One of my main objectives as a chief, and one of the top priorities of any law enforcement leader, is to provide a safe environment for our law enforcement officers who are tasked with engaging in a range of very complex and dynamic situations during the course of their daily activities.

Promoting officer safety and wellness within your agency involves several responsibilities, including advocating for your officers to have the equipment they need to safely and efficiently perform their duties, such as the wearing of protective body armor and seat belts. However, ensuring that each officer is taking the appropriate measures to reduce the risk of injury is not enough. One of the consistent issues that I have spoken about to the brave men and woman in my agency, as well as others, is the danger of officers being distracted in their patrol vehicles. Today, police vehicles are becoming encumbered with technology that can often be a dangerous distraction. While technology has certainly empowered officers in the field and augmented their enforcement and investigative capabilities, it may also represent a challenge to their safety. As law enforcement executives, you must make sure you speak to your officers about the dangers of being distracted by technology while on patrol.