WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), with support from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and BJA’s VALOR Officer Safety and Wellness Initiative, presented the National Officer Safety and Wellness Awards at the Memorial Fund’s annual Awards Dinner. The event was held on Saturday, May 14, at the Hotel Monaco in Washington, DC.
“The program’s primary objective is to reduce law enforcement injuries and deaths and to help police officers live safer, happier, and healthier lives. The culmination of this year’s Destination Zero Program is the presentation of the National Officer Safety and Wellness Awards,” said NLEOMF President and Chief Executive Officer Craig W. Floyd.
Destination Zero was created in late 2014 to identify agencies conducting unique and innovative programs that aim to reduce risk factors and to share the design and outcomes of these programs with the law enforcement community. Agencies with successful programs were asked to submit details of their initiatives to be considered for the National Officer Safety and Wellness Awards.
National Officer Safety and Wellness Awards are presented annually during National Police Week in the following four categories:
General Officer Safety:
Programs that directly affect officers’ physical safety while performing their jobs.
Officer Traffic Safety:
Designed to reduce automobile crashes and limit the risk factors of operating a motor vehicle or managing traffic. Programs that increased seatbelt use, limited distractions, or reduced driving speeds are also included in this category.
Officer Wellness:
Fitness programs, mental health programs, and initiatives such as peer support groups and nutrition as they directly affect officer safety are included in this category.
Comprehensive Safety:
Programs that showed the most comprehensive approach and were strategically implemented into safety and wellness efforts. Agencies considered had a strong overall program that was successfully marketed and innovative in its approach to gain employee participation.
Following months of review and evaluation, 11 finalist agencies were identified and segmented into one of the four officer safety and wellness award categories. The NLEOMF convened a seven-member selection committee representing nearly every type of law enforcement agency, then carefully considered each finalist program and selected the award recipients for each of the four categories.
NLEOMF and the Bureau of Justice Assistance are pleased to announce the following 2016 National Officer Safety and Wellness Award winners:
General Officer Safety – Fairfax County (VA) Police Department
Officer Traffic Safety – Hillsborough (NC) Police Department
Officer Wellness – San Diego (CA) Police Department
Comprehensive Safety – New York City (NY) Police Department
In addition to the four winning agencies, the following finalists were also acknowledged:
Officer Safety – Metropolitan Nashville (TN) Police Department
Officer Traffic Safety – Ohio State Highway Patrol and Orange County (CA) Sheriff’s Department
Officer Wellness – Appleton (WI) Police Department (Outagamie County), California Highway Patrol, and the Sandy Springs (GA) Police Department
Comprehensive Safety – Burlington (NC) Police Department
The National Officer Safety and Wellness Awards are presented annually, and agencies are encouraged to submit details about their successful safety and wellness programs to Nick Breul, Director of the Memorial Fund’s Officer Safety & Wellness Initiative, at www.DestinationZero.org.