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• Recognize that a true culture of safety extends to off duty. • Identify potential pitfalls and work to eliminate them. Establishing a Culture of Safety Communities have a risk management program in place. Oftentimes, however, the police department does not receive the same scrutiny that the public works department, for example, receives. Far too often, police offcer injuries are accepted as just part of a dangerous job. In reality, a meaningful risk management program in police departments can reduce injuries and associated costs. Accomplishing this will require leadership not only from the police chief but from the local government chief administrator as well. Establishing a culture of safety should be one of the primary goals of any department head and an area that appointed administrators and elected offcials must insist be a critical performance measure. The COPS/BJA Offcer Safety and Wellness Group has made an important contribution to increasing awareness of and focus on reducing deaths and injuries through its discussions and the dissemination of information to the feld. Its work will continue over the next couple of years as the group addresses such issues as physical and psychological health. OSW will also revisit the topics of vehicle operation and gunfre deaths and injuries so they may be explored in greater depth with a view toward creating a strong agency and industry-based culture of safety. All OSW meeting summary reports are available on the COPS Offce OSW Group website at www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item. Reprinted with permission from the March 2013 issue of Public Management (PM) Magazine published and copyrighted by ICMA (International City/County Management Association), Washington, D.C. Darrel Stephens, a former police chief, is executive director, major Cities police Chiefs Association, Charlotte, N.C. (stephens@majorcitieschiefs. com). Leonard Matarese, ICMA-CM, IPMA-CP, is director, research and project development, ICMA Center for Public Safety Management, Washington, D.C. (lmatarese@icma.org). LaO Post your comments on this story by visiting www.lawandordermag.com Click on EInfo at - www.lawandordermag.com reader service #37 www.lawandordermag.com 87