What police officers want public health professionals to know

Police officers and public health professionals serve complementary professions, with each providing a logical extension of the other’s contribution to public health and safety.1 2 The opioid epidemic, sexual assault, human trafficking, gun violence, suicide, traffic-related injuries, intimate partner violence and mass casualty events are among the issues that police and public health professionals are called upon to prevent, respond to and resolve. There is a growing body of literature and new professional opportunities exploring the intersection of law enforcement and public health, and the relevance of this intersection to injury and violence prevention in particular presents an opportunity to advance shared goals.3 4 Here, we consider this opportunity in the context of the USA, in particular.

Through collaboration, police and public health professionals can move the ‘levers’ needed to change behaviour (eg, seat belt use), improve access to critical services (eg, emergency…

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