Page 8 - TPA Journal November December2021

When his opportunity came and he was selected as Chief, he had a plan in place, and took
no time in executing. He painted their station, freshening up the inside which had not been
done in years. He installed all standing desks for officers to write reports with. He contracted
with a local heart institute to establish a package of diagnostics and analysis for officers to have
a complete assessment of their heart health that only required they pay a co-pay. He sent
officers to the DPS fitness institute where they became certified in exercise methodologies to
help officers excel and reach high levels of fitness. He implemented a wellness program that
rewarded officers with time off if they achieved above a 70% standard on the physical
evaluations. He provided on duty time for officers to work out, and tasked his certified DPS
trainers to go to the officers and work with them on their individual health needs and workout
programs. He invested in the department’s fitness facility to make it a full gym and provided
free access to all officers. His trainers would provide officers with meal plans and a buddy
system to help them hold themselves accountable as they began to work through these new
habits. officers who did not take advantage of the program were not punished, but were
required to attend a class on health awareness with the hopes that maybe they would start to
change their mind and prioritize their health. He encouraged participation in competitions
involving fitness such as the city organized Guns vs Hoses, internal BPD sponsored sports
teams, and BPD organized regional SWAT competitions. Events where officers can build skills,
develop camaraderie, and enhance their fitness all at the same time. He tried to take his
experience from SWAT and apply that in different ways to these programs to help build that
team feeling across the agency. In a very short time they saw outstanding results. Officers
were being taken off medications, seeing a significant drop in blood pressure, had significant
cholesterol decreases, and several serious health conditions were identified that had not been
previously known by the officer.

He also started programs within the department that set the example for other agencies to
follow. A chaplain program, peer support, the fitness and wellness program, women’s coalition
support team, a UAV unit, and a women in Law Enforcement inclusion program. These
programs focused on providing for the officers personally, gave ownership to the officers
running them, built pride in their department, and shared with their neighboring agencies
who might not have the resources to stand up these programs themselves.

Chief Sauceda took a lot of time and effort to look ahead on the road he was on. What
problems did he expect to encounter? What things could he anticipate and prepare for? He
encouraged his command staff to do the same: these programs are not about us, they are
about our people. We know that cops hate change, so we need to be able to address those
roadblocks and think about the complaints and issues that will be thrown up so we are ready
for them and can keep moving forward. After all, if command staff isn’t going to implement
these programs, who will? Be dedicated to the evolution of your organization. Do something

4 www.texaspoliceassociation.com • (512) 458-3140 Texas Police Journal