Not-so-happy Holidays: Tips for Wellness and Resilience This Season

Guest post by Lora Setter, LMCIT public safety coordinator

Listening to holiday music recently, I heard the announcer say that the holidays are “about peace, love, joy, and family.” Though I don’t disagree, for many people the holiday season can be anything but peaceful and joyful. This is especially true for first responders like police officers, firefighters, and emergency services personnel. For public safety people, the holidays may seem to be more about car accidents, DWI arrests, shoplifting calls, disputes, house fires, and other tragic events in the communities they serve. 

Along with challenging work, first responders can experience the same holiday stress that others may experience, such as the effect of shorter days and cold nights, strained relationships with family members, illness, potent reminders of grief and loss, and financial pressures. 

Some ideas for keeping the holidays bright are:  

1. Prioritize and guard your sleep. Sleep is the most important component for mental wellness. This can be difficult with short staffing and holiday commitments, but make sure that in every 24 hours you spend at least seven hours getting good-quality sleep.
   
   
2. Practice gratitude. Start each day thinking about three things for which you’re thankful. Studies prove that by doing this you help your brain by increasing dopamine and serotonin – the happiness hormones. 
   
   
3. Think about the important purpose of what you do as a public safety professional. Victor Frankl said, “Life is never made unbearable by circumstance, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” The community counts on you to be there when they need help. It’s tough to miss a school concert, a family get-together, or a friend’s party because of work. Staying focused on the importance and purpose of the work you do can help you manage these tradeoffs. 
   
   
4. Check-in with yourself often. Ask yourself: Am I in touch with how I’m feeling? Am I watching too much TV? Drinking too much? Feeling cynical and angry? 
   
   
5. Talk to a trusted friend, spiritual advisor, or peer support person about how you’re feeling. 
   
   
6. Eat well. Many community members like to show their appreciation by dropping off cookies and other treats. Be sure to balance those treats with a healthy diet.  
   
   
7. Do your best to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. This is easier said than done during the busy holiday season. A brisk walk outside or a few laps around the shopping center count, too. If your department allows you to exercise on duty, take advantage of it to help maintain resilience. 
   
   
8. Reach out to others and promote connection. Ask a colleague how they’re feeling. Help colleagues feel connected and cared for. 
   
   
9. Take breaks from social media. Use the time for restorative practices such as meditation and mindfulness, or to be present with loved ones.  
   
   
10. Practice self-compassion. Talk to yourself like you would a friend. Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better, when you know better do better.” Know that you’re doing the best you can. 
    
    
11. Try dwelling on the positive and not the negative. Our brains are wired to focus on negative events to keep us safe, especially when it’s your job to see what’s wrong with the picture. Take as many opportunities as you can to focus on the positives in your life. You’ll be doing your brain a much-needed favor.  
    
    
12. Set a budget for gift giving. Being financially strapped and working more to cover holiday bills can add to the stress of the season. 

Best wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season and all through the year! 

Updated LMC Body-Worn Camera Policy Now Available

Body-worn cameras continue to be a useful tool in many police departments across the country. These cameras enhance transparency with their communities and gather evidence at crime scenes and during citizen encounters. Although state law offers significant guidance on policies governing law enforcement use of body-worn cameras and the resulting data, changes made to Minnesota laws in 2023 have made the laws more complicated, particularly with respect to data administration issues including data classifications, access procedures, retention policies, and data security safeguards.  

Agencies need to update policies to adhere to new laws

These changes reflect 2023 amendments to Minnesota Statutes § 13.825 and § 626.8473 and are mandatory policy elements that will require agencies to update their policies. The new law provides for timely access to body-warn camera data by designated survivors and their legal representative within 14 days after an incident unless there is a compelling reason to believe that this public classification and knowledge of this data would interfere with an active investigation. This is a higher standard for maintaining confidentiality than provided by Minnesota Statute § 13.82, subdivision 7, which classifies active investigative data as confidential without any need to show that access would hamper an investigation. Agencies should note that Minnesota Statutes § 13.825 and § 626.8473 require that the chief law enforcement officer, rather than a designee or responsible authority, be the one to provide the required written notice when the agency withholds access to data in the circumstances specified.       

Under Minnesota statute, the chief officer of every state and local law enforcement agency that uses or proposes to use a portable recording system or body-worn cameras must establish and enforce a written policy governing their use. The written policy must also be posted on the agency’s website (if the agency has one). Agencies are also required to provide an opportunity for public comment and input in developing and adopting the policy. Lastly, an agency must arrange for an independent biennial audit of the data to determine whether data are appropriately classified, how the data are used, whether the data are destroyed as required, and to verify agency compliance with the authorization to access data and sharing among agencies under subdivisions of Minnesota Statute § 13.825.  

LMC model policies, memos provide guidance

In response to the changes in state law, the League of Minnesota Cities recently provided updated guidance in its Use of Body-Worn Cameras information memo and the Body-Worn Cameras Model Policy for agencies to consider adopting. In addition to these documents, the League provides additional body-worn camera guidance in the Planning for Critical Incident Response information memo and accompanying Critical Incident Response Model Policy. 

If you have any questions related to these information memos or model policies, you may contact me at (651) 215-4051 or tstille@lmc.org.  

In the meantime, stay safe!    

Tracy

New Grant Opportunity Aims to Address Peace Officer Shortage in Minnesota

The Minnesota Legislature recently approved the establishment of a program within the Department of Public Safety to fund the law enforcement education and training of two- and four-year college graduates. The program, known as the Intensive Comprehensive Peace Officer Education and Training (ICPOET) Program, is intended to address the critical shortage of peace officers in the state. 

Grants of up to $50,000 available 

The ICPOET Program, established under Minn. State § 626.8516, provides grants to local and tribal law enforcement agencies that have developed a plan to recruit, educate, and train highly qualified two- and four-year college graduates to become licensed-eligible peace officers in the state. A chief law enforcement officer of an agency may apply for a grant of up to $50,000 for the cost of educating, training, and salary of an eligible candidate until the candidate is licensed by the POST Board as a peace officer.

The request for proposal (RFP) grant forms will be available on the Minnesota Department of Public Safety website before the end of the year. Applications are expected to close before Jan. 31, 2024. 

Geographic diversity in grant distribution will be considered based on applications received. Two regionally diverse education providers, Alexandria Technical & Community College and Hennepin Technical College, have been designated to provide the required intensive comprehensive law enforcement education and skills training to eligible peace officer candidates. 

Compare ICPOET and Pathways to Policing grants

The ICPOET grant is in addition to the Pathways to Policing grant opportunities that will be available soon for 2024, although there are no agency matching requirements for the ICPOET grant and it is specifically for career transition candidates who already possess a two- or four-year degree. The current available funding is $2.5 million for the ICPOET grant and $1.56 million for the Pathways to Policing grant. View this chart to compare the ICPOET and Pathways to Policing grants. 

Attend an information session to learn more

Two information sessions are planned before the RFP opens:

• Monday, Dec. 4 at 3 p.m - Zoom link for Dec. 4 session
• Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. - Zoom link for Dec. 13 session

Law enforcement agencies may also schedule individual information sessions before the RFP opens. 

Questions about grants opportunities?

If you have any questions related to the ICPOET program, you may contact program administrator Mary Vukelich at the Office of Justice Programs, Minnesota Department of Public Safety at 651-201-7623 or Mary.Vukelich@state.mn.us. If you have questions on the Pathways to Policing program, you may contact grants administrator Kristin Lail at the Office of Justice Programs, Minnesota Department of Public Safety at 651-230-3358 or Kristin.Lail@state.mn.us.  

You may also contact me at 651-215-4051 or tstille@lmc.org. 

In the meantime, stay safe!    

Tracy