One such conference that he attended in 2019 dealt with the growing problem of an increasing number of suicides in the law enforcement community. A career as a police officer can expose a person to extreme stress and traumatizing events, including murders, domestic violence, and other crimes. This experience with traumatic events can cause significant mental health issues, including the development of PTSD and clinical depression. Police officers experience these mental health issues at rates more than five times higher than that of the general population.
Many officers view talking about these issues as a sign of weakness, and fear the ramifications for their career and advancement opportunities. For that reason, many don’t seek help, and instead self-medicate with alcohol or drugs. Those experiencing substance abuse issues or troubles with depression and other mental health issues have higher rates of suicide. Within the general population, around 13 out of 100,000 people have died as a result of suicide. However, that number goes up to as many as 17 out of 100,000 for police officers. Perhaps even more startling is that the number of police officer who have died as a result of suicide is nearly three times that of police officers who have died in the line of duty.
The government has approved nearly $7.5 million dollars in additional funding designated to help provide training for departments, mental health screenings, and suicide prevention.
