Adopted at the 120th Annual Conference

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

October 23, 2013

Support for Creation of a Law Enforcement Uniform Injury Report

Submitted by: Division of State Associations of Chiefs of Police

SACOP.021.t13

WHEREAS, the safety and wellness of law enforcement officers has always been an issue of paramount importance for the members of The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP); and

WHEREAS, law enforcement leaders understand and accept their responsibility to provide officers with the necessary policies, training and equipment so as to mitigate the risks from all sources to the wellness and safety of all police officers; and

WHEREAS, the members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police determined that officer wellness and safety is a matter of vital concern to all police practitioners and leaders as well as communities served; and

WHEREAS, the IACP Division of State Associations of Chiefs of Police (SACOP) created the SafeShield initiative as an inclusive partnership with clearly defined critical goals to identify problems and threats impacting officer safety, and define solutions that incorporate improved policies, training, equipment, and uniforms; and

WHEREAS, the SafeShield initiative determined decreasing police disabilities and deaths required modifying the law enforcement culture away from common acceptance that police disabilities and deaths are an inevitable consequence of providing police services; and

WHEREAS, the membership of the IACP adopted a SACOP resolution, "A Vision for Officer Safety", that embraced the philosophy of the SafeShield Initiative and the vital role of law enforcement leaders in setting the tone to create an environment in which officer safety is the top priority of every department; and

WHEREAS, this resolution embodied the SACOP philosophy for officer safety which is zero officers killed or injured; and

WHEREAS, the SafeShield initiative evolved into a full spectrum officer safety effort under the auspices the IACP Center for Officer Safety and Wellness; and

WHEREAS, reaching the goals as set forth in both the SafeShield and IACP Center for Officer Safety and Wellness efforts requires timely and accurate data whenever a law enforcement officer's wellness or safety is threatened as a result of a near-miss or personal injury; and

WHEREAS, there is no central repository allowing for the collection, storage and analysis of data in regards to incidents wherein officers are involved in a near-miss or suffer personal injury; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, the membership of the IACP embrace and support the creation of a Uniform Injury Report to allow for the collection, storage and analysis of data by the IACP Center for Officer Safety and Wellness whenever an officer's wellness or safety is threatened by his or her involvement in a near-miss or suffers a duty related illness or injury; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, preparation and submission of a Uniform Injury Report to the IACP shall be voluntary; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, data collected shall contain no personal identifying information; and, be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, all data shall be the exclusive property of the IACP for their use to advance officer safety and wellness programs and shall not be shared with any regulatory body, organization or individual except as authorized by the IACP executive committee or otherwise required by law; and, be it

FURTHER RESOVLED, action to create, distribute and collect completed Uniform Injury Reports shall commence within one year following the date this resolution is adopted by the IACP membership.