UMB Police and Public Safety is launching a comprehensive Needs November to bring attention to officer well-being 48 years after its first wellness seminar.
This story is one in a series celebrating UMB Police and Public Safety’s 50-year history, the milestones that shaped us, and the work we continue today.
More than a dozen University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Police and Public Safety employees sit in wheely chairs. Together, they breathe in through their nose, then out through their mouth with a collective “ahhhhh.”
The department’s first chair yoga session is part of “Needs November,” an initiative focused on promoting well-being among public safety employees. Lt. Tyrell Fleming is leading the way in this innovative new program.
“Rotating schedules, family life, and trying to progress in your career can be a lot to juggle,” Fleming says. “And then there’s the job itself. Our job is very public-facing, and we want to do a good job. We also have to cope with the things we see and deal with every day.”
Police officers at UMB largely feel welcomed and supported. This is, in part, due to the department’s focus on building positive relationships with the community. However, the nature of a police officer’s work is to help those in need — often on their worst day.
“We experience a lot of trauma,” Fleming continues. “It might be something you physically see — people severely injured, loss of life — or the secondhand traumas people are asking you to help them with — sexual assault or violence. And you have to absorb that and internalize it so you can help them.”
A Significant Issue
The trauma police officers face has a significant impact, especially over time. In the United States, the average life expectancy for a police officer is 57 years old — 21 years below the national average. High stress, poor diet and sleep, and dangerous work conditions all contribute.
In 2003, UMB Police Cpl. Shirleen Berry, age 49, died suddenly from cardiac arrest. She had worked with the department for 13 years and was Maryland’s first certified victim/witness coordinator. Berry won many awards for her community outreach work with the department. Over the years, more than one UMB officer has passed away soon after retirement.
Suicide rates among law enforcement officers are also high. A 2020 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that law enforcement officers were 54 percent more likely to die by suicide than other occupations. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
21st-Century Policing
In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) published the final report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing. The report identified six pillars to promote effective crime reduction while building public trust. One of these principles is officer wellness and safety.
UMB Police and Public Safety uses the pillars of 21st Century Policing in creating its strategic plan. Fleming says these pillars are critical to a healthy “house” — or department.
“If you’re building a house with rotten wood or a faulty foundation, it’s going to crumble,” he says. “We want to be as healthy as possible as we head into the future as a department.”
That health is fostered through mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, and financial well-being.
“Supervisors would not allow an officer to go on patrol with a deficiently maintained vehicle, an un-serviced duty weapon, or a malfunctioning radio,” the DOJ report said, “but pay little attention to the maintenance of what is all officers’ most valuable resource: their brains.”
Helping the Helpers
Talking about challenges with family and friends can help, but for work-related issues, it’s easier for police officers to talk with other officers who understand what they’re going through. In a culture where it’s easy to respond to “How are you?” with “I’m good,” it’s more important than ever for supervisors to check in on their officers’ mental state before they hit the streets.
A distracted officer can have life-changing consequences. “If you’re worrying about your bills or your family while you’re doing a traffic stop or something simple, and suddenly you’re in a situation where you need to take action, where is your mind really at?” Fleming says. “You can get yourself hurt and get someone else hurt, too.”
Recognizing the gap, assistant vice president for public safety and chief of police Thomas Leone, MSL, established a peer support team. Members from the department volunteered to go through extensive training, creating a team of experts who can connect officers in need with the right resources.
Leone imagined a more robust support network for his officers. Fleming — tasked with heading the initiative — said he was encouraged to think outside the box. That’s when he first suggested yoga. The idea was met with skepticism. Could you really envision a room full of police officers in tactical vests reaching up into tree pose? Maybe so.
“Not everyone is into weightlifting. Not everyone is into running. But yoga is something everyone can do,” Fleming said. He discovered yoga and Pilates during his own journey of physical and mental health. “You walk into the room with all this weight on your shoulders, and you leave feeling light. I wanted the rest of the department to get to experience that.”
Attendees in the department’s first yoga class came in with some trepidation. A few nervous giggles spread through the room. But by the end of class — taught by UMB senior wellness specialist Katie Kecman — the mood had shifted. Police officers, security officers, and professional staff described the class as a breath of fresh air. One initially skeptical department leader said he now felt ready to take on the day.
A Core Value
The innovative new program aligns perfectly with the University’s core values set of Well-Being and Sustainability, and UMB Police are fortunate to be able to tap into resources and expertise within the University.
In 2021, the department partnered with the School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy, School of Nursing, and the University of Maryland Department of Computer Science to establish a 10-session Resilience Project, which provided officers with training and strategies to combat stress and trauma.
In 1977 — just two years after the police department was established — an article in the UMB newsletter The Voice described officers engaging in a stress management seminar. That course was created by a social work assistant professor to help officers identify stress and methods to deal with it more effectively.
“It says a lot about who we are and what we do that back in 1977 we were thinking about this,” Fleming says.
More Than Mental Health
The department’s holistic approach to officer wellness goes beyond mental health. A financial planner helped public safety employees learn how to pay off debt and save money. Kecman’s yoga classes focus on meditation and mindfulness — tapping into spiritual well-being. The department also plans to offer courses on diet and nutrition and host walks around campus.
Needs November is just the beginning. Fleming says he will collect data throughout the year to identify successes and gaps so he can meet members of the department where they are and provide the resources they need.
“Everyone needs help sometimes,” he says. “That’s just a fact of life.”