This article is based on research conducted as a part of the CA POST Command College. It is a futures study of a particular emerging issue of relevance to law enforcement. Its purpose is not to predict the future; rather, to project a variety of possible scenarios useful for planning and action in anticipation of the emerging landscape facing policing organizations.
The article was created using the futures forecasting process of Command College and its outcomes. Managing the future means influencing it — creating, constraining and adapting to emerging trends and events in a way that optimizes the opportunities and minimizes the threats of relevance to the profession.
By Captain Daniel Ford
St. Bernard of Clairvaux once said the road to hell is paved with good intentions. One interpretation of this maxim is that despite our best beliefs, the positive works we try to do could inadvertently prove more harmful than beneficial. This prompts a critical question for the future of policing: Is the current means by which law enforcement organizations deliver officer wellness programs optimal and sustainable moving forward?
Despite well-meaning devotion to our organizations, we must consider economic and leadership trends relative to sustainability; technology’s future ability to support a balanced and accountable approach toward officer wellness; and cultural considerations related to generational learning and expectations. Leaders must consider whether their officer wellness programs can sustain the resilience necessary for organizational success.
Evidence for a better future
The past several years have been a roller coaster of economic uncertainty in many places; California is one. Despite benefiting from significant surpluses of up to $55 billion in fiscal years 2021–23, California rapidly entered a deficit economy, estimated at $68 billion, by FY2023–24. [1,2] One of the benefits reaped by law enforcement organizations from the 2021–2023 surpluses was a $50 million grant to fund wellness programs for law enforcement professionals, approved through legislation in 2022. [3] This grant program gave individual agencies a great deal of autonomy in how the funds were spent, with funding based only on organizational size.
As we now wrestle with a deficit and potentially a recession, law enforcement leaders may have to make the tough choices that often come with constrained budgets. In a time when the public demands more police training and more police transparency, the costs associated with programs to achieve that goal (body-worn cameras, tracking use of force, et al.) rise accordingly. Funding an effective officer wellness program could reduce services or roll up a program altogether. This could be especially costly for law enforcement organizations that serve impoverished areas or lack the revenue of more affluent communities. In these uncertain times, we have an opportunity to consider emerging technologies to create an improved means of providing officer wellness programs and more efficient delivery of services.
A technology-based approach
The capabilities will soon exist to measure officer wellness metrics through emerging technologies. These metrics can range from the monitoring of live health and stress parameters to real-time analysis of physical fitness and nutrition goals and even finance and retirement planning. All these metrics can be monitored on a single dashboard, similar to those we see in today’s vehicles, allowing officers to track their wellness from a single source.
Tools such as AI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain transactional capabilities will allow for integrated, holistic approaches to ensuring law enforcement professionals remain healthy. AI can analyze and interpret enormous amounts of data. AI data pools will only grow with the advent of the IoT, which allows “the integration of devices [and] services from different heterogeneous platforms to provide the efficient and reliable service” of interoperability. [4] With the IoT already being used to connect smart cities, agriculture and the health field, it seems within the bounds of imagination that this technology could be used to revolutionize officer wellness. AI will allow data to be interpreted for the individualized needs of users who can act on the information to establish a healthier lifestyle. At the same time, blockchain is opening the door for individuals to access their medical and financial information without the burden of requesting it from providers.
With access to digital information continuously expanding, the ability to develop digital dashboards that support the need for immediate feedback and self-actualization is at our fingertips. [5] Digital security concerns are certainly valid; however, we are already living with these concerns, and as the exponential rate of digital transformation continues, it should not be a paralyzing issue.
An alternative approach to organizational wellness
Whether an organization has an established wellness program or is just beginning the process, leaders should convene a team to assess its current status and identify opportunities for improvement. The following considerations can help create a more adaptive and accountable officer wellness program.
1. A holistic approach to wellness
A comprehensive wellness strategy should encompass physical and mental health, nutrition and fitness, and financial planning. These components should be monitored in real time, with early warning or intervention systems alerting officers when wellness factors may be at risk. Research has shown that early intervention programs improve retention. [6] Rather than focusing on the risks of technology, agencies should embrace its ability to provide real-time data that proactively supports officer well-being.
2. Meeting the expectations of younger officers
Millennials and Gen Z officers now make up a growing share of the workforce. As digital natives, they expect immediate feedback and personalized tools. [7] To meet these expectations, agencies should explore digital solutions that empower officers to take greater ownership of their wellness.
3. The challenge of workers’ compensation
Agencies must determine when and how to be involved in wellness monitoring. Research suggests that the workers’ compensation process is widely seen as unsupportive and stressful for those experiencing job-related stress injuries. According to Australian psychologist Michael Kyron, “Two-thirds of employees who had made a claim reported the process as unsupportive and stressful, and over half reported it had an overall negative impact on their recovery.” [8] Given this, separating wellness programs from the department — by leveraging peer support networks, nonprofit organizations and independent wellness foundations — may provide officers with better support. This approach may seem counterintuitive, but leaders should ask why they should approach officer wellness any differently than they do medical concerns organizations likely never find out about. It would seem quite practicable to have identified intervention needs be treated no differently than medical lab work, limiting the interaction to the patient and their provider.
4. A digital dashboard for proactive wellness
A proactive, digital wellness dashboard could serve as a confidential platform where officers can access personalized consultations, recommendations, and planning tools for fitness, nutrition, and financial management. Many of these services already exist in isolation, but integrating them into a single digital platform would allow for a comprehensive, data-driven approach to wellness. This system could supplement existing department programs such as fitness initiatives and peer support, ensuring officers receive tailored, real-time support without stigma.
Conclusion
Calls for improved officer wellness programs have provided a significant paradigm shift in the field of law enforcement. Nothing suggests there is only one approach to officer wellness, but it should challenge leaders to continue to assess their programs to ensure they remain resilient in the face of shifts in economic and leadership environments.
The ongoing evolution of technology may provide the means of improving today’s wellness programs to include more preventative and holistic interventions in the future. Recognizing generational trends, including younger workers’ comfort with technology and desire for immediate feedback, suggests wellness programs must be resilient and open to evolutionary forces to remain successful and impactful. By investing time and resources toward continual improvement and embracing the future of technology’s impact on officer wellness, law enforcement organizations will be able to address factors that impact officer wellness while ensuring a commitment to maintaining a healthy workforce.
By adopting a modern, data-driven and officer-centric approach to wellness, agencies can foster a healthier and more resilient workforce — ultimately improving retention, performance and overall well-being.
References
1. Petek G. The 2023–24 budget: Multiyear assessment. Legislative Analyst’s Office. February 2023.
2. Petek G. The 2024–25 budget: California’s fiscal outlook. Legislative Analyst’s Office. December 2023.
3. [Budget Act]
4. Kumar S, Tiwari P, Zymbler M. Internet of Things is a revolutionary approach for future technology enhancement: a review. J Big Data. 2019;6(1):93.
5. Dokadia A, Rai S, Chawla D. Multigenerational differences in work attributes & motivation: An empirical study. Indian J Ind Relat. 2015;50(4):554-567.
6. Villano R, Harrison S, Lynch G, Chen G. Linking early alert systems and student retention: A survival analysis approach. High Educ. 2018;76(5):887-904. doi:10.1007/s10734-018-0249-y.
7. Gong B, Ramkissoon A, Greenwood RA, Hoyte DS. The generation for change: Millennials, their career orientation, and role innovation. J Manag Issues. 2018;30(1):82-97.
8. Kyron MJ, Rikkers W, O’Brien P, Bartlett J, Lawrence D. Experiences of police and emergency services employees with workers’ compensation claims for mental health issues. J Occup Rehabil. 2020;30(3):492-505.
About the author
Daniel Ford has been employed with the Visalia Police Department for 19 years. He currently serves as the Captain over the Operations and Administrative Divisions, and previously served as the Investigations Bureau Lieutenant and District One Commander. He has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and criminology from Ball State University and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from the University of Oklahoma. He is a graduate of Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, the Executive Leadership Institute and Drucker (through California Police Chiefs Association, and Command College (Class 73) through CA POST.
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