Creating a Culture of Police Officer Wellness

Abstract

Operational and organizational stressors are characteristic components of police work. Police culture has historically resisted acknowledging the need to accept interventions in response to the operational stress injuries resulting from the frequent exposure to workplace trauma. Similarly, few police leaders have effectively managed to change the police culture to one accepting and receptive to members seeking and accessing help for operational stress injuries. In this review, the authors discuss various sources of operational and organizational stress in policing, identify a number of promising wellness practices and strategies, and argue for the need for strong leadership among police executives to lead their organizations through the changes necessary to produce a police organization that is healthy and resilient.