Studies have shown that people who are financially stable are more productive, use less sick leave, and have higher morale. Instead of anxiety over paying bills and covering debt, financially stable individuals are focused on doing a great job professionally. This resource can help ensure that you and your family are more financially stable.

Being a law enforcement officer has routinely been ranked as one of the most dangerous jobs. On average, officers sustain 30,900 injuries a year that require at least one day away from work. Check out this resource to learn how officers and their families can work together to take steps to keep officers healthy and reduce injuries. 

Victims are best served when law enforcement agencies have strong internal partnerships and work closely with external community organizations. Partnerships allow agencies to maximize service to victims. This can be done by establishing coordinated internal response practices and referring victims to community organizations offering long-term support and services. 

This single-page document highlights important information from this section of the ELERV Strategy. The quick read format makes it perfect for roll-call training and meetings alike. 

Download the ELERV Partnering Overview in English, Arabic, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. 

Understanding what is healthy and how to teach your family about good eating habits can be challenging given the constant cycle of fad diets and changing food pyramids. With some simple preparation, you and your family can be on track for a healthier lifestyle. Recognizing the important link between nutrition and officer and family health and wellness can lead to better job performance, healthier individuals and families, and safer communities.

While sleep deprivation is not exclusive to law enforcement, it is often amplified due to the unique stressors of the job and shift work. Sleep is essential to maintain and repair bodily functions and systems. Sleep, or lack of, has effects on all functions of the mind and body, which not only affects an officer’s job, but also family wellness. Check out this resource to learn more about the effects of sleep deprivation.

Children of law enforcement officers often face unique challenges when it comes to understanding their parent’s jobs. This resource outlines some suggestions to help navigate potentially tough conversations you may have with your child about what you do for a living - tailored to your child’s age and developmental understanding.

Victim response training should be institutionalized at all agencies so personnel have a foundational knowledge of victim-centered, trauma-informed practices. Trained personnel working with victims should be able to:

• Demonstrate concern and empathy for victims
• Properly identify basic victim needs
• Apply the agency's victim response policy to their role and duties
• Understand basic victim rights
• Identify resources for victims and make appropiate referrals

Agencies can adapt these training templates to ensure that these objectives are met and to support overall ELERV Strategy implementation. Templates include:

• Crisis Intervention (PowerPoint)
• Critical Needs of Victims (PowerPoint)
• Effective Communication & Documentation (PowerPoint)
• Effective Victim Response (PowerPoint) 
• Victim-Centered Response: Patrol, Investigation, and Post-Investigation (Multidisciplinary Co-training) (PowerPoint)
  • Victim-Centered Response: Patrol Response Worksheet (Word)
  • Victim-Centered Response: Investigation Response Workshet (Word)
  • Victim-Centered Response: Post-Investigation Response Worksheet (Word)

These templates are intended to provide sample language and content. These templates should be customized to fit agency needs and should be carefully reviewed to ensure information is consistent with requirements within the agency and local jurisdiction. 

Work-life balance focuses on managing time and energy while on- and off-duty. Having a healthy work-life balance ensures that officers perform effectively, reduce stress, avoid burnout, and enjoy their career.

The stressors that police officer face can have serious implications for overall health and wellness. In times of stress and uncertainty, officers must take practical steps to prioritize mental and physical wellness. This resilience resource outlines empirically validated skills to help officers overcome adversity and challenges, manage stress, maintain peak performance, and thrive in their personal and professional life.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of a healthy family. The policing profession offers unique challenges which may create stress, confusion, fear, and a variety of other emotions that can cause barriers to healthy communication between officers and their loved ones. Below are strategies for overcoming challenges and building healthy communication in police families.

Community members are not merely the recipients of police services, they are essential partners in maintaining public safety. This resource provides an overview of key concepts in community-police engagement and procedural justice to help police agencies embrace new approaches that recognize the voices and roles of community members. 

Providing community members with meaningful and accessible opportunities to provide feedback can be an important way for police agencies to build trust and understand the needs of those they serve. This resource includes considerations on developing, disseminating, and analyzing community feedback tools.