MATTHEWS, N.C. — The Matthews Police Department has announced a new Mindfulness Room, providing staff a dedicated area to decompress after tough calls.
The room is designed to offer a quiet moment for staff to gather their thoughts and decompress, especially after traumatic calls for service or on challenging days. Staff can use the room for up to 15 minutes with supervisor approval.
The initiative aligns with the 21st Century Policing Model, which emphasizes officer wellness and the importance of addressing the stigma around officers asking for help.
The MPD Mindfulness Room is equipped with massage chairs and a television, which was donated by Quality Data Systems, Inc. (QDS).
Matthews Police Chief James Avens put out the following statement:
In the past, officers have been taught extensively about the importance of their physical fitness, knowledge, and skill set, but now we’re finally making some headway in instilling the importance of their mental health. And with that, we have to do our part as leaders and organizations to provide them with multiple ways to facilitate those needs. As the Chief, I want our sworn and non-sworn staff to know that their mental health and wellness is very important to me, and not only does it help take care of them, it also helps us put forth the best version of them to our citizens. It’s a win win for our whole community when we have programs like this in place to help our staff. And last but certainly not least, we’re so thankful for Quality Data Systems (QDS) and their unbelievable generosity to provide us with these chairs. It is humbling to say the least when we feel such care and willingness to invest in our well-being directly from the community.
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