In July, Perry County Memorial Hospital in Tell City, Ind., made an investment unusual for critical access hospitals: It launched its own police force.
The decision was driven by a need for increased security presence for staff and patients, CEO Jared Stimpson told Becker’s.
Violence and harassment among patients and visitors remains a challenge for hospitals nationwide. In 2025, several states have introduced or enacted legislation aimed at curbing workplace violence — including expanding criminal penalties for battery against healthcare workers and mandating safety training.
Mr. Stimpson said hospital-based police forces are among the fastest-growing non-community police forces, though they remain “extremely rare” in rural critical access hospitals due to cost.
“We worked closely with our affiliate system, Deaconess Health System, and their police force to help set up our process for pursuing a hospital-based police department and met with our local law enforcement officials to ensure their support as well,” he said.
York, Pa.-based WellSpan Health also recently shared plans to create a private police force; it would be composed of team members with law enforcement backgrounds who meet annual training certifications.
The nine-hospital system has invested more than $20 million in safety and security operations over the last several years, Bill White, vice president of public safety, told Becker’s.
“In the last fiscal year, WellSpan had a goal to reduce workplace violence events resulting in injuries to our team members by 5%,” Mr. White said. “During that fiscal year, we far exceeded that goal by realizing a 55% reduction in workplace violence events. Injuries to our team members were significantly reduced due to our combined workplace violence and security initiatives. That progress positioned us to take the steps we’re embarking on today.”
Columbus (Ind.) Regional Health previously launched its own police force. The rise in active shooter and mass violence incidents nationwide, combined with the vulnerabilities of healthcare environments, led Columbus Regional to invest further in its protective services — including forming its own police department, according to Tony Pope, chief of police and emergency preparedness and president-elect of the International Association of Healthcare Safety and Security.
There are likely more than 29 states that allow healthcare-based police departments, Mr. Pope told Becker’s. The concept is not entirely new. When evaluating the investment, Columbus Regional consulted Indiana hospitals with existing police departments, including two that launched theirs in 2014.
A community investment
Columbus Regional Health saw a rise in violence against healthcare workers following the pandemic, reflecting nationwide trends. With the launch of its police department, along with initiatives including enhanced behavioral management training for officers and clinical staff and upgraded technology, the organization saw a 56% reduction in workplace violence incidents from 2023 to 2025, Mr. Pope said.
In addition to its police force, WellSpan recently implemented weapons detection and wearable duress alarms called Strongline badges, which team members can use in threatening situations to activate a quick response from support teams, Mr. White said.
“Our goal is always to maintain an environment in which anyone who enters our facilities feels safe, and forming a private police force is just one part of WellSpan’s security initiative designed to do this,” he said.
For Perry County Memorial Hospital, the return on investment is not measured financially but in the safety of patients and staff.
“As a rural hospital, the financial commitment for a 24/7 police force is great, and much more difficult for us to bear than the larger hospitals,” Mr. Stimpson said. “But nonetheless, it is just as necessary given the dangerous climate we are in today.”
The goal, he added, is to foster patient safety and community trust.
“However we need to keep in mind, our job as an acute care hospital is to treat the physical health of the patients, not to make arrests or enforce laws,” Mr. Stimpson said. “A hospital-based police force is strictly there to add a layer of safety to both our patients as well as the staff we employ that offer high-quality patient care.”
