under our command is as important as any training an 

officer gets throughout his or her career. 

Our officers make many sacrifices during 

their careers, and their emotional wellbeing should be among our top priorities.*

The guide aims to provide law enforcement 

executives with best practices regarding 

first-responder mental health—best practices 

learned from those unfortunate enough to 

have experienced a mass casualty event. The 

guide offers expert advice and practical tips for 

helping officers to heal emotionally, managing 

the public, dealing with the media, building relationships with other first-responder 

agencies, and much more. But this handbook is 

especially helpful because of the personal contributions of four police chiefs and numerous 

officers who have lived through mass casualty 

incidents and shared their experiences. n

* National Alliance on Mental Illness, Preparing for the 

Unimaginable: How Chiefs Can Safeguard Officer Mental 

Health Before and After Mass Casualty Events (Washington, 

DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 

2016), page x, https://ric-zai-inc.com/Publications/

cops-p347-pub.pdf.
16 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

HELPING BEREAVED FAMILIES 

The families of officers killed or wounded may 

not have adequate insurance to cover counseling and other mental health services. Victim 

assistance offices can help family members, 

and organizations like Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) can provide peer support for 

family members. At the OSW Group meeting, 

Dianne Bernhard, executive director of C.O.P.S., 

noted that the peer support that works for officers can also work for their family members. 

As such, C.O.P.S. offers family members peer 

support at no cost. With help from its national 

board, local chapters, and national network of 

survivors, the organization is able to find and 

reach out to newly bereaved families, sometimes only days after an officer died in the line 

of duty. C.O.P.S. helps family members to meet 

with others who have suffered similar devastation and hear how they cope with their loss. 

Being able to share their experiences can help 

survivors to find a sense of hope.

For more information on the National Peer 

Support program, see “Peer Support,” Concerns of Police Survivors, accessed March 21, 

2017, http://www.nationalcops.org/

peersupport.html. n
17

Recommendations 

for a Resilient Crisis 

Response

 Preparation is essential. Preplanning gives a law enforcement agency time to build relationships 

with providers and vet services, including psychological services. The key is to plan for possible 

scenarios now. Agencies should have checklists in place that outline steps they should take for 

multiple scenarios, including what to do when an officer is killed. The preparation plan should 

not end when the scene is secured. The effects of trauma exposure can be felt long after an event.

 Not everybody needs counseling following a critical event, but everybody should be screened 

and provided options. Depending on the results of the screening visit, an employee may progress 

to counseling. 

 Identify counselors who are skilled in dealing with trauma and who understand police before a 

critical incident takes place. When an event occurs, give officers the counselors’ contact information. Counselors should be available at any time, during the day or night (see the sidebar “Crisis 

Lines for Law Enforcement” beginning on page 18). 

 Agency leaders should talk to officers about the range of feelings they may experience in the 

wake of a critical incident. Officers may not know their feelings are normal. Set the culture at the 

top of the command chain; the chief should let all staff know it’s okay not to feel okay. Identify 

officers who are having difficulty.

 It is important to give officers some time off in the wake of a major event, but not so much time 

that officers are without the support of their peers as they grieve for those who have been killed 

or injured. 

 Remember that dispatchers and 9-1-1 operators also experience trauma and need help. While 

remote from the scene, they are still in the middle of crisis events. The Dallas dispatchers could 

hear gunfire and screaming from the street over their radio channels. In Orlando, distraught family 

members and friends were frantically calling the dispatchers, asking for information about their 

loved ones that call takers could not provide. 

cont’d on page 20
CRISIS LINES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

At the OSW Group meeting, a number of 

attendees recalled hearing about a statesponsored crisis line for New Jersey law 

enforcement officers, but no one knew of 

a national hotline or service for all officers 

and other first responders and suggested 

that such a program was significantly 

in need. 

After the meeting, the COPS Office learned 

about not only the New Jersey–specific crisis 

line but also a nationwide crisis line that does 

in fact exist for law enforcement officers. The 

lack of awareness about crisis lines among 

the OSW Group meeting attendees suggests 

that more needs to be done to ensure that all 

first responders are well informed about the 

resources available to them both locally and 

nationally. The New Jersey and national crisis 

lines may not be the only such services available to officers, and no officer should think 

they have no one they can turn to for help. 

A state-specific crisis line

After a series of suicides by New Jersey officers, 

legislation was passed to establish a statewide 

law enforcement crisis intervention services 

hotline, called COP2COP,*

 to serve New Jersey 

officers. The program was launched in 2000 in 

partnership with Rutgers University Behavioral 

Health Care and was the nation’s first crisis 

hotline that focused on officer suicide prevention and mental health support. 

The COP2COP hotline is staffed by cop 

clinicians, who are both retired officers and 

licensed clinical social workers; specially 

trained mental health professionals; and 

volunteer peer support officers. Trained to 

understand the concerns and problems of 

law enforcement, the staff can offer peer support, clinical assessments, and referrals over 

the phone 24/7. The program also provides 

critical incident stress management services 

to agencies and officers involved in traumatic incidents.

COP2COP estimates that it has helped avert 

more than 187 suicides within 10 years. Supported by the state’s Body Armor Replacement 

Fund, COP2COP is an example of how a state 

can establish a free and confidential crisis line 

that can have a positive impact on the wellbeing of officers and their families.†

A national crisis line

Safe Call Now is “a confidential comprehensive, 

24-hour crisis referral service for all public 

safety employees, all emergency services personnel, and their family members nationwide.”‡

This service was established in April 2009 

“in the hopes that no other officer, first 

responder, or public safety employee should 

have to walk through a crisis alone.”§

 The 

service is located in Washington State, where 

legislation was enacted to protect all first 

responders nationwide, civilian support staff, 
Chapter Title 19

and their family members with a confidentiality guarantee if they come forward and ask 

for help.

Safe Call Now provides all first responders and 

their family members with a simple and confidential way to ask for help, no matter where 

they are located. Staffed by law enforcement 

officers, former officers, and other public safety 

professionals, the service offers a safe place to 

get help from individuals who understand the 

demands of a law enforcement career. Trained 

peer advocates provide assistance and referrals 

for any officer or family member who is experiencing an emotional crisis or who simply needs 

someone to listen. n

* “COP2COP,” Rutgers, accessed March 22, 2017, 

http://ubhc.rutgers.edu/cop2cop.

† “Our COP2COP Program,” Rutgers University Behavioral 

Health Care, last modified February 22, 2017, 

http://ubhc.rutgers.edu/call_center/peer_support/

cop2cop.html/.

‡ “Our Vision and Mission,” Safe Call Now, accessed 

February 15, 2017, https://www.safecallnow.org/visionand-mission-1.html.

§ “About Safe Call Now,” Safe Call Now, accessed January 

27, 2017, https://www.safecallnow.org/about.html.

The lack of awareness about crisis lines among the OSW 

Group meeting attendees suggests that more needs to be done 

to ensure that all first responders are well informed about the 

resources available to them both locally and nationally.
20 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

cont’d from page 17

 Designate a point person to direct psychological services. This person does not need to be a 

mental health professional but should have knowledge of psychological response to trauma 

and have the trust of the chief and the command staff. This person could be a member of command staff or could be from outside of the department. 

 Community memorial events can bring together officers and members of the community. Several thousand civilians and many law enforcement officers attended a vigil in Dallas and felt the 

event was helpful in bringing the community and police closer together. Vigils and memorials 

in Orlando had a similar experience. 
Part II. Building Physical 

and Emotional Health 

and Resilience

23

What is Resilience?

A

s explored in the morning discussion of the meeting, mass casualty events can challenge the 

resilience of law enforcement officers and other first responders, and an effective response to 

support their well-being cannot be created in the midst of a crisis. However, attendees also 

recognized that the stress and trauma-exposure present in policing are not limited to such massscale events. The work of a police officer—a mostly sedentary job punctuated by brief periods of 

high stress and physical activity—can have long-term negative impact on the physical and emotional 

health of officers. This impact can also influence how officers respond to crisis. Resilient officers will 

be able to better manage the stress of both the everyday and the trauma of crisis.

Resilience is the ability to cope with and recover from stress, 

adversity, and trauma. Resilience may evolve from childhood and 

life experiences. A meeting attendee speculated that people who 

have been tested in life may be more resilient and may perform 

better in a crisis than those who have not been tested. Others suggested that resilience stems from having strong protective factors, such as networks of family and 

friends. Whatever the origin, the attendees agreed that resilient officers can maintain composure and 

self-regulate their levels of stress in challenging situations.5

But resilience is not limited to individuals; it also can be applied to organizations. A resilient organization is one that can support its people and respond to employee trauma, that recognizes the risks of 

the job, and that seeks to protect personnel from those risks.

The physical and mental health of the individual and the health of the organization and community 

play a role in resilience. Management can make or break officer resilience. The range of activities that 

can be a part of a culture of resilience are broad, but transparency, honesty, and trustworthiness 

between and among employees create the culture that leads to resilience. 

5. Sandra Ramey and John Markovic, “Improving Officer Resiliency to Stress and Associated Health Outcomes,” 

Community Policing Dispatch 9, no. 9 (September 2016), https://cops.usdoj.gov/html/dispatch/09-2016/improving_

officer_health.asp.

Resilience is not limited to 

individuals; it also can be 

applied to organizations.
24 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

One attendee suggested that law enforcement agencies build resilience by selecting the right people to become police officers, noting that the U.S. Navy SEALs have a test to predict whether a 

person is likely to pass the training program. However, another attendee said that he does not want 

to feed into the narrative that officers have been poorly selected. Some people may be more naturally resilient, but that shouldn’t be a predictor of who can be a good officer; in fact, agencies have 

selected good people as law enforcement officers. Also, there is no research to justify an approach 

that precludes building resilience. Overall, attendees agreed that whether or not an agency screens 

for resilience, it is a trait that agencies can teach and support.

Attendees then discussed that law enforcement, as a profession, needs a common vision for resilience in agencies. John Violanti, research professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, 

offered a starting point when he observed that a resilient law enforcement agency has a “moral 

and ethical duty of care.” The supportive nature of the organization is a key factor in facilitating a 

resilient agency. Such support helps to ensure recovery from stress and trauma and provides sustainability over the long term of a law enforcement career.

The supportive nature of the organization is a 

key factor in facilitating a resilient agency. Such 

support helps to ensure recovery from stress 

and trauma and provides sustainability over the 

long term of a law enforcement career.
25

Five Pillars 

of Resilience

T

he afternoon’s discussion began with many attendees enumerating known risk factors that 

officers face in regard to their physical health. They have little time to eat during their shifts 

and may frequently resort to fast food. They work night shifts or overtime or may have a 

second job, leading to inadequate sleep. A fast-food diet coupled with lack of exercise can lead 

to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. These risks 

exist even before the emotional stress of the job is added into the equation.

A point made earlier in the day was that we cannot speak about different aspects of health and wellness in isolation, and this notion resonated with the OSW Group meeting attendees. Hypertension, 

obesity, and diabetes are serious problems in law enforcement (see the sidebar “Elevated Health Risks 

for Law Enforcement Officers” on page 27). While more research is needed to fully understand the 

stress patterns of law enforcement jobs and how that can lead to heart disease, it is common knowledge that officers often have little time to eat during shifts. Time constraints can lead to heavy reliance on a diet of convenience, which is a known risk factor for obesity and diabetes. Moreover, shift 

work, overtime, and second jobs are known to contribute to sleep problems that can also raise the 

risk of metabolic syndromes and heart disease.

The meeting attendees acknowledged that some of these risks are unavoidable in the profession. 

Law enforcement will always be a 24/7 job necessitating shift work. Overtime is crucial to ensuring 

coverage in shorthanded agencies and is often an important part of an officer’s overall financial compensation package. While the job may offer opportunities for exercise, not every beat is walkable or 

bikeable. These obstacles do not mean that the health risks should be ignored. The lack of exercise 

combined with an individual’s genetic predisposition can place stress on officers’ bodies even before 

the emotional factors of the job are considered. Everyone in an agency needs to be cognizant of the 

physical and emotional risks and work to mitigate those that can be controlled, whether at the individual or organizational level.
26 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

Dr. Jonathan Sheinberg, a cardiologist and lieutenant with the Cedar Park (Texas) Police Department and a special deputy with the U.S. Marshals Service, introduced meeting attendees to the 

concept of the five pillars of officer health and wellness. According to Sheinberg, the following pillars should be given high priority in every law enforcement agency as the building blocks 

of resilience:

1. Tactical trauma care. Law enforcement agencies must have standardized equipment, including trauma care kits, and training in tactical trauma care such as hemorrhage control. When an 

officer is shot, the first responder to the scene is often a fellow officer (see the sidebar “Tactical 

Trauma Care” on page 28).

2. Cardiac screening. The risk of heart disease appears higher among police officers than the 

general population and may be exacerbated by the acute surge of adrenaline that officers 

experience in critical incidents. Screening for potential heart problems is necessary, relatively 

inexpensive, and likely to save money in the long run.

3. Fitness. Lack of fitness is a health risk for officers and a liability for their agencies. Every agency 

should have fitness standards for all of its officers. In addition, agencies should have consequences—though not necessarily punitive—for failure to meet the standards and a benefit or 

reward structure for those who meet or exceed them. 

4. Overweight and obesity. The risk of shift work and having a sedentary job places law enforcement officers at higher risk of being overweight or obese, both of which increase the risk of 

heart disease and stroke and make the law enforcement officer less successful in certain jobrelated performance measures. 

5. Emotional or mental health. On a daily basis, law enforcement officers see small traumas that, 

over time, can have as significant an impact as a major incident. This can lead to a higher risk of 

self-medicating behaviors such as alcohol use. 

When addressed together by agencies, these factors should lead to healthy, resilient officers. 
Five Pillars of Resilience 27

ELE VATED HEALTH RISKS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

At the meeting, Research Professor John 

Violanti referenced a study he worked on that 

showed the life expectancy of a police officer 

in Buffalo, New York, to be significantly shorter 

than that of the general population.*

 His work 

compared the life expectancy of male police 

officers in Buffalo, New York, with the U.S. 

general male population, using an abridged 

life table method. The study confirmed previous epidemiological research indicating that 

police officers have an elevated risk of death 

for specific causes, including cardiovascular 

disease, metabolic syndromes, and a number 

of cancers. The research also found that the life 

expectancy of police officers was shorter, and 

differences were more pronounced in younger 

age categories. The data showed that the years 

of potential life lost for police officers was 21 

times larger than that of the general population. This finding was due to the younger age 

death of officers.

To the extent that heart disease, metabolic 

syndromes such a diabetes, and some cancers 

are preventable or mitigatable, this and 

other similar research flags opportunities for 

agencies to assist their officers in taking steps 

to ensure their career choices do not lead so 

directly to early death. n

* John M. Violanti et al., “Life Expectancy in Police Officers: A Comparison with the U.S. General Population,” International 

Journal of Emergency Mental Health 15, no. 4 (2013): 217–228, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4734369/.
28 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

TACTICAL TRAUMA CARE

Tactical trauma care was not discussed at any 

length at this particular OSW Group meeting. 

However, this topic has been addressed in 

previous meetings and in other programs and 

resources provided by the COPS Office, such as 

a podcast on hemorrhage control and on the 

ease of tourniquet usage training*

 and numerous articles aimed at introducing law enforcement professionals to the Hartford Consensus. 

Tactical first-aid kits with tourniquets (and 

training on their use) can save the lives of 

both officers and civilians. These kits represent a small and relatively inexpensive tool 

that can have a massive impact. Kits cost 

around $50, and officers can be trained in 

approximately two hours via train-the-trainer 

or online programs. 

The Hartford Consensus, a committee led by 

the American College of Surgeons, has specifically looked at the benefits of hemorrhage 

control in law enforcement. The consensus calls 

for agencies to adopt hemorrhage control as a 

core law enforcement skill and to integrate rescue and emergency medical services personnel 

into community-wide active-shooter training.†

Community members also have a role to play 

in tactical trauma care. Bystanders are always 

the first on a scene, no matter how quickly 

emergency personnel respond to a call. Given 

that a bleeding person can die from blood loss 

in less than five minutes, community-wide 

training can save lives and enhance community resilience. In an effort to promote such 

training, the U.S. Department of Homeland 

Security has launched Stop the Bleed as “a 

nationwide campaign to empower individuals 

to act quickly and save lives.”‡

 With training, 

resources, and public service announcements, 

Stop the Bleed can assist agencies in helping 

both themselves and their communities to 

be better prepared for responding to activeshooter and other mass casualty events. n

* Alexander L. Eastman, Hemorrhage Control Overview for Law Enforcement (Washington, DC: Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services, 2014), https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/Hemorrhage_Control_Eastman.pdf.

† “The Hartford Consensus,” American College of Surgeons, accessed March 23, 2017, https://www.facs.org/about-acs/

hartford-consensus.

‡ “Stop the Bleed,” U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” last modified October 11, 2016, https://www.dhs.gov/

stopthebleed. 
29

Physical Health

T

hree of the five pillars of resilience emphasize physical health: i.e., cardiac screening, fitness 

training, and obesity. Dr. Sheinberg led discussions of physical health by stating that cardiovascular disease is a serious problem in law enforcement that is often left unaddressed; 

50 percent of law enforcement retirees will die from heart disease within five years of retirement.6

This is a particularly shocking statistic when one considers that law enforcement officers tend to retire 

years earlier than other professions. Moreover, research comparing police officers’ age and probability of dying to the general population found that a civilian’s probability of dying at the age of 55–59 

is just 1.5 percent compared to 56 percent for an officer.7

 This and other research have been used 

to estimate that 45 percent of officers will have a heart attack before age 45, compared to less than 

7 percent of the general population. 

In Texas, Dr. Sheinberg developed a screening protocol that he applied to officers who did not have 

any symptoms or evidence of existing cardiovascular disease and found that greater than 50 percent 

of the more than 750 officers screened had evidence of coronary artery disease. Although the initial development of heart disease can potentially be detected readily, early screening is vital. Unfortunately, younger individuals without symptoms are less likely to see their physician, and this age 

group is precisely the population that includes most police officers.

Meeting attendees wondered whether screening for heart disease could actually influence individual 

behavior. Dr. Sheinberg noted that good education on heart disease will encourage about 50 percent 

of people to make critical lifestyle changes. He also observed that while the population is generally 

pleased at medical advances to treat acute, immediate life-threatening blockages such as advanced 

coronary stent technology, his cardiologist peers view the insertion of a stent not as a success but 

rather as a sign of failure to diagnose coronary disease and begin early treatment. The medical field 

knows how to prevent and mitigate heart disease through less invasive lifestyle changes, supplements, and pharmaceuticals, but doctors cannot do that without the public getting timely screening 

and education (see the sidebar “Heart Health Screening Programs for Officers” on page 32). 

6. Tom Tracy, “Fit for Duty: Demand It,” Police (March 1993): 18.

7. John M. Violanti et al., “Life Expectancy in Police Officers: A Comparison with the U.S. General Population,” International Journal of Emergency Mental Health 15, no. 4 (2013): 217–228, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/

PMC4734369/.
30 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

This conversation interested meeting attendees because it pointed out how quickly medicine 

advances and how unlikely people outside of the profession are informed of the latest standards 

and protocols. It reinforced the earlier conversation that building relationships with local medical 

professionals, whether or not they serve officially as medical officers, can be valuable in helping 

leaders to make decisions about service offerings based on current, accurate information. 

Discussion on the risk of heart disease and stress led to a conversation on the links between 

exercise, heart health, and stress reduction. Attendees agreed that fitness is a major issue in law 

enforcement agencies. Research has shown that more than 40 percent of police officers (and other 

first responders) are clinically obese,8

 leading one attendee to grimly note, “We are the fattest profession.” Research conducted across nine Midwestern states found that nearly 83 percent of police 

officers were overweight (BMI > 25),9

 and similar findings were reported among retired police officers from a large city agency (85 percent with a BMI > 25), which is much greater than the percentage of U.S. adults who are overweight or obese (66 percent).10 For many officers, the academy is the 

last time they are obligated to meet any fitness standard—despite the fact that many other aspects 

of their job require regular requalification. And for agencies that do encourage fitness standards 

and programs, how agencies handle them vary greatly.

8. Sara E. Luckhaupt et al., “Prevalence of Obesity among U.S. Workers and Associations with Occupational 

Factors,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 46, no. 3 (March 2014): 237–248, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

pubmed/24512862.

9. Sandra L. Ramey, W.D. Franke, and M.C. Shelley, “Relationship among Risk Factors for Nephrolithiasis, Cardiovascular Disease, and Ethnicity: Focus on a Law Enforcement Cohort,” AAOHN Journal 52, no. 3 (2004): 116–121.

10. Sandra L. Ramey, Nancy Downing, and Warren Franke, “Milwaukee Police Department Retirees: Cardiovascular 

Disease Risk and Morbidity among Aging Law Enforcement Officers,” AAOHN Journal 57, no. 11 (2009): 448–453, 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19873941.

Encouragement and remediation are key to any diet and fitness program success, and the culture 

of fitness in a law enforcement agency should begin with the command staff. However, fitness and 

associated programs are areas in which unions should be a critical part of agency planning and 

implementation. Sergeant David Orr from the Norwalk (Connecticut) Police Department observed 

that, in his experience, union leaders and members will not vote for something in the contract that 

is, or can be perceived as, punitive. He instead proposes fitness evaluation programs that provide 

bonuses to those who meet or exceed standards. 

Other OSW Group meeting attendees agreed that officer buy-in is critical and that incentives are 

more effective than punitive actions. Chief Mina, for instance, said that Orlando officers can earn 

$100 for participating in a voluntary training class and can enter a lottery drawing for more. The 

officers being healthier also resulted in various cost reductions, leaving more than enough money 
Physical Health 31

to cover the cash incentives. Other examples mentioned included a program that provided officers 

who failed to meet age-adjusted fitness standards with guidance and coaching to help them pass. 

There is no consequence for failure so long as the officer pursues remediation. Some law enforcement agencies also have fitness coaches and trainers on staff; however, their credentials must 

be carefully evaluated against the needs of the officers, or the risk for injuries could potentially 

increase. Attendees referenced agencies that give officers an hour per shift to work out, and officers in those agencies tend to be fitter. The group also observed that the FBI has fitness standards 

coupled with time to work out three days a week.

It was also discussed that building a healthy culture can also be fun. Programs that offer intra- or 

inter-agency competitions as motivators, like the Running Man Challenge, encourage officer fitness. Many officers will also challenge themselves to maintain or surpass their fitness level from 

the previous year and will take advantage of on-shift workout time to make sure they do. Another 

motivation could be officers wanting to stay one step ahead of the criminals they may have to 

chase. One attendee described a motivational poster hanging in a police gym that shows inmates 

working out in a prison yard with the words, “Every day you don’t work out, they do.”

Some attendees said they believe younger generations of officers are more likely to maintain fitness and eat a healthy diet. Although there might be some broader cultural trends that influence 

how younger officers eat, many still find that the type of work the individual does is a predictor of 

fitness. Those who drive a car for their entire shift are less likely to be fit than those in more physically active units like foot and bike patrols. 

The meeting attendees felt that promoting fitness is important not only for officers’ health but also 

for their safety. Attendees also believe officers are more likely to maintain their fitness when it is 

connected with their own safety on the job; officers may have to chase a suspect on foot, break up 

a fight, or face a physical altercation with a suspect who works out every day. 

Last, attendees noted that many officers in their late 40s see officers not much older have heart 

attacks shortly after they retire. This reality can shock some into focusing on their physical fitness. 

While that effort is ostensibly a good thing, it’s important they have access to trainers who can 

develop age- and level-appropriate training programs. Also, that shock is less likely to resonate with 

and motivate younger officers. 

Of course, for any of these fitness methods to work, agency leaders have to prioritize wellness programs within their budgets. Agencies can spend their budget on preventative screening, education, and training, or they can spend much larger shares of it on disability, health insurance, early 

retirements, and death benefits. Despite the potential long-term savings of proactive health and 

wellness initiatives, it can be difficult to get local government leaders to see beyond their annual 
32 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

budget concerns. Thus, the message that health and fitness programs cost money in the short run 

but save in the long run should also be talked about with risk managers. Risk managers can help 

influence budget discussions, especially if the municipality has its own insurance pool, because 

risk managers have the actuarial knowledge and access to data that can show the financial value 

of prevention. 

In addition, evidence of the success of fitness programs—such as officers using fewer sick days or 

fewer officers needing medical rehabilitation services—appeals to risk managers and insurers. Of 

course, such evidence requires agencies to track data on these and other metrics; however, aggregate sick leave use is obtainable from human resource systems, and basic injury tracking models 

and applications have been developed for local agency use.

HEART HEALTH SCREENING PROGR AMS FOR OFFICERS

The Cedar Park (Texas) Police Department 

offers a voluntary heart health screening program as a free benefit to employees. Officers 

are well informed that in addition to being 

voluntary, the screening results are protected 

by HIPAA and thus cannot be shared with the 

department. Dr. Sheinberg, who is a lieutenant 

with the department, implores officers to tell 

their supervisors about any problem that the 

supervisors should know about so the officer’s 

health can be better managed, but that is not 

a requirement. Since the department has been 

running the screening program, it has seen 

more than half of the officers with identified 

risk factors proactively make changes to 

improve their health and reduce their risk.

The program costs less than $100 per individual to screen for the risk of heart disease and 

identify blockages to the blood vessels. This 

screening, when coupled with training and 

education on lifestyle change, can save incredible money in medical and lost time costs in 

the long run. Even though it can be difficult to 

convince municipal budget planners to spend 

money now on screening in return for future 

savings, the program offers advantages to 

both the agency and its officers. Considering 

the high costs of health care, Dr. Sheinberg 

estimates aggressive screening for heart disease can save approximately $5,000 per officer 

per year when extrapolated across a large 

department. And that is just the healthcare 

costs. That estimate does not consider the lost 

time of the officer out on extended medical 

leave. “Various law enforcement agencies have 

calculated the cost of an in-service heart attack 

to be between $400,000 and $750,000.”* n

* J.E. Smith and G.G. Tooker, “Health and Fitness in Law Enforcement: A Voluntary Model Program Response to a 

Critical Issue,” CALEA Update Magazine 87 (2005), http://www.calea.org/calea-update-magazine/issue-87/healthand-fitness-law-enforcement-voluntary-model-program-response-c.
33

Emotional Health

T

he fifth pillar of officer resilience focuses on emotional health. Although the law enforcement 

field discusses emotional health most frequently in terms of managing critical incident stress 

and trauma, as did part I of this report, emotional health is a much broader discussion. Statistically, most officers never encounter critical incidents like those faced by the Dallas, San Bernardino, 

or Orlando officers, but many face disturbing situations every day. 

The OSW Group meeting attendees noted that remaining resilient while witnessing the daily suffering of others—without having the time to process one event before moving on to the next—can be 

challenging for officers. Calls involving domestic violence, suicide, or involuntary commitments can 

be immediately followed by calls to the scene of child neglect or overdose deaths. An overwhelming 

number of officers say they went into the profession to help and protect people. Realizing day in and 

day out that they cannot protect everyone they encounter and seeing the destruction people can 

cause themselves and others can be emotionally draining.

Officers find ways to help themselves cope with this everyday drain, but some methods are less positive than others. Some officers take advantage of peer counseling services or build informal networks 

of support with their coworkers. Others find the support they need in family. But constant challenges 

to emotional health can weaken the social ties that individuals rely on to maintain their own balance. 

A real danger for officers is that of self-medication. Substance abuse by officers is a challenging problem. Addiction can impair decision making, putting the officer and those around him or her, whether 

citizens or colleagues, at risk. But even officers who can see that they have a dependency problem 

may not seek help because of the fear of discipline. The OSW Group discussed the importance of 

agencies encouraging officers who have a substance abuse problem to come forward so agencies 

can get the officers into treatment. One attendee’s agency tells officers they have a duty to report that 

they are seeking help. Another meeting attendee pointed out that this kind of policy might discourage officers from getting the help they need out of fear that record could threaten their careers. There 

was general agreement that self-reporting a need for help should not be a career-ender but rather an 

opportunity for rehabilitation. Agencies should recognize that someone who is impaired on the job 

may very well be self-medicating.
34 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

Officers’ personal and family lives can also impact their ability to manage their emotional health on 

the job. Family deaths or illnesses, the end of marriages and relationships, or children having problems in school are all stressors that can threaten officer resilience. Employee assistance programs 

(EAP) can be an important resource for officers facing these and other problems, but sometimes 

they go underused for fear of embarrassment or retaliation. 

Agencies can build trust by creating and promoting EAPs and other support programs in concert 

with union leaders, officer affinity groups, and command staff, because everybody has to buy in to 

a program for it to be successful. To build a comprehensive emotional health program that delivers officers the individual help they may need, 

education is the first step. The program’s leadership should be well educated about the various 

aspects of emotional health and the types of 

resources the agency can and should offer, and 

the agency should extend that education to its 

staff so they make use of program resources. It is 

important to recognize that there can be delays 

getting into the right counseling program, which is another reason why the OSW Group meeting 

attendees support the use of peer support and chaplaincy programs alongside other professional 

counseling programs. Not only is offering choices good practice, but also the peer support programs may help fill gaps when there are time delays in the mental health or insurance system.

Although attendees spoke well of EAP resources, Robert Reed, assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, noted that he has talked to a number of officers, including those working in corrections and policing, who want access to good mental health care but struggle to trust 

their in-agency EAP as a truly anonymous resource. Dianne Bernhard, executive director of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), concurred with Reed’s observation, noting that although the 

constituency of C.O.P.S. is the surviving family members of officers, C.O.P.S. regularly hears from 

officers who don’t know where to go for assistance (see also the sidebar on “Law Enforcement Suicide” beginning on page 36). To help meet that demand, C.O.P.S. has started an annual conference 

on officer wellness and holds retreats for officers from agencies who have lost colleagues. These 

retreats provide people who have experienced similar loss with a venue to come together.

The OSW Group meeting attendees also discussed whether a person can train for resilience and 

what that might look like (see also the sidebar on “The VALOR program” on page 38). One suggested 

that such training could start with field training officers, who spend time mentoring new officers 

To build a comprehensive emotional 

health program that delivers officers 

the individual help they may need, 

education is the first step.
Emotional Health 35

as they come onto the force. Many attendees acknowledged that agencies need to understand at 

some basic level where rookies are coming from. While rookies are typically young, that does not 

mean they are emotional clean slates when they come on board; they bring with them their past 

experiences and pressures from their lives. 

On a similar note, every officer needs to recognize that, just as the job impacts personal lives, personal lives impact the job. The attendees think mentoring programs should extend beyond the 

rookie year and carry on throughout an officer’s career. For example, Officer Nicole Juday of the 

Indianapolis (Indiana) Police Department said her department has an on-going mentoring program that plays a role in training officers to be resilient (see the sidebar “The Indianapolis Experience” on page 39). 

And Major Wade Lanphear from the Olathe (Kansas) Police Department echoed his support for 

mentoring, saying he has seen positive outcomes from his department’s mentoring program and 

knows officers who said they would have quit if not for their mentor’s support. The mentoring program is part of department’s larger peer support program, which the department launched in 2007. 

Over the last 10 years, approximately 30 agencies in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area have 

adopted and implemented similar peer support programs. Because of the widespread use of peer 

support programs in the Kansas City metropolitan area, the Olathe Police Department and neighboring agencies regularly collaborate for training and cross-jurisdictional support.

One final theme that emerged during the discussion on emotional health was that the field needs 

better dissemination of information about help that is available for law enforcement personnel. 

Many good initiatives developed for law enforcement are backed by science, but the field has not 

implemented them, because of a lack of understanding or awareness. 

Many good initiatives developed for law 

enforcement are backed by science, but the 

field has not implemented them, because 

of a lack of understanding or awareness. 
36 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

LAW ENFORCEMENT SUICIDE

People experience emotional health crises in 

response to a wide range of situations, but for 

law enforcement officers, their job experience 

involving frequent exposure to trauma can 

heighten these crises. Efforts to study suicide 

in law enforcement have been limited, as have 

efforts to raise awareness of the signs and risks. 

OSW Group attendees noted that each year 

more officers are believed to take their own 

lives than are killed in the line of duty.*

Faced with a recent increase in agent suicides, 

the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

has established a peer support group, an anonymous EAP, and a chaplaincy program to help 

combat suicide. The agency increased the 

number of visits an officer could have through 

the EAP, trained chaplains to better understand the trauma that officers see every day, 

received a commitment to the programs from 

the highest levels of leadership, and have 

launched efforts to make clear to staff that 

asking for help is okay. 

One participant noted that suicide is actually more common in smaller agencies; few 

agencies are aware of that and tend to think 

the opposite would be true. Although smaller 

agencies may lack the resources to support 

programs like the CBP, there are other options. 

Agencies can promote programs such as Safe 

Call Now (see the sidebar “Crisis Lines for Law 

Enforcement” on page 18) and similar state 

resources, the Veterans Crisis Line,†

 Crisis 

Text Line,‡

 and the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.§

 They can support awareness 

and educational campaigns that destigmatize 

suicide, and they can speak with personnel 

about the data and risks associated with law 

enforcement suicide.

Attendees also noted that many in law enforcement are military veterans and may even have 

access to suicide prevention and mental health 

services available from the VA. The VA’s commitment to reducing veteran suicide includes 

suicide prevention coordinators and teams of 

professional service providers located in each 

of the VA medical centers around the country. The VA also oversees a large and active 

nationwide network of peer support programs 

and have established two centers devoted to 

suicide research that also work to develop and 

test public health intervention strategies for 

suicide prevention. In 2007, the VA launched 

the Veterans Crisis Line, which allows either 

veterans in crisis or their loved ones to call, 

text, or chat confidentially with qualified VA 

responders. As of the end of 2016, the crisis 

line has answered more than 2.6 million calls, 

314,000 chats (since 2009), and 62,000 texts 

(since 2011).** The VA also provides educational 

materials and awareness resources available 

for public download and use.
Emotional Health 37

Although not identical to the law enforcement 

experience, the military experience has a similar hyper-vigilant environment and exposure 

to persistent trauma that can be useful in 

understanding law enforcement suicide. For 

example, VA staff noted in a follow-up interview to the OSW Group meeting that people 

often develop suicidal ideation in the mid- to 

long term, not in the immediate aftermath of 

a crisis event. 

The COPS Office has worked with the International Association of Chiefs of Police to help 

agencies address suicide through resources 

such as the publication of Breaking the Silence 

on Law Enforcement Suicide.

†† Both the COPS 

Office and BJA have supported In Harm’s Way, a 

program on law enforcement suicide produced 

by the Florida Community Policing Institute at 

St. Petersburg College.‡‡ 

Warning signs of suicide that everyone should 

be aware of include 

 experiencing anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness, or mood swings;

 feeling rage or anger frequently;

 engaging in risky activities without thinking;

 increasing alcohol or drug abuse;

 withdrawing from family and friends;

 talking about death, dying, or suicide.§§

The programs and resources that help people 

who are thinking about suicide can also assist 

those who see these signs in their friends and 

colleagues and don’t know how to help. n

* “Preventing Law Enforcement Officer Suicide,” 

International Association of Chiefs of Police, accessed 

March 20, 2017, http://www.theiacp.org/Preventinglaw-Enforcement-officer-suicide.

† “Veterans Crisis Line,” U.S. Department of 

Veterans Affairs, accessed March 23, 2017, 

https://www.veteranscrisisline.net.

‡ “Crisis Text Line,” accessed March 28, 2017, 

http://www.crisistextline.org.

§ “National Suicide Prevention Line,” accessed 

February 16, 2017, https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

** “Veterans Crisis Line Improves Service with New Call 

Center Opening in Atlanta,” U.S. Department of Veteran 

Affairs, December 20, 2016, http://www.blogs.va.gov/

VAntage/33789/veterans-crisis-line-improves-servicenew-call-center-opening-atlanta.

†† International Association of Chiefs of Police, IACP 

National Symposium on Law Enforcement Officer Suicide 

and Mental Health: Breaking the Silence on Law Enforcement 

Suicides (Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services, 2014).

‡‡ “In Harm’s Way: Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention,” 

St. Petersburg College, accessed March 23, 2017, 

http://policesuicide.spcollege.edu.

§§ “Learn to Recognize the Signs,” Veterans Crisis Line, 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, accessed February 3, 

2017, https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/SignsOfCrisis/

Identifying.aspx.
38 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

THE VALOR PROGRAM

In 2010, the BJA created the VALOR officer 

safety initiative in response to the startling 

increase in felonious assaults that have taken 

the lives of many law enforcement officers. 

VALOR provides all levels of law enforcement 

with tools to help prevent violence against law 

enforcement officers and to enhance officer 

safety, wellness, and resilience.

VALOR is a comprehensive effort that includes 

classroom and web-based training, research, 

and resources for sworn state, local, and tribal 

law enforcement officers. VALOR training 

provides critical, no-cost officer safety training 

to all levels of law enforcement nationwide. 

Both on-site and online training modules are 

developed using the latest expertise, analysis, 

tactics, techniques, and response methods to 

address alarming trends. Since the initiative’s 

inception, more than 22,000 law enforcement 

personnel have received VALOR training. 

For more information, visit “VALOR for Blue 

eLearning,” Bureau of Justice Assistance, 

www.valorforblue.org. n
Emotional Health 39

THE INDIANAPOLIS EXPERIENCE

Officer Nicole Juday of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department described her 

department’s Office of Professional Development and Wellness, which was designed 

to build resilience and keep officers in the 

profession. The office began as a disciplinary 

program but switched its focus to professional development and wellness after the 

department realized that officers who were 

referred for discipline had issues related to 

family, finances, mental health, or substance 

abuse. Now, the four-officer unit serves the 

department’s 1,700-sworn staff with a range of 

programs and services.

Among other initiatives, the program pairs 

mentors with new recruits. The 120 trained 

mentors undergo three days of training. The 

mentor, who patrols an area of the city similar 

to the mentee’s, connects with the mentee 

once a week for the first month. The formal 

relationship ends at the end of the recruit’s 

training, but many informal relationships 

continue afterward. In addition, the formal 

program has led to informal mentoring, as 

veteran officers are more likely to offer help 

and support to rookies.

The best mentors are those who have failed 

and have recovered from their failure, said 

Officer Juday. Departmental surveys show that 

the mentors view the program positively, and 

instances of discipline have decreased since 

the program’s inception. 

The office looks at a variety of factors when 

pairing mentors and mentees, including 

whether both have military experience. Officer 

Juday asks the mentees to give her a one-word 

description of what they seek in a mentor and 

asks them about their intended career path. 

The Office of Professional Development and 

Wellness also advocates for officers who 

need assistance or workplace accommodations. When necessary, the program has 

even referred officers for termination. Sworn 

personnel have come to know and trust the 

program during its first six years, so much so 

that officers in crisis sometimes call to ask for 

immediate assistance.

The program’s success hinges on the trust 

of the officers. The department also receives 

help from outside experts who, for example, 

can provide advice about mentoring millennials or women. n

41

Recommendations 

for Building Resilience

A

ttendees made a variety of recommendations to build resilience and keep officers safe and 

well “from hire to retire.” Some recommendations are aimed at law enforcement agencies; others make more sense for law enforcement agencies to follow up with national organizations 

and government agencies for their input and assistance. What is clear in all recommendations is that 

officer safety and wellness initiatives need to address both the physical and mental health aspects. 

The recommendations included the following:

 Don’t just launch new initiatives. Inventory what the agency has, and assess what it needs. This 

also includes educating everyone in the agency on key facts and data about officer health and 

wellness. For example, talk about the rates and circumstances of officer suicides, heart attacks, 

obesity, line-of-duty injuries and deaths, vehicular crashes, and other basic awareness facts that 

everyone in the profession should know. 

 Involve the whole agency in establishing wellness programs. The best programs involve management and rank and file working together and include education, screening, and service provision. Wellness does not need to be a chore, and programs can include incentives and competition 

to help inspire self-care.

 Provide a variety of options to help officers address their emotional health needs 

effectively. Formal counseling services are one avenue, but so too are chaplaincy programs, 

peer support programs, mentoring, and information on other venues for assistance.

 Model good behavior, and take ownership of initiatives. Agency leaders need to be clear that 

nothing is more important than the wellness of officers; this realization includes leaders’ own wellness. Show a commitment to diet, fitness, physical and emotional health screenings, body armor, 

and seatbelts when asking officers to do the same.

 Make fitness fun. Building teams and a sense of community within the agency can not only 

improve individual health but also make fitness enjoyable. Remember that the common use of 

push-ups as discipline in the academy may work to influence behavior during training, but that 

method also likely ensures that those officers will never do a push-up again once they graduate.
 Provide officers with annual fitness evaluations, regular information on the health risks 

of inadequate sleep, ongoing nutritional counseling, and periodic cardiac screening.

Although providing a full cardiovascular risk assessment for all officers would be the ideal 

approach, even small steps can help. An agency should consult with knowledgeable experts to 

ensure the agency uses good, validated tests; otherwise, the money is not well spent. 

 Talk about trauma as an experience shared by community members and law enforcement 

officers. This trauma-informed approach could help improve trust between the community 

and officers. Making agencies trauma-informed does not mean making officers feel like victims; 

rather, it is about recognizing and validating the trauma officers experience. 

 Collect and analyze national data to identify the characteristics of successful officers to 

help define the characteristics associated with resilience. For example, one attendee said 

that individuals who succeeded at his workplace were more likely to have played team sports in 

high school and college. The more we understand about individual resilience, the more we can 

do to promote and protect it.

 Remember the influence survivors can have on current officers. Messages like “take care of 

yourself” hold a lot of weight when they come from survivors.

 Create a system to collect resilience research results, and use the research to build effective programs. Currently, law enforcement experts recommend wellness programs without 

having the data to show if the programs are effective. 

 Create comprehensive officer safety and wellness toolkits. These tool kits should include 

resources that cover issues such as the long-term effects of doing law enforcement work and 

how officers can take care of themselves to counteract those effects. There should be toolkits 

for agencies as well as for individuals. Resilient agencies empower officers to take ownership of 

their own health and wellness.

 Push for a major cultural shift within law enforcement that talks about all five pillars 

of resilience. 

42 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience
Recommendations for Building Resilience 43

RESEARCH NEEDS

Throughout the OSW Group meeting, attendees flagged numerous potential research 

needs when they asked important questions 

but were unable to answer with valid evidence 

or data. Some of the identified research needs 

included the following: 

 Evaluating the effectiveness of critical incident stress debriefings

 Evaluating the effectiveness of the Psychological First Aid program 

 Determining the effectiveness of peer counseling models in law enforcement

 Exploring the mental health effects of hypervigilance and repetitive exposure to trauma 

in first responders

 Evaluating the effectiveness of existing officer 

wellness programs, with a potential metric for 

this work being sick leave taken by officers for 

injury or illness, and implementing research 

results to allocate resources and manage risk

 Studying the impact of traditional and social 

media on officers’ mental health and how to 

help them handle that impact, as the constant 

media barrage affects officers, making them 

feel criticized and misunderstood

 Developing metrics that can help agencies 

assess their programs and how well they 

are performing and that measure the physical and emotional impact of critical incidents 

on officers

 Conducting research on the job’s effects 

on heart health and how to mitigate the 

unavoidable negative stressors n

45

Conclusion

The OSW Group meeting attendees agreed that law enforcement agencies can and should work to 

build resilience but cautioned about making resilience a buzzword that is too broadly applied to be 

meaningful. The word does not describe every characteristic that an officer needs in every situation. 

Perhaps more important than studying individual resilience is building resilient agencies and the significance of leadership, communication, measurement, and evaluation to that process.11 Attendees 

agreed management needs to be held accountable for establishing resilience, but everyone in the 

agency should be a part of the planning and implementation process.

Throughout the day, attendees noted that research is critical to determining which programs work 

and which do not; while numbers and data are important, it is just as important to remember the 

stories behind the numbers. Officers, who are under increasing stress, are asking for help, but agencies cannot meet all of their needs. Agencies cannot always wait for the detailed evaluations; in some 

cases, agencies must focus on sharing what they know and have experienced in the hopes of helping 

others. No one should tolerate any number of heart attacks or suicides among active duty officers; 

even one is too many. 

Resilient officers and agencies are vital to effective public safety in this country. The men and women 

who dedicate their lives to protecting others must be healthy and must feel they have the support of 

their agencies and communities. As one attendee noted, “You can’t have a well department with well 

officers without a well community.” A law enforcement agency’s most critical resource is its personnel. 

They deserve the best protection agencies and the community can give.

11. A Ready and Resilient Workforce for the Department of Homeland Security: Protecting America’s Front Line (Washington, 

DC: National Academies Press, 2013), http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2013/a-ready-and-resilient-workforcefor-the-department-of-homeland-security-protecting-americas-front-line.aspx.

47

About the 

COPS Office

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is the component of the 

U.S. Department of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the 

nation’s state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and 

grant resources.

Community policing begins with a commitment to building trust and mutual respect between 

police and communities. It supports public safety by encouraging all stakeholders to work 

together to address our nation’s crime challenges. When police and communities collaborate, 

they more effectively address underlying issues, change negative behavioral patterns, and allocate resources. 

Rather than simply responding to crime, community policing focuses on preventing it through 

strategic problem solving approaches based on collaboration. The COPS Office awards grants to 

hire community police and support the development and testing of innovative policing strategies. 

COPS Office funding also provides training and technical assistance to community members and 

local government leaders, as well as all levels of law enforcement. 

Another source of COPS Office assistance is the Collaborative Reform Initiative for Technical Assistance (CRI-TA). Developed to advance community policing and ensure constitutional practices, 

CRI-TA is an independent, objective process for organizational transformation. It provides recommendations based on expert analysis of policies, practices, training, tactics, and accountability 

methods related to issues of concern.

Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to add community policing officers 

to the nation’s streets, enhance crime fighting technology, support crime prevention initiatives, and 

provide training and technical assistance to help advance community policing.

 To date, the COPS Office has funded the hiring of approximately 129,000 additional officers by more than 13,000 of the nation’s 18,000 law enforcement agencies in both small and 

large jurisdictions.

 Nearly 700,000 law enforcement personnel, community members, and government leaders 

have been trained through COPS Office-funded training organizations.
48 Improving Law Enforcement Resilience

 To date, the COPS Office has distributed more than eight million topic-specific publications, 

training curricula, white papers, and resource CDs.

 The COPS Office also sponsors conferences, roundtables, and other forums focused on issues 

critical to law enforcement.

The COPS Office information resources, covering a wide range of community policing topics—from 

school and campus safety to gang violence—can be downloaded at www.cops.usdoj.gov. This 

website is also the grant application portal, providing access to online application forms.

Since 2011, the COPS Office and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) have 

raised awareness, increased knowledge, and promoted practices that support the safety and well-being of law enforcement officers through the Officer 

Safety and Wellness (OSW) Group. In October 2016, the OSW Group brought 

law enforcement practitioners and subject matter experts together to discuss 

promising practices for supporting officer resilience. Resilience—the ability not 

only to recover emotionally from traumatic events but to withstand day-to-day 

work-related stress—is critical to the physical and psychological health of all 

law enforcement officers. In addition to summarizing the group’s discussions at 

the October meeting, this report contains case studies of the emotional impact 

of mass casualty events on first responders in Dallas, Texas; Orlando, Florida; 

and San Bernardino, California. The report also provides recommendations for 

preparing officers for traumatic events and strategies for supporting overall 

resilience through physical and emotional health.

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

145 N Street NE

Washington, DC 20530

To obtain details on COPS Office programs, call 

the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770.

Visit the COPS Office online at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

e021722811 

Published 2017