1. Preparing Families from Day One

Traditional police training focuses solely on the recruit. Chief Werner recognized that this missed a critical component: the family system that supports each officer.

“When our officers get hired, we have a family academy. So I not only talk with the officer, I talk with their family, say, these are the things you’re gonna experience,” Werner explains.

This proactive approach, which he’s been implementing for over a decade, acknowledges that officer wellness extends far beyond the individual wearing the badge. By preparing families for the realities of police work upfront, he’s creating a support network that understands the unique stressors officers face.

2. Leading with Personal Vulnerability

Many police leaders maintain a facade of invulnerability. Chief Werner takes a different approach, openly sharing his own struggles with seeking help during his career.

His transparency about avoiding available resources in his early years serves a purpose: it normalizes the struggle that many officers face. When a chief with nearly four decades of experience admits to once feeling the same hesitation, it allows others to acknowledge their own challenges.

“Those powerful experiences I brought to my agency,” he notes, explaining how his negative experiences shaped his leadership approach.

3. Building Proactive Infrastructure

While many agencies scramble to implement wellness programs after a crisis, Maple Grove PD had comprehensive services in place before they were desperately needed, with COVID-19 and the civil unrest following George Floyd’s death in 2020.

“I think that helped prepare us for those effects that we were having during those times,” Werner reflects on how existing wellness infrastructure helped his department navigate unprecedented challenges during the George Floyd protests.

This foresight meant that when officers faced compounded stressors, the support systems weren’t hastily assembled afterthoughts. They were established, trusted resources.

4. Engaging Through Active Leadership

Chief Werner challenges the traditional model of waiting for officers to raise their hands for help. Instead, he advocates for leadership that actively seeks out its people.

“What is the leadership’s role in ensuring that you’re contacting with your staff so they you can start drawing those experiences and stories out of them,” he poses, reframing wellness as a leadership responsibility rather than an individual burden.

This shift from passive availability to active engagement represents a fundamental change in how police leadership approaches officer wellness.

5. Redefining What Strength Means

The “warrior mindset” has long dominated police culture, equating emotional vulnerability with professional weakness. Chief Werner directly challenges this narrative.

“We’re asking you to be a very good officer. Obviously, you have to have command presence, but we’re not asking you to be a robot. You are a human being too,” he clearly states..

By explicitly countering the expectation that officers must be emotionally impervious, he’s permitting a more authentic, sustainable approach to the profession. His observation that “our profession forgot about that we are human beings” acknowledges a fundamental flaw in traditional police culture.

6. Embedding Wellness in Organizational DNA

Rather than treating wellness as an add-on program, Chief Werner integrated it into Maple Grove’s core organizational identity. When he became chief, he brought in consultants, listened to all stakeholders, and clearly defined what excellence meant for the agency.

This included establishing three core values for hiring: character, relationship-building ability, and initiative. But perhaps most importantly, he set a foundational expectation: “I expect all my officers to respect the human dignity of the person in front of them.”

This values-based approach means wellness isn’t a separate initiative; it’s woven into how the department defines success.

7. Proving the Connection Between Wellness and Performance

Perhaps most powerfully, Chief Werner doesn’t just talk about wellness. He measures its impact. Using data from Benchmark Analytics, he can demonstrate tangible results.

“Point zero zero two percent [.002%] use of force incidents in my agency,” he notes. This remarkably low rate isn’t coincidental; it’s the outcome of an agency that prioritizes officer wellness and trains officers to approach their work with compassion and understanding.

By connecting officer wellness to measurable community outcomes, Werner makes a business case that goes beyond feel-good rhetoric.

Breaking Free from the Past

Chief Werner’s journey from the Chicago Police Department of the 1990s, where mentioning mental health meant “personnel would immediately show up and take your gun,” to leading an agency with comprehensive wellness support represents more than personal growth. It’s a roadmap for transformation.

“We just have a very difficult job, and then that’s ingrained in the culture of our profession, where we don’t ask for help. And then we internalize those issues and don’t talk about them,” he observes.

But cultures can change. Through deliberate action, consistent leadership, and a willingness to challenge long-held assumptions, Chief Werner demonstrates that the cycle can be broken.

His 37 years in law enforcement have taught him that officer wellness isn’t a luxury or a weakness. It’s the foundation of excellent policing. And in Maple Grove, Minnesota, that foundation is producing results that speak for themselves.

For law enforcement agencies looking to break their own cycles and build proactive officer wellness programs, understanding where your officers stand today is the critical first step. Early intervention systems, like First Sign^® Precision Wellness from Benchmark Analytics, help agencies identify patterns and provide support before crisis, turning data into actionable wellness strategies. This article was created with the assistance of AI technology to help convey our commitment to improving police officer wellness through data-driven solutions.