South Brunswick PD Creates Wellness Committee To Focus On Health Of Officers

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ – Apart from keeping the community safe, the South Brunswick Police Department is now focusing on keeping its officers fit and healthy.

Demands of the job, combined with an erratic work schedule have an adverse effect on the health and wellness of officers. But the police department is looking to change that.

To this end, Police Chief Raymond Hayducka has created a Wellness Committee to focus on the wellness of department employees.

“We need to help officers improve their resiliency. The demands on being a good police officer are constantly evolving. What worked 10 years ago will not cut it today. Providing officers with the knowledge and skills to face the challenges today and in the future was my goal in creating these new trainings,” Hayducka said.

Patrol Officer First Class (PFC) Ryan Bartunek said that members of the Wellness Committee found that the biggest challenge for officers was nutrition.

“The ups and downs of police work, combined with the work schedules place unnatural demands on officers’ bodies. Officers want to eat healthy, but it is not always easy, so we brought in a nutritionist,” Bartunek said.

Michele Zandman- Frankel and Randy Frankel, of Revolutionize Nutrition were brought in to provide two days of seminars for officers and staff.

“We were the first recognized nutritionist to train officers at police academies in New Jersey. The academies were seeing young officers do intense work outs and struggle to recover. By educating the officers they improved their performance,” Zandman- Frankel said.

Zandman- Frankel and Frankel explained that by improving nutrition, officers can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, decrease risk of cancers, increase their ability to focus, and develop improved resiliency.

They detailed how to eat healthy even while working round the clock.

“We know eating healthy at 4 a.m. is tough, but we provided good choices for every place from Wawa to McDonald's. If the officers know their options they can make good choices,” Zandman-Frankel said.

She noted that one of the biggest challenges to nutrition is hydration. Officers need to drink half a gallon (8 cups) of water a day. Revolutionize Nutrition has an office in Manalapan and offered to do a full assessment for any officers or staff looking to improve their conditioning and well-being.

The seminars also detailed the importance of sleep and working out for officers. “Shift work is a challenge for all officers. We know that officers who stay in shape, workout, eat proper, and get enough rest are able to sustain themselves in any challenge,” Bartunek said.

Around 85 officers and staff members attend the two seminars. “Officers were thankful the department provided the seminars and thought it would help them throughout their careers,” Bartunek said.

Studies have shown that officers who work in shifts have a higher rate of heart disease, depression, sleep issues and other health concerns. The U.S. Department of Justice has law enforcement mental health and wellness program resources and many police departments across the country are now focusing on the health and wellbeing of their employees.

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