It seems there’s an App for everything - sports, weather, news, and a myriad other topics that can probably take up every gigabyte on one’s phone. However, I recently discovered an app that’s been developed specifically for cops, it’s called Enforce Health. Developed by Dr. John Azar-Dickens, the app is an educational tool to enhance physical, emotional, and nutritional health.
Azars-Dickens is a licensed psychologist and a patrol officer who also has a background in Exercise Science and Kinesiology. As an added bonus, the doctor is a Force Science instructor. This combination of education and actual street experience affords him the credibility needed to deliver much needed important health information cops can use to prolong their careers and lives.
Enforce Health is a free app for smart phones and tablets. Six months in the making, the app is devoted to practical information on maintaining wellness. The information is presented in concise articles, study reports, and podcasts designed for busy cops who can’t spend a lot of time reading but who are looking for pragmatic direction to help them live a healthy life.
Why isn’t my diet working? How do I survive psychologically in my career as a cop? What are the clues to detect mental illness in a fellow officer? How do I improve my performance? These and a plethora of other questions are addressed via the app.
What I like about this particular application is that law enforcement professionals designed it for law enforcement. According to the Enforce Health website, “We skip all the psychobabble and politically correct garbage so that we can bring you the facts as they apply to the cop on the street. The information is delivered in a way that allows you to learn quickly and get the facts without thumbing through the research. We do it for you!”
Launched in July, the first iteration included the following topics:
- Psychological antidotes to today’s negative storms about the police
- New findings on why dieters fail to meet their goals—and how to meet yours
- How to craft self-talk that maximizes improvement in personal performance
- What meals are healthiest in the fast-food chains on your beat
- The dangers of excessive sitting
- Factors that make you more vulnerable to PTSD
- Seven ways to overcome the dangerous aftermath of a critical incident
This app has the potential to be a game changer for officers’ physical and mental well-being. Azer-Dickens plans to update the app on a daily basis and to maintain an active archive of materials. If you have an idea for future topics, or if you would like an answer to a specific question, the doctor can be contacted at [email protected]. Enforce Health is available for free download from Google Play or the iTunes Store.
Stay Safe, Brothers and Sisters!
