The Ithaca Police Department is partnering with Cayuga Health System and the Community Justice Center to introduce a new officer wellness initiative focused on nutrition and stress management.
The program, developed as part of the city’s Reimagining Public Safety initiative, will provide Ithaca police officers with access to personalized dietary resources from registered dietitians at Cayuga Health. Officers recently participated in a workshop to shape the program, identifying healthy meal planning, diet counseling, and stress management as key priorities.
Cayuga Health’s nutrition team will tailor the programming to help officers improve energy levels, manage stress, and adopt healthier habits. The initiative will be available to all IPD officers and will roll out in the coming months.
“We know we best serve the community when we have the resources we need to be successful,” said Ithaca Police Chief Thomas Kelly. “A healthy police department can help make a healthier community.”
Community Justice Center Project Director Monalita Smiley emphasized the program’s importance, noting that it was shaped by direct input from officers. “When law enforcement is taken care of, they can better take care of us,” she said. “We took real data from conversations with law enforcement and developed a program to meet their needs.”
Officials say the initiative is part of a broader effort to support officer well-being and strengthen community-police relations.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].