April 2025. Blues Vol 41 No.4

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESKA Huge Epidemic isSweeping the NationFor years, long beforeCOVID-19 raced through communitiesacross America killingmillions of citizens, anotherepidemic has been slowingkilling our brothers and sistersin Blue and it's suicide. We areonly 3-months into 2025 andalready over two dozen officers,both active and retired,have chosen to end their livesrather than face whatever evillurked inside. In Harris Countyalone, we lost 4 all from onedepartment.Something must change.According to data collected byCAN, an independent, nonprofitresearch and analysis organizationdedicated to the safetyand security of America, policeofficers are at a greater risk ofdying by suicide than the generalpublic. They are also morelikely to die by suicide than bekilled in the line of duty. Butthe question is why?A CAN study showed that 60percent of officers who diedby suicide were known to beexperiencing some life challenges.The most prevalentof these challenges was depression,affecting 34 percentof those officers who died by6 The BLUES - APRIL ‘25suicide. It was followed bypost-traumatic stress disorder,or PTSD, reported among27 percent of officers. Takentogether, mental health issuesemerged as the category oflife challenge affecting thehighest proportion of publicsafety personnel, with 46 percentexperiencing depression,PTSD, mental illness, childhoodtrauma, or grief fromthe recent loss of a loved one.The second highest categorywas work-related challenges,encountered by 25 percentof these individuals. Anotherrecent CAN report examiningthe work and life stressorsamong public safety personnelidentified the most prominentto be work/life balance, lackof support, being overworkedand experiencing burnout, andchallenges with colleagues.Despite the majority of thisgroup experiencing adversity,only 23 percent were reportedto be seeking any kind of help.Approximately 17 percent ofofficers sought assistance forPTSD, and 7 percent soughtany form of mental healthtreatment. CAN has previouslyexplored deterrents to seekingmental health support, includingconcerns related to confidentiality,cultural competency,and stigma.A small percentage of officersfound suicide was thesolution to their legal troubleswhether it be job related, animpending indictment or possiblya lengthy prison sentence.Realizing that cops and prisondon’t mix well and to avoidwhat could be years of physicalabuse by inmates, theychoose to end their life ratherthan face the inevitable.The prevalence of deaths bysuicide among public safetypersonnel is a public healthcrisis that affects the safety ofall. Not only should we ensurethe well-being of publicsafety personnel for humanitarianreasons, but the currentlevel of stress experiencedby public safety personnel isunsustainable—as indicated

by waning national staffinglevels. CAN analysts work withpublic safety agencies acrossthe country to improve agencymember well-being, andrecently partnered with commandstaff of several publicsafety organizations to providea webinar on organizationalstress. This webinar providedan opportunity for peerlearning about supervisorystress and the importance ofthe command staff in reducingorganizational stressors fortheir supervisors. Continuingto address these work-relatedissues is critical, as each deathby suicide in the public safetycommunity is already one toomany.Our Editor Rex Evans remindedme of an effort years agoat the Harris County Sheriff’sDepartment, that involved theentire department taking partin a what can only be calledan intervention. Divided into 4groups, each group gatheredat the Second-Baptist Churchin Katy and for the better partof a day, they learned howto cope with stress, to sharetheir mental and physical issueswith professionals, andmost of all to have each other’sbacks and prevent futuredeaths, either line of duty orsuicide. Both of which werecovered as Street SurvivalTechniques for LE Officers.Perhaps it’s time for a massintervention of every departmentin America. The leadersof police agencies need torecognize that this epidemicis real and just like any otherepidemic, unless you take actionand take action NOW, weare going to continue to loosemore and more of our brothersand sisters.The BLUES - APRIL ‘25 7