Wellness Focused Policing is a people focused policing strategy to promote wellness within law-enforcement first, and then to spread that sense of care, and focus on well-being, outwardly to the people served by the police.

This is not a quick fix, “flavor of the month” or a band-aid solution but rather a long-term commitment to developing the comprehensive health and well-being of both law enforcement professionals AND the people they serve.

Current news reports are increasingly rife with stories about communities clashing with their police departments about excessive force and police misconduct.  At the same time, law enforcement agencies are concerned with PTSD, police officer suicides, increased incidence of illnesses amongst police officers, lower than normal life expectancy, depression, domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse and ethical compromise.

All these problems stem from the same root causes: A career in law enforcement presents challenges to the human spirit, and the pressures of the career deplete officers in a way that is unique to law enforcement.  Every officer experiences endless exposure to danger, stress and tragedy, which depletes their reserves of idealism, motivation and personal resilience.

Positive, professional, skill sets are crucial for a fully functioning law enforcement officer, but unfortunately, due to a lack of training, law enforcement officers do not necessarily possess the habits and skills that they need to stay resilient and effective.

Wellness Focused Policing is a comprehensive wellness and resilience building process which incorporates nine critical areas of wellness under one strategy: Why is wellness important?; Building individual resilience; Building agency support systems; Building a positive wellness oriented organizational culture; Promoting organizational health with wellness leadership and support for leaders; and Promoting community engagement by building trust both within the law enforcement agency and between that agency and the community.