20 June 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The mental and emotional well-being of police officers isn’t just a professional concern, it’s a human one. It was this conviction that anchored the recently concluded webinar “The Road to Resilience for Officer Wellness and Public Safety,” co-hosted by the ASEANAPOL Secretariat and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) IMPACT Section on 20 June 2025. With more than 787 participants tuning in from Southeast Asia and the United States, the event marked a powerful step toward recognizing and prioritizing officer wellness as a core part of public safety and institutional leadership.
Opening the session, Police Colonel David Martinez Vinluan, Executive Director of the ASEANAPOL Secretariat, warmly welcomed the participants and shared candid reflections on the realities faced by officers today. He spoke not only as a regional leader but as someone who deeply understands the emotional weight that comes with the badge. Policing, he reminded the audience, is a noble profession, but one that too often demands more than just physical strength. It demands mental endurance, emotional control, and spiritual resilience. Officers witness trauma, work long hours, and face enormous pressures, all of which quietly erode well-being if left unaddressed. Executive Director Vinluan made it clear: wellness is not a luxury, it is a necessity for effective, ethical, and trustworthy policing. He also took the opportunity to reintroduce ASEANAPOL to a global audience, highlighting ongoing efforts to build a policing culture rooted in ethics, resilience, and regional solidarity.
Mr. DJ Jones of IACP guided the flow of the webinar and introduced three distinguished voices in the field of officer wellness: Mr. Michael Nila, founder of Blue Courage; Mr. Reuben Ramirez, retired Assistant Chief of the Dallas Police Department and creator of Checkpoints; and Mr. David Dominguez, who added further insight into trauma-informed leadership. Their message was sobering but clear. Around 83% of officers report experiencing mental health challenges. Thirty-five percent suffer from PTSD, five times more than the general population. Most alarming of all, more officers die by suicide than in the line of duty, with 184 suicides reported annually compared to 165 operational deaths in 2024. These statistics are not just numbers; they represent real people, real families, and real sacrifices.
But the webinar wasn’t about despair, it was about solutions. Mr. Nila shared how Blue Courage helps officers reconnect with their core values, live with purpose, and maintain daily habits that support physical, mental, and emotional health. Chief Ramirez described how Checkpoints provides officers with practical ways to check in with themselves and each other before stress spirals out of control. Designed by officers for officers, the program promotes peer accountability and early intervention, encouraging departments to act with empathy and urgency, not just in times of crisis, but every day.
Throughout the session, participants engaged with thoughtful questions about breaking the stigma around mental health, building wellness into routine operations, and adapting these programs across cultures and systems. The key takeaway: Supporting our police officers doesn’t require perfection, it requires intention. Simple acts like encouraging rest, fostering peer conversations, offering purpose-driven training, and listening without judgment can transform a workplace and save lives.
The high turnout of participants and many more in group viewings from police agencies such as the Philippine National Police (PNP), Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), Laos Police Force (LPF), Myanmar Police Force (MPF), Vietnam Police, and Indonesia National Police (INP) speaks volumes. It shows that law enforcement agencies across the region are ready to listen, learn, and act.
As the session closed, one message rang clear: Caring for those who serve is not optional, it’s essential. Officer wellness is not just about preventing burnout; it’s about preserving humanity in policing. Through partnerships with the IACP, Blue Courage, and Checkpoints, ASEANAPOL reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the people behind the badge are not only prepared to serve but supported to thrive.
In his closing remarks, Executive Director Vinluan shared his gratitude for the overwhelming support and meaningful engagement shown by all participants. He announced with optimism that this is only the beginning of a continuing collaboration with the IACP–IMPACT Section. “We are committed to organizing more webinars and capacity-building programs in the near future that focus on the well-being, leadership, and resilience of our officers,” he affirmed. He warmly invited all participants to join future sessions, stay connected with ASEANAPOL’s wellness initiatives, and continue working together to build a regional culture where police officers are valued, supported, and empowered. With courage, care, and clarity of purpose, the journey to resilient policing continues.
