Is suicide among law enforcement professionals a problem? Various sources report 300 completed police suicides annually.1 Other sources report that a law enforcement officer (LEO) is more likely to die by suicide than by homicide.2 However, these numbers and statistics are extremely difficult to support.
Although the exact number of LEOs who take their own lives every year might not be available, it is clear that even a single incident is devastating. Each peace officer who completes suicide leaves behind family, partners, supervisors, friends, and organizations that are highly impacted by the officer’s death. The authors believe that suicide among law enforcement is a significant problem.
