By Robyn Small
For the sixth consecutive year, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and BJA’s VALOR officer safety initiative, is collaborating on the Destination Zero Program to highlight agency-level achievements in the areas of officer safety and wellness.
The primary objective of the program is to drive down causal factors that kill and injure law enforcement officers and to help officers live safer, happier and healthier lives.
There are several components to the Destination Zero program. Here’s what you need to know:
Destination Zero website
The National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum’s Destination Zero website is a repository of 250 of the most, innovative and successful officer safety and wellness programs from across the country.
These award-winning initiatives demonstrate how all law enforcement agencies, including small departments and those with limited budgets, can excel in officer safety and wellness. The Destination Zero program is made possible by the generous support of Verizon.
Destination Zero Officer Safety and Wellness Virtual Conference 2020
Join the National Law Enforcement and Museum’s 2020 Destination Zero Officer Safety and Wellness Virtual Conference on Tuesday, November 10, 2020.
This free all-day conference features special guests and Destination Zero award winners, a panel discussion and a not-to-be-missed abundance of safety and wellness training on everything from traffic safety to physical and mental health.
For details, visit the Destination Zero website.
destination zero NATIONAL OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS AWARDS
The Destination Zero Program began in late 2014, to identify agencies conducting innovative programs aimed to reduce line of duty deaths and injuries while increasing officer safety and wellness.
Agencies are encouraged to submit their innovative programs for any/all of the categories listed below:
- General Officer Safety: This category features programs that directly affect officers’ physical safety while performing their jobs.
- Officer Traffic Safety: These initiatives are designed to reduce officer-involved automobile crashes and limit the risk factors of operating a motor vehicle or managing traffic. Programs that increased seatbelt use, limited distractions, or reduced driving speeds are also included in this category.
- Officer Wellness: Fitness programs, mental health programs and initiatives, such as peer support groups and nutrition, are included in this category.
- Comprehensive Safety: Includes programs that demonstrate the most comprehensive approach and are strategically implemented into safety and wellness efforts. Agencies considered for this award have a strong overall program that is successfully marketed and innovative in its approach to gain employee participation.
At the end of each calendar year, all submissions are reviewed by a selection committee and the top program in each category is deemed a winner. Two members of each winning agency are flown to Washington DC during Police Week in May to receive their award at a banquet held in their honor.
Any program deemed to have a proven record of safety and wellness, whether or not the program is an award winner, is then featured at Destinationzero.org. There are currently over 200 programs and program components available to any law enforcement agency free of charge.
To submit your agency’s program, log onto Destinationzero.org and click on the “Submit your Program” icon in the upper right corner of the home page. Once your information is received, a senior DZ staff member will contact you to assist with your formal submission from start to finish.
The deadline for final program submissions is December 31, 2020.
About the author
Robyn Small is the senior director of marketing and media relations for the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum.