EDITORS NOTE:
I just received an email form Sgt. Sofia Gulino from Norwalk PD, Connecticut asking for our support with a petition to expand workers compensation coverage in Connecticut for workers diagnosed with PTSD. This is your opportunity to help your brother and sister officers in Newtown, all of Connecticut and perhaps set a precedent for making changes in the way we support officers with PTSD around the United States.
Since 12/14/12 Sgt. Gulino has been co-piloting a fund raiser for the Newtown CT police officers that responded to the Sandy Hook Massacre. Some of these Officers have been unable to return to work as a result of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Others show up, but leave when overwhelmed. On the table now is Senate Bill 823 to change the way we support people with PTSD.
If Senate Bill 823 passes, workers compensation coverage would be expanded to cover all individuals diagnosed with PTSD as a result of witnessing the death or maiming of another human being, such as the Officers in Newtown. I believe EVERY officer should sign this bill, as well as their family and friends.
She and I are humbly requesting that you sign or share a petition to support this bill. The town of Newtown is NOT backing the bill or their own officers. We need to be our brothers keepers. Most Officers have no idea that this bill is even on the table. They deserve…
A finalized report of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund website shows a total of 129 police officer fatalities in 2012. Of these, 52 are specified as “traffic-related”. This is in contrast to 49 officer deaths specified as “firearms-related”. The remaining 28 officer deaths are attributed to “other causes.” This is a reported decline of 22% compared to 2011, when 165 officers died in the line of duty (72 firearms-related, 60 traffic-related, 33 other causes).
These fatalities are representative of the primary danger of policing. The primary danger of policing is comprised of the inherent risks of the job, such as working in motor vehicle traffic, confronting violent persons, and exposure to traumatic incidents.
Sadly, there is an insidious and lesser known secondary danger in policing. This danger is often…
Right after the New Year many of us as police officers and other law enforcement professionals take this time to self-access our fitness, our lives and our well being. Sometimes, however we procrastinate, so I want to give you a little kick start to get you going with positive commitments for this coming year.
Law enforcement career survival takes a plan and a concerted effort. Let’s discuss some ideas to help you put together your wellness plan for 2013.
Over the last year we have witnessed many good things and many tragedies. Some things are beyond our immediate control but you and I have the ability to take control of our own fitness, our own emotional and spiritual well being. This balance is the key to a productive and more positive lifestyle both on and off duty as a law enforcement professional.
As a Law Enforcement Officer and there are many of us with different titles and responsibilities who are tasked with maintaining public order, public safety and enforcing the laws and regulations of our jurisdictions. We also uphold the public’s rights and freedoms under the U.S. Constitution. We are the Honorable Profession, one that the public entrusts us to uphold our justice system and provide assistance to many in need every day.
As members of this honorable profession we need to be emotionally and physically fit.
We must uphold our professional behavior within difficult situations and with the challenging…
I think its time we created a new credo for law enforcement. My suggestion based upon my strong beliefs about officer safety and wellness is: “Work H.A.R.D.; Live H.A.R.D.; Die H.A.R.D.”.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary a Credo is defined as” an idea or set of beliefs that guides the actions of a person or group”
So what do I mean by:
Work H.A.R.D.
Live H.A.R.D.
Die H.A.R.D.
I think the key to a good motto or credo is the deeper meaning that we take out of it that gives us guidance when we need it. In this case I have defined the acronym of H.A.R.D. as: H = Healthy A = Altruistic R = Resilient D= Dedicated
I believe that a truly skilled and proficient law enforcement professional should…
Chaplain Cary Friedman will be presenting his excellent program on SPIRITUAL SURVIVAL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT at the Natick Police Department outside of Boston Massachusetts on Monday February 18, 2013.
If you have not read his book “Spiritual Survival For Law Enforcement” I highly recommend it and it is available in both print and electronic versions from the publishers website CLICK HERE to learn more.
Law enforcement officers need to monitor and maintain their bodies just as they would care for any other piece of tactical equipment like their vehicle or weapon.
Tracking your body mass index is one part of that process. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.
You can CLICK HERE to use a quick BMI calculator from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists the categories for BMI as:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
Overweight = 25–29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
Use their quick online calculator to find out where you are by CLICKING HERE to see what your BMI is.
If you work in law enforcement you should know, and monitor your body mass index.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control “Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number…
PTSD, coupled with our fear and ignorance about it, is becoming one of the most pressing issues in law enforcement. We promise to “take care of our own” and we need to start doing it. Don’t be afraid, and don’t be ignorant about PTSD. Educate yourself about this problem so that we will truly never leave anyone behind!
Our thanks go out again to Deborah Louise Ortiz and her husband Michael for what they are doing to help cops. You might remember CopsAlive.com wrote about them in January as they began fundraising to produce the film “Code 9 Officer Needs Assistance”. They are continuing to work on their film and these two videos are their testimonials on Transcendental Meditation (TM) and about how it has helped them both as Michael manages his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Musician and songwriter Mully has created a song to honor law enforcement officers and if you buy the mp3 download all proceeds from the sale of “hero” will be donated to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
Mully has said that “hero is a tribute to police officers everywhere with a positive and uplifting message. too often the fine men and women who wear a badge to work are taken for granted. this is my way of saying “thank you” for your courage, dedication and…
I recently had a chance to interview Julie Zielinski about her new book entitled: “Matt’s Last Call: Surviving Our Protectors”. Julie wrote the book after her son, a sheriff’s deputy in Washington state, took his own life. As Julie reflects on the death of her firstborn son, she informs parents and children of the dangers of suicide, the difficulty of coping, the pain of everyday life, and lastly the days that happiness returns, even if just a little bit.
Matt Zielinski was an athlete, a U.S. Marine Corp. Sergeant, and ultimately fulfilled his dream of becoming a law enforcement officer. Matt worked for the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office in Wenatchee, Washington. He loved his work and was due to be appointed to the SWAT Team because…
