B2 CLEBURNE TIMES-REVIEW | SATURDAY, JULY 18, 2020

LIVING

manuals to review depart-ment procedures, policies, transparency initiatives, accountability safeguards and other procedures to ensure alignment with the Texas Police Chief Asso-ciat ion’s best pract ices guidelines.

“It ’s not unusua l for departments to begin the process then drop out once they realize how involved it

is,” Proctor said in 2016.Only 30-40 percent of the

departments who under-take the challenge actually complete the process and achieve the recognition, Proctor said at the time.

“It’s certainly a labor-intensive process,” Proctor said. “Extreme account-ability is what I call it. The process is designed to make sure your department is not only accountable, but accountable according to the very best practices out there.”

Severance credited the men and women of CPD for putting in the hard work and setting the standards required to achieve both the initial and renewed recogni-tion status.

“This came about because of a lot of hard work fol-lowed by an intensive review of the Cleburne Pol ice Department’s policies and it is something every mem-ber of our department can be proud of,” Severance said. “For our citizens it brings confidence that their department is operating under the best practices in the state. For our officers and potential recruits con-fidence that our department operates under the highest standards and constantly sets the bar for excellence and public service.”

CPD will be reevaluated in four years, Westbrook said.

Mayor Scott Cain noted that overall city crime rates have dipped by 54 percent during Severance’s tenure.

“It’s because of [CPD’s] commitment to excellence that they are recognized as one of the best departments in the entire state,” Cain said. “I would recommend that other departments across the country look to Cleburne for an example of how policing is done

professionally and compas-sionately.”

ADDRESSING USE OF FORCE

CPD regulations already prohibited chokeholds in almost all cases well before the Memorial Day killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd by former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin. The department officials and council mem-bers on Tuesday adopted a resolution putting that restriction and a duty to intervene into their guide-lines.

Severance called the video of Floyd’s killing disgusting.

“In my three decades of law enforcement I’ve never once heard an instructor teach a knee on the neck,” Severance said. “That’s not us, not what we do.”

CPD’s adoption of the policy follows the Texas Police Chief’s Association’s adoption of the same. The Association’s adoption came in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, which address a duty to intervene and deadly force restrictions as they apply to unauthor-ized uses of force.

“Chokeholds, vascular and carotid artery neck restraints are prohibited unless deadly force if autho-rized,” Severance said. “Any

officer using such holds or restraints will immediately cease such use upon gain-ing control of the subject and begin the application of an appropriate medical response if needed.

“Officers are required to report any incident involv-ing use of a chokehold or vascular or carotid artery neck restraint.”

All officers are required to intervene as necessary in such instances as well.

“Any officer present and observing another officer or employee using force that is clearly beyond what is reasonable and neces-sary in the circumstances then existing has a duty to intervene by verbal and/or physical means,” Severance said. “And to immediately report the use of force to a supervisor and submit a writen statement directly to the chief of police. This standard applies regardless of the rank or position held by the officer or employee, or whether the user of force is the supervisor of the observer.”

Cain commended the move.

“How proud I am that we have a department where our officers seek out ways not just to better speak to the heart of CPD, but to the heart of Cleburne as well. And they operate not just under what is professional and right but also with com-passion and caring.

“With all the national discussion about improv-ing policing practices, I’m proud to know that our police department is already leading the state in imple-menting ways to improve best practices and grate-ful that our off icers not only protect and serve our community byt that they continually look for ways to improve.”

B2-LIVING

COMMENTARY

Why you can’t sleep; Seven tips for getting a good night’s sleepDid you sleep last night?

Are you feeling rested today or do you wish you had slept a little longer, but you kept waking up? If so, you are not alone.

Forty percent of all American adults are sleep deprived, getting less than the recommended seven hours of sleep, which is the minimum for an individual to function in one’s daily life.

Sleep has a profound effect on our minds, bodies and emotions. The average person sleeps up to one-third of their life. Our body needs sleep, just as it needs food and water. Research shows that while we sleep, our brain can get rid of toxins, including proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Not sleeping enough does not allow the brain the time to do this and the price we pay can be very high.

Lack of sleep can make us emotionally fragile and unable to cope with the problems we face.

It also takes its toll on our mental capacity to think clearly, make the right deci-sions and remember things that are important to us.

Our work performance,

focus and concentration suffer and our social com-petence is decreased. We often feel on edge, are prone to anger and have low-stress tolerance.

Insomnia is damaging people’s health and harms their immune system.

Research has found that symptoms of depression can be exacerbated by sleep deprivation. It is estimated that more than 90% of people living with depres-sion have sleep issues.

People who have Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or insomnia, report a significantly higher depression rate than other people. The relationship between sleep and depres-sion is interlinked and I often see that happening with my clients who expe-rience depression.

Depression can cause a lack of sleep and in turn, a lack of sleep can contribute to depression. It can become a never-ending cycle.

Arianna Huffington, in her book, “The Sleep Revo-lution,” said that research documents the association of sleep deprivation with mental illness and even suicide, among people of all age groups.

Medical research shows that 90% of people suffering with insomnia have other health problems, such as heart attacks, strokes and Type 2 diabetes.

The pandemic has affected our daily routine and has had a serious impact on the way we live our lives. One of its greatest effects has been on sleep. During this time, sleep problems have been on the rise.

People worry about the health and safety of them-selves, their children and their loved ones. They worry about their jobs and finances and stress out over what is going to happen in the future. These worries can cause stress and anxiety, which keep them up at night.

SEVEN TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP

1. Be careful what you eat and drink at night. Avoid caffeine and heavy foods and give yourself at least three hours between your dinner and going to bed.

2. Set aside time every night to prepare yourself mentally for sleep. Establish a regular routine of going to bed and awaking up in the morning.

3. Turn off all devices and limit watching the news. The blue light of electronic devices does not allow our brain to relax and interferes with the quality of our sleep.

4. Create a restful envi-ronment in your bedroom. Your bedroom should be dark and quiet. Your bed

should be only for sleep, not reading , watching tele-vision or looking at your phone.

5. Stop watching the clock. Looking at the clock, will only cause you more stress, when you need to be winding down.

6. Learn to relax and take a few slow deep breaths, as you whisper “in” on the inhale and “out” on the exhale, to induce sleep.

Close your eyes and imagine going to your happy place, where you feel calm and relaxed.

7. If you can’t sleep, get out of bed so your bed won’t become a battleground. Try to enjoy the sensation of merely resting.

You may take a warm

bath or look at family photos until you feel sleepy again.

Sleep medications should be avoided unless they are your last resort. Most of them come with serious side effects as the instructions indicate.

If you are not sleeping well and traditional treat-ments have not been working, hypnosis might be able to help you sleep and have the quality of life you deserve.

Meditation and hypnosis have no side effects and can help you to learn to relax, empty your mind, calm your body and be able to fall asleep naturally. You will learn relaxation, symptom control and guided imagery along with visualization. You can overcome bedtime restlessness, ease worry, tension and anxiety that prevent sleep and can guide you to deep restorative sleep which we all need to have, for a healthy, balanced life.

Dr. Eugenia Andrews is an international board-certified clinical hypnotherapist, a Mindset Success Coach and an emotional eating expert. She can be reached at 817-894-3739 or wellnesscoachingtx@yahoo.com.

EUGENIA ANDREWSCOLUMNIST

What happens when people struggle with insomniaThey stay awake for long periods of time.They are unable to fall asleep if they awake up.They wake up several times during the night.They have unpleasant dreams or nightmares.They are tired and feel groggy in the morning.They find it difficult to concentrate and function properly.They feel irritable and anxious.

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Honored distinction“Of the 2,400 police departments in Texas only 167 have the recognized status. Only 94 have been re-recognized.”— Max Westbrook, Texas Recognition Program