Every month our magazine emphasizes different topics. This month, each one of our articles in this issue has either a direct or indirect focus on officer safety. In this article and this article you’re going to read about different departments upgrading body armor and technological advances to the body armor materials and manufacturing process. Obviously body armor is one of the most important pieces of an officer’s uniform—it’s an item that can and has made the difference between life and death for officers.
In this article, Editorial Director Lt. Frank Borelli delves directly into how technology may inadvertently give officers a false sense of security when it comes to the Ten Deadly Errors. Though technology can make the job more efficient and safer, officers run the risk of letting it empower them to disregard the Ten Deadly Errors and therefore recklessly let their guard down.
The officer safety pièce de résistance in this issue, however, lies in our wellness feature, which you can find here. Oftentimes when I read and hear about officer safety, the focus is all about the latest armor, the newest technology, the most up-to-date training. While all of those things are certainly important, a large part of officer safety takes place both on and off of patrol, in an officer’s personal health and fitness. In May of this year, we began our first law enforcement fitness photo competition, where we asked readers to submit a photo and tell us about how they stay in shape for the job. The response was overwhelming. Law enforcement professionals throughout the U.S. ranging in ages from mid-twenties to mid-sixties wrote about how exercise and healthy eating have helped them manage the stress of the job, gain confidence in their role, perform their duties better and allow them to have more energy with their families. Submissions included LEOs focusing on weight-training, CrossFit, bodybuilding, hockey, wrestling, cycling, martial arts, running, rollerblading, surfing and more.
Captain Cheryllynn Williams of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office (Ill.) wrote about her experience feeling right knee pain. “I knew it was arthritis, but I wanted to continue to run and eat what I wanted,” she wrote. “Over time my running was getting less and less but my eating continued the same. Before I knew it, my weight went from 164 to 226. The problem was I continued to use my knee issues as the reason I couldn’t be healthy.” Williams began training six days a week with cardio and weightlifting in addition to following a meal plan. She competed in her first bodybuilding competition in April of this year at the age of 49. Paraphrasing an Illinois State Police motto from recruit class, Williams wrote, “In law enforcement...you lose the right to be unfit.” Officer safety goes beyond uniform. It includes a look into one’s own personal health journey, too.
Stay safe out there, readers.
Adrienne
