JAN. 2025. Blues Vol 41 No. 1

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESKEVERY HOUR, 4 PEOPLE DIE....by suicide here in America. We need to dobetter to help those who need our help.Every hour in America, fourpeople commit suicide. On average,184 cops take their ownlives every year. More than 1,200first responders died by suicideover a seven-year period,according to a report releasedby a nonprofit organizationthat tracks law enforcementsuicides. From 2016 to 2022,there were 1,287 public safetypersonnel -- identified in thereport as law enforcement andcorrections officers -- who diedby suicide, according to theFirst HELP and CNA Corporationreport.I’m no expert and I certainlydo not have the answer tothis horrific problem facing ourbrothers and sisters in Blue.But we do have some terrificpartners here at the BLUES thataddress this growing problemeach month; Dr. Tina Jaecklewith her Blue Mental Healthcolumn and Retired NYPD officerJohn Salerno and FormerSecret Service Agent SamathaHorwitz with Badge of Honorarticles and pod casts. And inthe coming months, we’ll beadding even more experts tohelp address this growing problem.So, what can we do to helpour brothers and sisters whothink they have reached the endof the road and have no otheralternative but to take their ownlife. Often, when we see someonepost on social media thatan officer has died of a self-inflictedgunshot, the commentsread like this:“I wish he would have reachedout to me; I could have helped.”“I had no idea. I can’t believeshe didn’t call me. I’m so heartbroken.”“OMG no, no, no. Why did hedo this. Why didn’t he reach out.Why didn’t anyone know?”Maybe they did try and calland no one picked up. Thesedays, no one answers calls ontheir cell. Everything is done bytext. People look at incomingcalls and say to themselves,“why in the hell is someonecalling me in the middle of thenight?” Very few people willpick up when you call. Especiallyif they don’t recognize thenumber.Imagine you are that officer’slast attempt to reach outto someone to just “talk” andyou send it to voicemail. Andthe next day, you read a postin the retired officers FB pagethat “retired officer X took hisown life last night.” You weretheir last hope of finding somemeaning to their life and youpassed them by because youcouldn’t be bothered.As a society, we must dobetter. As first responders, as abrotherhood of cops, we oweit to one another to save eachother from ourselves. On thestreet, we always have eachother’s backs and would sacrificeour own life to save someoneelse’s. But what about now.Don’t we have a responsibilityto save the ones who are willingto give up their own lives toprotect us?I ask each of you, to reach outto someone you haven’t heardfrom in a while and check onthem. Make sure they are doingOK. Take them to lunch. Stopby the retirement home andshow them someone still cares.Because one day, it will be YOUthat’s all alone and wonderingwhen someone will come visityou.6 The BLUES - JANUARY ‘25

The BLUES - JANUARY ‘25 7