21st Century Policing

“The wellness and safety of law enforcement officers is critical not only to themselves, their colleagues and their agencies but also to public safety.”

 This quote is the opening remark for Pillar Six. The report further states:

“A large portion of officer injuries and death are not the result of interaction with criminals but the outcome of poor physical health due to poor nutrition, lack of exercise, sleep deprivation and substance abuse.”

The report goes on to say that mental and emotional well being are also important considerations given the amount of stress that police officers face. The culture of law enforcement does not promote the discussion of emotional or mental weakness, which leads officers to turn to other outlets to relieve their stress.  

• NPD provides ballistic vests to all of its uniformed employees, both sworn and non-sworn.
• NPD provides tactical medical/self aid kits and training to all of its uniformed officers.
• The department requires participation in a physical fitness program for all police officers.
• The City of Naperville, via Edward Corporate Health, offers a comprehensive annual physical examination.
• Department personnel launched a peer support program in 2017 to provide confidential, effective support to all of our personnel.
• New officers are paired with a veteran officer to have a resource as they become familiar with their new career.