Every single day an airplane takes off from one destination to another. Once it arrives, it undergoes maintenance. We do maintenance on planes before its next flight to insure the success of the next and not because something went wrong. Do we do the same with our employees within our workplaces? Or do we wait until one crashes to start a conversation?

Editorial Update (November 2023)

Subsequent to the video message I released a couple of months ago providing strategies for improving mental health, we continue to face tragedies within the law enforcement community of epic proportions. I personally have been asked by government leaders about these tragedies and how I am holding up because of the profession I am in. I appreciate the kind words and gestures with consideration of others who are having far worse obstacles I can't imagine.

I have seen the responses from law enforcement leadership providing words of condolences and offers of resources for those in need. While I wholeheartedly support the efforts, I can not ignore the fact that it is only after losing a colleague that the priority for some positions of leadership gives the appearance of being just a "flavor of the month". I believe we can all do better to make maintenance of one another a norm and not just until there is a lull between the next mental health crisis. If the rubric of expressing due concern is to wait for something to happen then I ask, for how long should we make our mental health a priority before something else comes along?

It has been a tough few years for law enforcement. Adding COVID into the mix, we must acknowledge all city government employees who were recognized and not recognized as essential workers who have become vulnerable to the depression, anxiety, stress, and heavy cultural and societal demands of others as they return back to work Post-COVID and not being provided a moment of rehabilitation or a day for someone to check-in to ensure they were ready for their next flight. Let us take a moment to remember why it is so important to provide maintenance to one another to ensure the success rate of everyone's next flight. I encourage you to consider this analogy as we get up and go to work tomorrow. Do not wait until a plane (or in this case an employee) crashes before having a conversation about what we could have done to prevent it for at that moment, it's too late.