This report provides insights and recommendations regarding the promotion of law enforcement officers' mental and physical health, based on a 2016 meeting of law enforcement practitioners, mental health professionals, medical experts, and other stakeholders convened by the Officer Safety and Wellness (OSW) Group.
The report opens with a brief history of the OSW Group, which was formed by the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) in 2011 to bring attention to the safety and wellness needs of law enforcement officers following a number of high-profile ambushes on police. It outlines the four main themes of the OSW Group: 1) operational and emergency responses, 2) leadership and management, 3) mental and physical health and wellness, and 4) training. The report then turns to the OSW Group's October 2016 meeting, which focused on officer "resilience," which is defined as "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 report on the meeting is presented in two main parts. Part I, "The Impact of Mass Casualty Events on Officer Resilience," features case study presentations of mass casualty events in Dallas, TX; Orlando, FL; and San Bernardino, CA. This is followed by a case study discussion about planning for resilience, and recommendations are presented for a resilient crisis response. Part II, "Building Physical and Emotional Health and Resilience," first defines "resilience," followed by an outline of the five pillars of resilience and discussions of physical health and emotional health. Recommendations are then offered for building resilience.