BEAUFORT, S.C. () — Healthier officers equal a healthier community, which is a goal the Beaufort Police Chief is determined to achieve through a new program that focuses on the mental and physical health of her officers. 

“It’s simply an amazing tool to be able to provide the officers so they can be better,” said Chief Stephenie Price.

The initiative is made possible through the Cummings Foundation for Behavioral Health, a program dedicated to shaping first responder work environments through a holistic approach. 

“It entails metabolic screening for the officers, including dietician and nutrition information and follow-ups afterward,” Price said. “It also includes physicals. So, they’re actually giving us a gym, and the officers can work out with a personal trainer.”

The program is something that Chief Price and the department believes is particularly beneficial in the demanding environment of law enforcement.

“Studies show that the average person has 2 to 3 incidents in their lifetime that they consider critical or traumatic.  Studies also show officers experience about 186 of those in their career,” Price said. “We really wanted something that focused on that, that focused on their health and well-being. And the great thing about the Cummings Foundation is it’s not just resources, but it’s data-backed research and resources. So, we know it works by the metrics that they have.”

Price’s vision for the program extends beyond the workplace. She said she hopes that these efforts will not only improve officers’ well-being while on duty but also support them once they clock out and eventually, as they transition into retirement.

“I want the officers to have a long, fruitful life in retirement to really enjoy the community that they have spent all those years enhancing and bolstering and being a part of,” she said. “And to do that, they need that healthy outlook, and to have that healthy outlook, the Cummings Foundation is giving us those resources. And I’m very, very grateful to them for that.”

Chief Price will present the Cumming’s Foundation program at Tuesday’s City Workshop meeting.

Price and her officers have already started practicing the holistic approach through routine mental health check ins, and so far, have responded positively to the initiative.