CommentsVOICES-Suicide is not illegal in the U.S, but when one of our law enforcement officers takes his (or her) own life yet no one saw the probable emotional isolation that caused a “caretaker” to separate from his family, his mission and from himself -- it symbolizes a crime of failure on the part of society.
In 2019, police officers and other first responders ended their own lives in record numbers, according to Blue H.E.L.P. Studies abound and plausible explanations seem to be known and acknowledged, but the tragedy is increasing. What are we doing wrong that is causing our heroes -- those who are willing to risk their lives daily for strangers -- to feel their life is not worth living?
One of the key factors that appears in all studies is a sense of isolation, now categorized as "social isolation." This infers that if someone appears to be amiably associating with others and/or has a close family relationship, they are not "isolated." But that isn't what the statistics are showing. Many of the officers who end their watch with their own weapon have homes, a spouse, families, parents who care and children they loved.
POLICE SUICIDES UP FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW
In 2019, at least 228 officers died by suicides -- the highest number reported yet, according to Blue H.E.L.P, the Massachusetts non-profit organization that tracks police suicides:
228 current or former officers died by suicide in 2019, compared to 172 in 2018.
Of these, 90% were male and approximately 25% were veterans with at least 20 years of service.
By comparison, 132 officers were killed in the line of duty in 2019.
According to Blue H.E.L.P.'s data, New York state had the highest number of suicides, 27, followed by California, 23, Texas, 19, and Florida, 15. (Among those 27 in New York, 10 were New York Police Department officers.)
Their website reports 172 officer deaths due to suicide in 2018, 168 in 2017 and 143 in 2016.
In October, Jon Adler, the former Bureau of Justice Programs director at the Department of Justice and a former New York law enforcement officer, issued a plea in an ABC News, interview, "For 2020, let's resolve to stop contemplating suicide prevention and take decisive action."
Jeff McGill, a co-founder of Blue H.E.L.P., agreed "2020 should be the year that we look back and realize that suicide is the biggest threat we face and we should respond accordingly."
Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, which recently published the 72-page study, "An Occupational Risk: What Every Police Agency Should do to Prevent Suicide," told ABC News, ". . .we need more effective research to better understand this national issue."
The research by this group has already concentrated the issues into categories, among which are:
PTSD and barriers to seeking health care; Depression; Access to firearms; and Officers who mask their suicidal feelings:
The Executive Summary states, ". . .people who are suicidal “wear masks,” meaning that they camouflage their emotions to the point that those around them (and even the individuals themselves) do not realize how serious the situation has become. This creates tremendous challenges for family members, co-workers, supervisors, and even mental health professionals in being able to recognize who may be at risk of suicide.
IS THE CODE OF SILENCE KILLING U.S. POLICE OFFICERS?
A September 3, 2019, must-see BBC Special Report, The Code of Silence killing U.S. Police Officers first interviews a father, an NYPD police officer for 32 years, who knew what he was going to find before he saw his 24-year-old son—also a police officer—dead in his car in the Brooklyn Sports Club parking lot. He said he thought he was a good judge of character and would know when someone needed help, but he didn’t see it in his own son.
“Officer David Betz died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound without leaving any explanation of what led him to that moment, his father says. He's among hundreds of officers across the U.S. who have taken their own lives and left behind a trail of questions,” the BBC contends.
This is a startling, in-depth expose on the lives -- and deaths -- of our law-enforcement heroes who are caught in a pit of isolation from society, from loved ones and from themselves because of what they see and often because of the memory of those they couldn't save.
The sister of an officer who had his gun taken by his department and then given back two days before he committed suicide, said, “I begged them not to give his gun back.” She told BBC she had contacted internal affairs and told them of her concerns about her brother’s mental health, but they never got back to her.
She blames the top brass at NYPD for losing the respect of the city and the officers. “It’s not the same. Officers used to be respected. Now they spit on them in the streets. . .” she said.
PTSD HAPPENS SUDDENLY
Mark DiBona, a 33-year police veteran and spokesman for Blue Help, talked to the BBC interviewer about developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after volunteering for three weeks in NY after the 9/11 attacks. He said the compilation of traumas, which included responding to a car fire with a passenger trapped inside, made him feel he "wanted to die." He said he felt like a failure.
He said he wrote an angry letter to the police department and an apology letter to his mother and wife, before placing his gun in mouth, but another officer intervened and saved his life.
He talked to BBC about being trained to use gear for physical protection but lamented that officers "have very little training when it comes to protecting us mentally."
Janice McCarthy of Care of Police Suicide Survivors (COPSS) said, "Cops run on the adrenaline. . .it becomes almost like a high," she recalls of her husband. "But the problem is you can't come home and shut it off and [Paul] could not shut it off. He didn't sleep. He couldn't really have a conversation," she recalls, "They are caretakers. They are used to taking care of everyone else.
John Volanti, a 23-year veteran officer, said it's an accumulation of traumas.
It’s the nature of the work -- seeing dead bodies, abused children. and other traumas that just pile up.
“If you have to put on a bullet-proof vest to go to work, that’s another indication that you’re under the probability that you may be shot or killed and your family also lives under that probability.”
Volanti also pointed out the changes in attitudes toward officers and the quagmire of balancing political issues in communities they are trying to protect and officers being pulled in many directions and no longer knowing what their role is.
LAPD CHIEF SAYS SUICIDE PREVENTION IS A PRIORITY
Since 2008 — 37 members of the LAPD have killed themselves, more than double the 17 killed in the line of duty.
On October 1, 2019,, LAPD Chief Michel Moore told NBC News that no officer had died by suicide for over two years, until recently with the suicide death of veteran detective Before 2017 they the department was averaging two per year, according to the report.
LAPD maintains a proactive Behavioral Science Unit, with the Police Protective League increasing awareness, and leadership making suicide prevention a priority, Chief Moore stated.
HISTORY OF POLICE OFFICERS' SUICIDES – LAPD
The first study of suicides at Los Angeles Police Department was published in 1978 (Dash and Reiser) and found that officer suicide averaged 1 per 100,000 officers for the 7-year period from 1970-76. This was compared to a 1977-79 study of Chicago PD (Wagner and Bizeczeki,) which revealed that during that period a Chicago police officer was five times as likely to take his/her own life as a non-officer.
The factors that were believed to make this difference and mitigate the incidents of suicide at LAPD were (1) the use of rigorous physical and psychological screening; (2) the utilization of relevant police training programs, and (3) the availability of professional mental health services within the department (a service which is still in place at LAPD.)
A subsequent examination of LAPD officer suicide rates from 1977-1988 found the rate had risen to an average of 12.0 per 100,000. This was still lower than the suicide rate for all adults in Los Angeles County, the State of California, or the United States combined. Authors (Josephson, Reiser) point out that, “Because of the small number of female police officer suicides, it is difficult to inter how high or low their suicide rates are."
POLICING HAS CHANGED
Police officers have always been considered the protectors of the community and been venerated by victims, emulated by youngsters. Why do those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for us now take their own? Have they lost faith in those they protect? Or, have the communities turned on them?
Children, instead of waving to police officers in a passing car and dreaming of being in that seat and saving lives, are now pointing plastic versions of machine guns or handguns -- with the approval of their accompanying parents.
Officers are expected to know ahead of time the intention of the person they chase down a dark alley and who pulls a gun. If they shoot to save their own or others' lives, they can expect to be vilified by a family member or the community crying before TV cameras about the wonderful son, brother or school mate who was "kind, loving, never involved in a gang" and was just saving up money to remove those tattoos from his arms, neck and face to start a new life. And, of course, the officer should have known that. Just an accusation now can result in an officer being considered guilty until proven innocent.
TOWARD ENDING POLICE OFFICER ISOLATION
A Ruderman Foundation White Paper, “Police Officers and Firefighters Are More Likely to Die by Suicide than in Line of Duty,” found that “In 2017, there were at least 103 firefighter suicides and 140 police officer suicides. In contrast, 93 firefighters and 129 police officers died in the line of duty. Suicide is a result of mental illness, including depression and PTSD, which stems from constant exposure to death and destruction.”
It also found that “on average, police officers witness 188 “critical incidents” during their careers. This exposure to trauma can lead to several forms of mental illness…PTSD and depression rates among firefighters and police officers have been found to be as much as 5 times higher than the rates within the civilian population."
Even when suicide does not occur, the paper states, “untreated mental illness can lead to poor physical health and impaired decision-making.”
“First responders are heroes who run towards danger every day in order to save the lives of others. They are also human beings, and their work exerts a toll on their mental health,” said Jay Ruderman, President of the Ruderman Family Foundation. “It is our obligation to support them in every way possible – to make sure that they feel welcome and able to access life-saving mental health care.
This white paper should serve as a critical call to action to all who care about our heroes in red and blue.”
So, it seems the problems are understood. Who will be addressed to correct them? Is the White Paper enough to help officers who feel isolated?
The White Paper may not be the only answer, but let's hope it is a big step forward. And, let's all think about what our world would be like if a phone call did not bring a person in uniform when we are alone and threatened or when we have been injured. What we need is more outcry from the public, supporting our officers and letting them know they are not alone.
(Phyllis M. Daugherty is a former City of LA employee and a contributor to CityWatch.) Photo: Washington PostEdited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
