Although there is a shortage of data on the occurrences of officer suicide globally, it is clear that many law enforcement agencies are affected by this issue. For example, in France, the suicide rate of police officers is 36 percent higher than that of the general population.¹ In the United States, 114 police officers died by suicide in the first six months of 2019.²

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month (in the United States), and while suicide prevention is a year-round endeavor, this month can provide an impetus for law enforcement agencies to kick off their suicide prevention awareness activities and begin having these important conversations.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is working to raise awareness about law enforcement suicide through the National Consortium on Preventing Law Enforcement Suicide (the Consortium). Working in partnership with the National Action Alliance for Suicide and the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, the IACP has convened 32 multidisciplinary experts—law enforcement executives, officers, and families; mental health and suicide prevention experts; and experts from academia—who share a common goal of preventing suicide in the law enforcement community. This group has been busy working on developing recommendations to assist law enforcement in addressing this important issue.

Overarching Themes

The Consortium members met in April 2019 and discussed a variety of issues related to law enforcement mental health and suicide; some overarching themes and concepts were identified.

Moving from awareness to action. The Consortium members discussed the need to focus on action-oriented suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention strategies for law enforcement. Surveys in the United States and Australia show that officers are aware of the issue of suicide in law enforcement and aware of the services available at their agencies, yet the majority reported that they would not use those services.³

Messaging matters. The Consortium discussed the need to focus on strategic messages tailored for law enforcement leadership, supervisors, officers, and families, with a focus on messages of resilience, hope, and recovery.

Acknowledgement of risk factors. The Consortium discussed that there are several risk factors that contribute to law enforcement suicide. However, mental health recovery and resilience are possible through protective factors such as physical and mental health care, continued care after hospitalization, connectedness, and coping and problem-solving skills.

Expanding the research base. The Consortium discussed challenges such as the lack of current and historic data surrounding law enforcement officer suicide. Members discussed the need to explore existing research and data collection efforts, identify the gaps in the available information, and develop recommendations on how to fill those gaps.

Improving access to professionally appropriate services. The Consortium members discussed the gap in availability of culturally competent mental health service providers who understand the specific needs and experiences of law enforcement officers, as well as the gap in officers’ acceptance of these services.

Engaging and supporting law enforcement families. The Consortium members discussed that families are a critical resource in preventing officer suicide and that law enforcement agencies should engage families at every stage in a law enforcement officer’s career. Additionally, the Consortium members recognized that families who have lost someone to suicide have special needs that are not always met in the current field response to officer suicide.

Supporting quality peer support programs. The Consortium identified that the growth in law enforcement peer support programs is a strength within comprehensive officer safety and wellness programs. Peer support programs are often more readily embraced by officers in need of assistance than a formal visit with a service provider.

Good postvention is good prevention. The Consortium concluded that two critical points for suicide prevention within an agency that require thoughtful messaging and services are when an officer returns to work following a suicide attempt and the immediate aftermath of an officer’s death by suicide.

Next Steps

Five Consortium task forces are currently working to identify solutions, considerations, recommendations, and potential resources related to law enforcement suicide. The task forces’ areas of focus are data and research, messaging, organization and systems, family support and surviving families, and peer support. Results and outcomes identified by each task force will contribute to project deliverables, which include a comprehensive report for the field and a variety of resources that will raise awareness of and help prevent law enforcement suicide.

The Consortium will meet again during the 2019 IACP Annual Conference and Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, and members will discuss task force findings and recommendations. During the meeting, members will discuss how to provide appropriate messaging to law enforcement on issues surrounding suicide, with a focus on the aftermath of a suicide death.

The Consortium will convene again in the spring of 2020 to finalize its recommendations and resources. The project will culminate in a comprehensive report identifying recommendations and potential policy and procedure updates, as a well as a toolkit of resources for executives, officers, and family members.

To view existing resources on suicide prevention, visit the following websites:

■ The IACP

■ The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention

■ Bureau of Justice Assistance

Notes:

¹ Overcoming the Malaise of the Internal Security Forces: A Republican Requirement, Section B (Sénat, June 2018).

² Blue H.E.L.P.

³ Report on FOP/NBC Survey of Police Officer Mental and Behavioral Health (Fraternal Order of Police, 2018); Nicola J. Reavley et al., “Depression Literacy and Help-seeking in Australian Police,” Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 52, no. 11 (November 2018): 1063–1074.

Please cite as

Juliana Davis, “One Officer Suicide Is Too Many,” IACP@Work, Police Chief 86, no. 9 (September 2019): 100–101.