Title
Resolution to Amend the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget and Appropriate the Byrne/JAG Program Police Officer Safety and Wellness Grant in the Amount of $25,000.00 Awarded by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services for Use by the City of Hampton Police Division
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
The Department of Criminal Justice Services has awarded the City of Hampton Police Division grant funding in the amount of $25,000.00 in federal funds with no local match requirement in support of the Police Division's Officer Wellness and Resiliency Project. Day after day, officers witness some of the most horrendous acts humankind has to offer. Accepting the duties and responsibilities of the badge subjects officers to mental and emotional health problems, often considered to be “hazards of the job”. To establish the highest quality of officers, it is important to serve them with the tools they need to protect their health, ensure their well-being, and manage the rigors of this difficult work. The grant funding provided through the Officer Safety and Wellness Grant will take a three-pronged approach to enhance the knowledge, and thereby skills, of the volunteer police chaplains relating to law enforcement stressors, provide valuable training to members of the division’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) and Peer Support team, and provide wellness equipment for officers to maintain physical fitness, which has been proven to improve mental health.
Discussion:
The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing states, "the wellness and safety of law enforcement officers is critical not only to themselves, their colleagues, and their agencies but also to public safety". Through the use of these grant funds, the Hampton Police Division will be able to offer more resources to officers, civilian employees, and their families, as well as be more prepared for critical stress and traumatic event responses. The project will utilize the...
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