This report examines the benefits to agencies of tracking officer injuries.
Results indicate that injury tracking will promote officer safety and wellness by instilling a culture of safety and wellness in international policing from recruitment to retirement. Findings show that over the course of the study period, 1,295 injuries were reported. Using a 10-hour work day for the purposes of the study, it was determined that there was a total of 59,380 hours missed by injured law enforcement officers. Based on the national average entry-level salary for law enforcement officers ($40,000), the total cost for the hours lost was $1,211,352. Moreover, the added cost of covering the injured officers' assignments by paying replacement officers overtime (time-and-a-half), based on that same salary level, was $1,817,028. When both factors are added together, the total cost for these 18 agencies for one year was $3,028,380. This report confirms that by better understanding the connections between injuries and factors such as fitness, training, and officer experience, agencies can proactively take steps to reduce future injuries and mitigate injury severity.