IACP Officer Injury Tracking Tool Training

IACP Officer Injury Tracking Tool Training Center for Officer Safety and Wellness

Introduction: Why Track Injuries?

Getting Started and Troubleshooting

Getting Started Save the file into a folder on your computer. TROUBLE SHOOTING: If you do not save the file to a folder on your computer, you will see the “Read Only” error message as seen in the figure below. Just click “Save As” and save the file to the folder in which you would like to store the injury information.

Getting Started • TROUBLE SHOOTING: • If you see the message “Security Warning Certain content in the database has been disabled”, you will need to adjust the settings. • First, click “Options”, as shown here.

Getting Started TROUBLE SHOOTING: Microsoft Security Options window will open. Click on the link in the bottom left had corner that says “Open the Trust Center.” On the left side of the Trust Center task bar click on the “Trusted Locations” option. At the bottom click on “add new locations”. Choose the folder where you saved the file using the browse function. (Note: the form must be saved in a file.) Click “OK”. Click on the box to allow trusted locations on network. Click “OK” to save and exit.

Entering an Incident Using the Form

Form Instructions Enter all of the injury incident data in the predefined categories. After entering the incident information scroll back to the top and click on “Save and New”. This will clear the form for the next injury case you need to enter. If you want a summary of the information you just entered, click “Report” at the top of the form. Choose the date range from which you want the report and select report from the drop down menu and click “Print”.

Edit Information To scroll through the previously entered cases and make edits when needed, click “Previous” and “Next”. This is the only way to edit the information after it has been entered.

Summary Tab In order to view all of the injury cases that have been entered, click on the summary tab at the top of the form.

Exporting Injury Cases To export these cases from the database, click on the select all tab in the upper left corner of the data entered (arrow in figure below). Then right click within the data and copy the selected information. After copying the information, it is suggested that you paste the information into excel or other similar program in order to examine the trends within your agency.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose The following slides will provide a definition for each piece of information you will enter into the database. These slides will also provide some background as to the purpose and use of specific measures.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose ID- Use this numerical ID to refer back to an entry. Date of Incident- Provides the historical context and allows incidents to be tracked as they occur. Time of Incident- May provide insight into the most dangerous times and shifts that will allow a better examination of resource allocation. Officer Age- Research has shown that injuries vary by officer age and by understanding these trends, agencies can target those that are at high risk.

Years of Law Enforcement Experience- Similar to officer age, by examining the years of service and injury connection, agencies can better focus their resources where they are most needed. Officers may need retraining if a pattern is found, or there may be certain types of training that would best serve different levels of experience. Duty Status- Injuries that occur on and off duty may be very different. In fact, off duty injuries may provide evidence of the need for policy revision, as well as training for officers in preventing injury while working off duty. Working off duty assignments is an important part of the job for many officers, and a better understanding of these incidents will allow officers to continue pursuing these opportunities, while mitigating the associated risk. Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Officer Assignment-Research shows that the type of assignment has a significant impact on the type of injuries and the severity of those injuries. Officer Unit- The number of officers present has been found to be an important indicator of officer injury severity. By understanding how injuries take place among one, two or more officer units, officers will be able to better understand whether they would benefit from riding with a different number of officers.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Uniform Type- Officer presence and the display of a badge is an important part of citizen interaction. By better understanding the role uniforms play in dealing with injuries, officers will be able to identify ways to approach citizen encounters. For example, if injuries are largely occurring out of uniform, there is likely a connection between the duty uniform and injuries. This may be a starting point in reducing injuries. Furthermore, this information may be useful when agencies consider changing their uniforms, as certain types of uniforms may be found to contribute to or reduce injuries.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Type of Injury- The type of injury is an important part of understanding both the root cause and severity of injuries. While the severity of the injury may be clear from the type (e.g., broken bone) often the severity is less clear (e.g., knee sprain) and the subsequent time away from work can vary greatly. Classifying injuries by type helps in understanding how the officer’s activities impacted the injury.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Ballistic Vest Use- The use of a ballistic vest was found to be the best way to reduce injures, not only during ballistic protection, but with other types of injuries as well. The vest provides protection for many different types of injuries. Location of Injury- Injury location is important because it might provide insight into prevention methods. Importantly, there may be implications for a review of the tactics and force techniques used during the incident. These trends may inform new training or retraining of officers in order to improve defensive tactics, as well as officers approach to offenders.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Medical Treatment– The type of medical treatment can provide insight into the cost of the injuries as well as their severity. Aid at Scene by Another Officer- Recent officer involved shootings have shown the value of officer aide in preventing line of duty deaths. The aid of other officers also provides insight into the value of having additional officers present at calls for service, or whether a two officer response may contribute to reducing injuries.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Estimated Number of Work Days Lost- The days missed by an officer provides the following insight into the injury picture: The number of days missed provides an estimate of the total cost of lost resources and the necessary replacement of those hours with over time. The number of days lost, when considered by type of injury, can provide insight into the severity of different injuries. In comparing the number of days lost with the other major categories (age, gender, assignment, years of service, etc.), agencies can begin to understand not only how, but also why these injuries are taking place.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Does the Officer Participate in a Wellness Program?- There is a clear connection between the fitness of the officer and the presence, severity, and rehabilitation time of an injury. Findings show the value in each of these measures: Fitness Program Type, Frequency of Exercise, Officer Height, Officer Weight, in understanding the cause of an officer injury, as well as ways that injuries may be reduced. For example, if there is a trend in those officers participating in a fitness program, being more fit as indicated by weight and obesity measures, then that may provide evidence of the value and cost saving in implementing a fitness program within an agency.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Weather- While the weather is not something that can be controlled; it is a factor that agencies can prepare for. Connections between certain types of weather conditions and injuries may provide additional insight into how agencies may respond differently and prevent injuries. Lighting Conditions- Unlike weather, lighting conditions may be controlled at times by the officer during self initiated stops. If a pattern of poor light conditions is present in several injuries within an agency, that may be an indicator that different tactics or illumination devices need to be deployed or used more effectively.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Incident Location- The location of injury incidents may reveal trends and allow agencies to better manage resources by location. This information may also provide an opportunity to review tactics associated with these locations (e.g., building searches) to find ways they can be improved to reduce risk and prevent injuries. Was The Suspect Identified- The identification of the suspect may be an important indictor as it relates to the nature of the call. When an officer is injured and the suspect is not identified, this may indicate an ambush or other unprovoked attack, which poses a significant risk to other officers on the street.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Suspect Impairments- The connection between suspect drug and alcohol use may provide information regarding the role of impairment in officer injury during contact. This is a known officer safety risk and an important factor to note when present in an officer injury situation.

Incident Measure Descriptions and Purpose Suspect Weapon Information- The presence of a weapon by the suspect is a key indicator of the threat that the officer faced. In addition, the type of weapon is also an important factor. Suspect Criminal History- The connection between suspects having had previous contact with law enforcement and an increase in officer injury has been clear in The IACP’s research. Agencies should consider this factor in examining officer injuries and take steps to identify suspects in advance, when making contact with the suspect, in order to increase awareness of threats and inform prevention on the street.

Traffic Crashes The measures from the traffic crash section of the collection form represent a few key measures that will help in understanding how and why crashes occur. These categories are not meant to serve as an in-depth crash review, as those investigations are typically a separate effort. Rather, the connection between the crash and the injury is the main goal of the information collection. By connecting the crash characteristics to the injury details already reviewed, new information may be developed that will add to the injury picture and inform prevention.

Traffic Crash Measures Below are the crash measures that should be combined with the previously covered injury incident information. Safety Belt Use Estimated Speed before Impact (Officer) Estimated Speed before Impact (Other Driver) Engagement at Time of Crash Emergency Equipment Use Primary Cause of Accident (Officer) Primary Cause of Accident (Other Driver) Was Emergency Equipment Functioning Properly Condition of Driver of Other Vehicle

For More Information For more information on injury tracking or for any questions you may have, please contact us at officersafety@theiacp.org. This project is supported by Grant No. 2009-DG-BX-0027 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The BJA is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the SMART Office, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.

IACP Officer Injury Tracking Tool Training