The Phoenix Police Department has placed an emphasis on its employees’ physical and mental wellbeing, creating an employee wellness program model that demonstrates best practices. The Department’s innovative new wellness model utilizes a three-pronged approach to mental health and offers incentives for employees to achieve better physical health. The Department provides resources to all of its employees and their family members, understanding a key component of employee wellness involves employee’s personal lives and the effect it has on their professional lives. The Phoenix Police Department has minimized the stigma surrounding asking for physical and mental health help, but creating a culture throughout the organization that encourages, supports, and normalizes overall health and wellness.
Phoenix is the largest city in Arizona, the fifth-largest city in the United States, and the largest capital city with a population of approximately 1.7 million in an area of 517.9 square miles (phoenix.gov). As of October 2020, the Phoenix Police Department employs 2,934 sworn officers and 964 civilian employees. The Phoenix Police Department’s sworn officers are comprised of 85.5% male and 14.5% female (Police employment totals, 2020). The Phoenix Police Department is the largest police department in the State of Arizona. It operates the Phoenix Regional Police Academy and provides training to many other law enforcement agencies in the state.