Research has shown officer wellness plays a crucial role in promoting effective de-escalation tactics and enhancing the overall response to high-stress situations. When law enforcement officers prioritize their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, they are better equipped to handle challenging encounters with individuals in crisis and navigate tense situations with professionalism and empathy.  More so than in previous years, law enforcement now is responding to a growing number of mental health crisis calls.  Being prepared before a crisis can lead to success during these challenging and dynamic situations.

While much of the emphasis in agencies are guided towards de-escalation strategies, we often do not spend enough time discussing the stress related pre-escalation.  For example, an officer is dispatched to a domestic call with an armed suspect. As the officer responds to the call, physiological factors like adrenaline now are guiding the officer towards potential danger.  We then expect the officer to drain the physiological response to stress immediately and begin to de-escalate the tense situation.  Without an emphasis on pre-escalation, officers do not have all the tools to handle these often evolving and dangerous situations.

Pre-escalation strategies are proactive measures that law enforcement officers can take to prevent situations from escalating into potentially dangerous or violent encounters. These tactics focus on building positive relationships with community members, identifying potential risks or triggers, and using communication and de-escalation techniques to defuse tense situations before they escalate.

Agencies around the country are working towards making policing a healthy profession.  This is no easy task given the history of policing. Stress and policing often go together.  Those agencies with the greatest success have focused on the following topics:

Emotional Regulation:

Officers who are in good mental health and have effective coping mechanisms are better able to manage their emotions during high-stress encounters. By staying calm and composed, officers can model behavior that encourages de-escalation and defuses tense situations. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is produced by your two adrenal glands, which sit on top of each kidney. When an officer is stressed, increased cortisol is released into your bloodstream. Having the right cortisol balance is essential for your health, and producing too much or too little cortisol can cause health problems. Being mindful and regulating your emotion can lead to less cortisol.[1]

Empathy and Communication:

Well-being and mental health support can enhance officers’ ability to empathize with individuals in crisis and communicate effectively with them. By showing empathy and actively listening to the concerns of others, officers can build trust and rapport, which are essential for successful de-escalation. By focusing on sympathy, we spend more time feeling sorry for others, while focusing on empathy, officers are actively sharing in a person’s emotional crisis. Empathy allows officers to focus on the emergency without leading to compassion fatigue with can block one’s ability to provide empathy.[2]

Decision-Making and Judgment:

When officers are well-rested, mentally sharp, and free from the effects of chronic stress, they are more likely to make sound decisions and exercise good judgment during critical incidents. This can help prevent escalations and reduce the risk of confrontations turning violent. Sleep deprivation can impact policing significantly.[3] Exacerbating this problem is the efforts to recruit and retain officers.  The low numbers of recruits have caused sworn officers to work overtime and resulting in increasing sleep disorders.

Resilience and Adaptability:

Officer wellness programs that focus on building resilience and coping skills can help officers bounce back from stressful situations and adapt to changing circumstances. This flexibility is essential for effective de-escalation, as it allows officers to adjust their approach based on the needs of the situation. Agencies can control this by providing mandatory training and relying on subject-matter experts to lead the discussion in wellness.[4]  Relying solely on minimal training without the aid of professionals sends a message to officers that their mental health and wellness is not important.

Teamwork and Support:

A culture of wellness within law enforcement agencies promotes teamwork, collaboration, and mutual support among officers. By working together and looking out for each other’s well-being, officers can better handle challenging situations and provide backup during de-escalation efforts. Organization structure and support can and should lead to a better department.[5]

 

Overall, officer wellness is a foundational element of effective de-escalation strategies. By prioritizing on pre-escalation of the physical, mental, and emotional health of law enforcement officers, agencies can enhance their capacity to manage crisis situations, build positive relationships with the community, and promote public safety through peaceful conflict resolution.

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[1]https://journals.lww.com/joem/fulltext/2019/06000/diurnal_cortisol_variation_according_to_high_risk.17.aspx

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6355662/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6427768/

[4] https://intime.com/resources/blog/5-ways-wellness-programs-improve-police-officer-mental-health/

[5] https://www.police1.com/iacp/iacp-2023-changing-culture-in-a-police-organization#:~:text=A%20positive%20and%20inclusive%20culture,officer%20morale%20and%20public%20relations.