Houston police expand PEACE program helping officers manage stress, de-escalate emergencies

HPD 'PEACE' program expands

The 'PEACE' program was born out of a nationwide movement to 'reform' police departments and the people behind HPD's 'PEACE' program can be improved by putting officers in the best frame of mind to protect and serve. FOX 26's Tom Zizka reports more on the program's expansion.

HOUSTON - A pilot program designed to help Houston police manage their stress before it has a chance to affect emergency situations is now expanding.

Born out of the nationwide movement to 'reform' police departments, after George Floyd's murder by Minneapolis Police, the people behind HPD's PEACE (Police Enlightenment and Collective Education) believe the department can be improved by putting officers in the best frame of mind to protect and serve.

High above downtown Houston at HPD headquarters, yoga instructor Jazmin Porter is leading a group of officers in a session of mindfulness and meditation.

"Your mind is directly connected to your emotions, and the way you feel, creates the way you act," she offers to the quiet room. It's a different form of training than the kind that puts men and women in uniform. As social unrest and police criticism gripped the nation after Floyd's death, Porter believed police attitude changes had to come from within.

Effects of emotional stress on police officers

During National Police Week, we acknowledge the mental toll 911 calls can have on police officers.

Participation was simply an 'invitation'. "Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness is not for everyone, at the time that you present it to them," says Porter. "I think me leaving it as an open-ended invitation gives people the opportunity to step in. And if they step in, there's no challenge; there's no resistance."

What started two summers ago as a pilot program with the police officers union is now a department-wide resource. Chief Troy Finner says it was an easy decision to make it available to all. "It's amazing, and I think it's a great benefit," says Finner, "A relaxed officer, and also our civilian staff, is a better officer and better civilian staff to serve our community."

Chauvin verdict brings relief for some, stress and anxiety for others

FOX 26 Reporter Damali Keith has more as the guilty verdict of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has brought relief for some, but it's also brought increased anxiety and stress for others.

Houston city council member Edward Pollard was an early champion of the project. His constituents in southeast Houston's District J wanted the police, but they also demanded compassion. Pollard liked the idea of focusing on officers. "How could we strengthen their mental state; how could we ensure, when they're out there in the field, that they're able to de-escalate, and not overreact," he said.

It's been a powerful experience. After working with hundreds of officers, Jazmin Porter says she is as changed as the people she helps. "Officers are experiencing something that we could not imagine, and it just makes it that much more exciting and fulfilling to me to be able to do that with them."

Chief Finner says he's set aside about $50,000 out of the department's nearly-billion dollar budget for the PEACE program. There are now discussions about expanding, even further, into cadet classes, so officers can start their careers with these tools available to them.