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Recommendations for front line officers

Maintaining Strong Physical Health

Maintaining focus on physical wellness before, during, and after policing 1st Amendment events and civil unrest can help keep your body and mind healthy. During protests you should strive to do the following to ensure physical safety and wellbeing:29,30,31,32,33

  • Protect each other during protests, off the line, and off-duty. If you notice a colleague in physical distress, on the line or off, encourage him or her to seek assistance, or help the officer do so.
  • Keep a trauma kit or "go-bag" handy and at the ready.
  • Be on the lookout for yourself and fellow officers; pull each other off the line if you notice it's time for a break.
  • Keep up with tactical proficiencies and defensive tactics skills.
  • Request to have a safety officer on the line during protests.

REMEMBER: Don Personal Protective Equipment

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential to ensure that you and other first responders can perform their duties safely. Protests and 1st Amendment assemblies introduce a need for enhanced PPE, such as body armor, shields, helmets, and facemasks. Further, the need for PPE is even greater as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. You are now required to wear PPE, which complies with CDC guidelines around community health concerns.

REGULAR WELLNESS VISITS WITH YOUR DOCTOR

It’s often the last priority in our busy routines, but maintaining regular check-ups with your doctor is vital. A quick visit helps monitor and treat any potential health issues before they become too serious. Particularly for those who encounter such high levels of occupational stress, having a good baseline understanding of your health is crucial to understanding your limits. Keeping up with vaccines, medications and treatments will help keep you and your fellow officers healthy.

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This project was supported by cooperative agreement number 2016-VI-BX-K001 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

This report was prepared by the National Police Foundation (NPF). The National Police Foundation is the oldest nationally known, non-profit, non-partisan, and non-membership driven organization dedicated to advancing policing through innovation and science.

The internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites are in constant flux, the NPF cannot vouch for their current validity.

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