Suicide

[Sheriff]

This was posted on another web site I visit occasionally. It was posted by a person claiming to be a real police officer......

As you may know as a veteran, people in this line of work commit suicide more often than they get killed at work. I believe it comes from a combination of the hours, pay, work conditions and such, but to a much greater extent I think it comes from the willingness of civilians to bash, criticize, second guess, etc anything a cop does.

How many people here agree with this remark?

[Trojan 42]

I have absolutely no idea if that's true or not. I''d guess Not true.

[Pedro56]

I agree with it, we have more suicides in this field than we do officers killed in the line of duty.

[nitestokker]

When I was in college a long time ago, I did a paper on the effects of stress on a cop. My research found that law enforcement had the highest rate of divorce, alcohol abuse and suicide of any profession in the US. Don't know if that's still true though. Of course I was not always sober in college and the research could have been flawed because I was busy looking for my first ex-wife and listening to "Sister Christian" with my .357 in my mouth.

[conalabu]

When I was in college a long time ago, I did a paper on the effects of stress on a cop. My research found that law enforcement had the highest rate of divorce, alcohol abuse and suicide of any profession in the US. Don't know if that's still true though. Of course I was not always sober in college and the research could have been flawed because I was busy looking for my first ex-wife and listening to "Sister Christian" with my .357 in my mouth.

There's a winner. Man, I thought I was the only one in college doing that.

[conalabu]

Thanks for the point.

[GarcoDeputy]

We go through stress training in our Department and the shrink that comes in to talk to us tells us that Cops have the highest Suicide rates. Then Dentists are second behind us.

[Honeypot]

I have found a website....

www.psf.org

Down the left-hand side there is a section entitled "Newspaper Articles, TV & Radio"... at the bottom of this page is a table, showing statistics from 1985-1999... relating to suicide in Law Enforcement. It's quite a disturbing read.

[Retdetsgt]

During my tenure, we had 6 cops commit suicide. During that same time, five were killed on duty. And two of those were automobile accidents where the officers were driving like bats out of hell. Three were shot and killed.

To be fair, the suicide rate has gone down the last 15 years because the stigma of getting counseling has gone down somewhat. My first 15 years on, it was unheard of for a cop to ask for help with personal problems. Now it's encouraged. Also anyone involved in a deadly force situation is required to get a minimum of 4 sessions with a psychologist specially training in post traumatic situations.

[TheeBadOne]

the stigma of getting counseling has gone down somewhat. My first 15 years on, it was unheard of for a cop to ask for help with personal problems. Now it's encouraged. Also anyone involved in a deadly force situation is required to get a minimum of 4 sessions with a psychologist specially training in post traumatic situations.

[Sheriff]

According to the best statistics or breakdown I have seen so far for 2005, 163 died in 2005 (that's higher than reported anywhere else). There is no statistic listed for suicide, even though it is an occupational hazard and what I would consider a "line of duty" death. According to the vote here so far, the real death toll would be twice as much? 320 to 350 in 2005?

http://www.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41588

CAUSE OF DEATH

Shootings-
12 officers died during domestic violence calls
7 officers died answering robbery calls
3 officers died in an ambush
3 officers died serving warrants
14 officers died during a traffic stop
6 officers were shot accidentally
6 officers were shot by suspect with their own gun
2 officers died of accidental self inflicted
64 officers in total died by gunfire

Motor Vehicle-
15 officers died when they lost control of vehicle
19 officers died in auto accidents involving someone else
4 officers died due to road conditions
11 officers died being ran over by a vehicle
4 officers died while laying stop sticks
4 officers died because of a drunk driver
4 officers died in motorcycle accidents
66 officers in total died from motor vehicle accidents


Heart Attack-
3 officers died of heart attacks during training
3 officers died of heart attacks during an assault
4 officers died of heart attacks assisting another officer
4 officers died of heart attac ks during a foot pursuit
14 officers in total died of heart attacks

Other-
1 officer died of drowning
4 officers died in helicopter accidents
1 officer died in an airplane accident
1 officer died in an atv accident
1 officer died being struck by a train
3 officers died falling off bridges
1 officer died of a stabbing
1 officer died of hepatitis C
2 officers died from cancer
1 officer died from drinking too much water
3 officers died of mortar attack in war in Iraq

[TacticalTim]

If you have been doing this job for any amount of time, no matter where you work or what size agency. The "vices" in this job will eventually get to you and the devil will be on your back waiting for you to fall. So when you start to think you have seen to much for your soul to bare and you start to give in to all that makes us weak, fight back as if your life depends on because it really does. Use every resource you can find and never be shy or embarrassed by how your feeling. Its hard enough to get through each day with everyone against us, we need not fall by are own hand. Get help and remember there are people there for you.

[Cst.SB]

When I was in training we had a lecture by one of the force's psychologists who told us that within the last decade the number of suicides and health issues regarding police officers has dropped significantly below the civilian populations. Though, I can't say anything about divorce rates!

What he said, is that new hiring practices (physical standards and pysc testing) and an emphasis healthy lifestyles and employee assistance programs, have greatly reduced suicide and death rates (accidents and murders not included)

On average RCMP members kill themselves less often and live longer than the general public.

But I have no idea if our suicide rate is higher or lower than accidental or homicide rates. We haven't been so lucky in the past couple years.

[Retdetsgt]

According to the best statistics or breakdown I have seen so far for 2005, 163 died in 2005 (that's higher than reported anywhere else). There is no statistic listed for suicide, even though it is an occupational hazard and what I would consider a "line of duty" death. According to the vote here so far, the real death toll would be twice as much? 320 to 350 in 2005?



1 officer died from drinking too much water

You got this from O.com? An article or did someone post it? I'm pretty suspicious of most stuff I've read there. Which is why I quit that forum some time ago, too much bullshit.

Several of the deaths involving auto wrecks here involved other cars, but that doesn't mean the civilian was at fault. Most of the officers I know that died from a car crash had a reputation for being lead footed and reckless. Not all, of course, but most were driving over their abilities and the conditions. That's not saying it shouldn't be considered on duty and given all the rights thereof, but it would be misleading to assume the civilian driver caused the death in all cases.

Dying from drinking too much water considered a line of duty death?

People act like being a cop is the most dangerous job in the world and it's not, it's down a ways on the list. I've had my share of scrapes and scares, but a good friend of mine works high steel as an iron worker. More of his collegues are killed on an annual basis than cops are. There ain't enough money in the world to get me up there, much less make me walk around and do work! Stats show that being a bicycle messenger in a major city is one of the most hazardous jobs in the world and I believe it.

A lot of the suicides I know of on my dept involved alcohol abuse. Guys were alcoholic and couldn't stop drinking. And didn't want to ask for help. I think the job used to lure more alcoholic personalities than it does today. Maybe better screening is what's doing it, but when I came on there were a lot of drunks on the dept. I added one more! Although I'm not necessarily choked up about the college educated, no experience in the real world rookies we started getting, they did do a better job of weeding out the alcoholics, I think. And, as I said, made it easier for them to get help w/o getting into trouble.

[Virginian]

Dying from drinking too much water considered a line of duty death?

I believe in that case the officer was in mountain bike training, where they were pushed to drink water all day long. He drank something like a gallon or more of water, to the point where it was lethal. Had he not been training, he wouldn't have been in that situation, so I'd say it's legit.

[Retdetsgt]

I believe in that case the officer was in mountain bike training, where they were pushed to drink water all day long. He drank something like a gallon or more of water, to the point where it was lethal. Had he not been training, he wouldn't have been in that situation, so I'd say it's legit.

I would think you're own body would tell you ENOUGH. Probably legit, but not too bright.

[Sheriff]

I believe in that case the officer was in mountain bike training, where they were pushed to drink water all day long. He drank something like a gallon or more of water, to the point where it was lethal. Had he not been training, he wouldn't have been in that situation, so I'd say it's legit.

Correct. The officer was up in the DC area somewhere. In training.

Drinking too much water too quickly is very easy to do on a hot summer day. You think you're sweating it off as fast as you drink it, but it doesn't work that way.

[Virginian]

I would think you're own body would tell you ENOUGH. Probably legit, but not too bright.

While I usually agree with a lot of things you say, I think that's being a bit unfair. But that's my opinion, you're welcome to yours

[Crimebytes2]

Its hard enough to get through each day with everyone against us, we need not fall by are own hand.

Please remember, my friend, that not everyone is against you.

Get help and remember there are people there for you.

Yep, and some of them don't wear a uniform.

[Sheriff]

Here's the water thing....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...081001460.html