May 2016

Officer safety and wellness is a top priority for the IACP. A complex topic, officer safety and wellness encompasses everything from tactical safety to safety on social media to stress management, to name a few challenges faced by officers and leaders today. The projects and recommendations within this month’s issue can help law enforcement protect its officers while also protecting the communities those officers are sworn to serve.

Cover photo courtesy of National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Articles

• Supporting Officer Wellness Within a Changing Policing Environment: What Research Tells Us

  By Brett Chapman, PhD, Social Scientist, National Institute of Justice
  Policing in the United States has changed over time, and police officers are facing constant challenges in their profession. In particular, recent incidents involving harm to community residents by po...

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• Revisiting Stress

  By Kerry M. Karaffa, MS, PhD Candidate, School of Applied Health and Educational Psychology, Oklahoma State University and Ronald R. Thrasher, PhD, Director, Forensic Psychology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences

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• Tactical Common Sense: Saving Lives with Seat Belts and Traffic Safety Vests

  By Joel Kuszynski, Sergeant, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Police Department
  What would most police administrators or supervisors do if they learned of a simple, inexpensive piece of equipment that is proven to save lives? Would they hesitate to equip and train their personnel...

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• Social Media Threats Facing Police Officers

  By Billy Grogan, Chief of Police, Dunwoody, Georgia, Police Department
  The world is a dangerous place for police officers. That statement has always been true, and it comes as no surprise to police officers and police executives. Most community members would agree with t...

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• Learning from Near Misses: The Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Near Miss System

  By Frank Straub, PhD, Senior Law Enforcement Project Manager, Police Foundation, and Robert Haas, Police Commissioner, City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Police Department

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• The Threat Posed by Radiological Materials

  By Stuart Cameron, Chief of Police, Suffolk County, New York, Police Department

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• An Enterprise-Wide Approach: How State and Local Law Enforcement Are Preventing Nuclear Terrorism

  By Huban A. Gowadia, PhD, Director (Former), Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Brigitte Mardigras, Program Analyst, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  In 2011, the republic of Moldova arrested individuals attempting to sell several grams of highly enriched uranium. The sellers had an understanding of both the properties and potential use of the mate...

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• Policing Gun Violence: What Works?

  By Charles F. Wellford, Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland College Park Megan Eileen Collins, PhD Candidate, University of Maryland College Park Carlos F. Acosta, Inspector General, Prince George's County, Maryland, Police Department
  Despite numerous efforts over the past several decades, gun-related violence remains a troublesome, persistent public safety issue. In 2010 alone, the United States experienced over 31,000 firearms de...

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