The law enforcement profession is a very demanding and risky job. One of the duties of a police officer is to protect and defend other people’s lives. Thus, suicide by police officers runs contrary to their obligation of advocating life. This is because the people responsible for promoting human existence are the ones going against it by taking their own lives. From this, it could be inferred that the most dangerous hazard to the life of a police officer comes not from criminals but from themselves. Nowadays, police officers are killing themselves faster than they are being killed by lawless elements. However, the situation is not yet hopeless. Help is readily available for those police officers who are in difficult and dark situations. There are ways to detect the warning signs which can eventually prevent it from happening to other cops.
Suicide is the silent killer among police officers. Police suicide is a frightening problem that is seldom talked about either in the public or within the cop’s family circle. It is an invisible phenomenon or condition that significantly increases in number worldwide. Suicide is inclined to be silenced partly because of hesitance by the police force, specifically the officers in charge. The police unit and its officials are in denial and oftentimes do not acknowledge that police suicides could also be work-related and not only personal in nature. Although “epidemic” may not be the likely term to use as there is nothing infectious about suicide, the undeniable increase of suicide cops should not be taken for granted. Statistics show that for the past many years, many (and the number is increasing) police officers have been taking their lives by themselves than they have been killed by criminals.
Suicide is considered to be the powerless way out for police officers. Suicide usually implies dishonor and taint on one’s spiritual and ethical standards. That is why the people attached to police officers who have taken their own lives, such as friends and family members, are embarrassed to talk about it. Generally, a lot of people are having a hard time and an uncomfortable feeling whenever they are talking about the people they know who have committed suicide. For ethical and moral reasons, others may also feel that suicide is wrong or sinful. It is important to note, therefore, that all law enforcement officers and other concerned people are required to learn and understand what suicide is all about. An increased awareness about suicide by the law enforcers and what resources are available to help cops will mean winning against this perennial problem.
Kinds of Suicide by Cops
Hal Brown’s (2003) article titled “Suicide by Cop: There’s Always Police Stress as a Result,” states that suicide by a cop is basic. It is an easy term to be literally understood because it is taken as it is. However, it is incorrect to connote that suicide is as simple as it appears to be. This is because it comes in many forms, triggering factors and kinds. There are different causes which result in suicide and why a police officer resorts to it as a way out of his personal problems. These include mental disturbance which is generally associated with depression or anger in some instances. The suicide procedure is decided if there are very accessible means and it is based on the personality of the individual. The availability of tools is self-explanatory. Take for example a situation where a gun or any other lethal weapon is not available. A police officer on the verge of contemplating suicide will have a hard time or even second thoughts to pursue it. An individual’s attributes set in when the police officer, for reasons that he or she could not stand the thought of blowing away body parts or doesn’t want to leave a messy evidence for others to find and clean up, eventually decides not to use a gun. He or she may even totally abort the suicide plan (Brown, 2003).
The same article identified another kind of suicide where police officers are apparently coined as “pill people.” These people are bounded to end their lives by overdosing on deadly medicines. Brown (2003) added that there are others who prefer to die by carbon monoxide poisoning while other people by means of bag-over-the-head. It is unlikely though that both alcoholics and nondrinkers are the same in their lethal choice of drinking themselves to death. There are suicidal police officers who employ the dramatic type of jumping off buildings and bridges after a grand presentation. Still, there are others who, after learning and eventually suffering from terminal illness, finally decide to take their own lives for consideration of their loved ones. Another kind of suicide involves that of death for insurance where an individual who wants to hide the real cause of death just intentionally crash their cars. This kind will have to consider whether airbags have had an impact on the deadliness of some of the most dramatic vehicular tragedies (Brown, 2003).
Brown (2003) further said that police officers who are under rage, aside from being depressed, tend to complicate their suicide by involving others in the situation. There are suicidal persons under public coverage who actually want the people who “caused” them to commit suicide realize they are the very reason for the incident. Perhaps, the suicidal person would like to teach the people “responsible” a lesson and let the public know that these people are the ones at fault for the suicide. These people may be a lover who jilted the person who wants to commit suicide, a company that fired him or her, or the society that the suicidal person believed in but failed him or her. There are suicidal police officers who prefer complicated suicide scenes primarily for the welfare of the one person they really intend to realize that he or she is actually the cause of the suicide (Brown, 2003).
Statistical Reports and Past Studies on Police Suicide
Loh (1994) reported that in the United States, statistics showed that around 16 out of of every 100,000 adults commit suicide every year. Generally, psychologists looking into the suicide issue and its related problems placed the figure at 0.16 suicides per 1,000 adults. According to Loh, among the 30,000 strong officers of the country’s biggest law enforcement force (the New York City police force), 63 of them have committed suicide in the past decade. This implies that approximately 31 percent of the law enforcers commit suicide.
In the succeeding years, the increase in the number of police suicides almost doubled the average. A small police force, on the other hand, such as the JacksonviUe force of 1,200 in Florida reported a suicide rate of 10 times the general rate. Loh (1994) added that despite the absence of official government statistics on the suicide rate of police officers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration did, however, state that policemen have a life span of 8 to 11 years shorter than the average. He also cited that researchers of police suicide cases report that the national scale statistics has approximately doubled and may be even higher than that of the overall population (Loh, 1994).
In an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Claude Lewis (2000) said that there is an increase in suicides in a police force of more than 30,000 officers. The number is on the rise every year even though others attempted suicide were foiled by timely and alert officers. Lewis cited a recent study which showed that New York City officers commit suicide at a rate of 29 per 100,000 annually. This placed the rate of suicide in the general population at 12 per 100,000 police officers. The said article stated that most of the young male police officers with no record of misconduct commit suicide by shooting themselves while off duty. Lewis (2000) also cited a study by the National Association of Police Chiefs which said that across the United States, the number of police suicide was doubled (around 300 every years) while the officers are on duty.
A paper written by Baker and Baker (1996) states that the available studies on police suicide generally centers on the number of suicides, its procedure, the significant effect of availability of lethal weapons and the work-related factors that apparently influence an increase in the statistics of police suicides. Baker and Baker (1996) cited one study which determined a three times increase in suicide rate among police officers compared to the general number of police force. Baker and Baker (1996) also cited an unpublished report which recently learned that the police suicide rate has now been doubling, despite the fact that answers about police suicide have been unidentifiable and many related issues are still unclear. The two authors, however, said that researchers are apparently asking the wrong questions. Instead of worrying on the statistics and the suicide means employed by the police officers, it will be helpful to ask the type of support systems within the police force that could have prevented the officers from committing suicides (Baker ; Baker, 1996).
Allen Kates (1999) wrote in his book “CopShock, Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,” the comparison between suicide in Chicago and Los Angeles police forces. According to Kates (1999), the suicide rate in Chicago is more than five times the national average while the Los Angeles suicide rate is below the average in the country. This results in difficulty in determining an official national average for police suicide. This is because the city statistics are so general as well as those from small town to small town.
A report by the Census Bureau states that generally, the country population experienced 20.2 suicides for every 100,000 people (Kates, 1999). The same source reports that the suicide rate for police officers is 18.1 percent within a year (Kates, 1999). Other studies that trace police suicides estimate that a police officer commits suicide every 24 to 52 hours (Kates, 1999).
Kates (1999), however, said that statistics do not show the number of retired police officers who also committed suicide. Furthermore, statistics do not show suicides that were characterized by white wash by fellow police officers or the police force itself, purposely to confirm the insurance of the deceased or even to avoid embarrassment. Thus, police suicides caused either by personal stress or work-related trauma were usually taken out of the picture (Kates, 1999). This is evident because unlike the police officers who were killed in-the-line-of-duty and with their names etched on the walls in Washington, police officers who killed themselves were obviously not honored with memorial. In the suicide scenario, there is no national place for honoring and grieving. This constitutes the real account of the hidden suicides. With the said rate across the country, Kates (1999) was unable to prove that police officers kill themselves at least twice as often as the national average. However, he estimated that a figure of twice the national average is a conservative ratio (Kates, 1999).
Warning Signs
An editorial by The New York Times viewed that police officers live stressful lives, given the nature of their profession, even during the best of times. Unfortunately, in a society where being tough is highly regarded, these police officers are hesitant to show weakness for fear of jeopardizing their careers and losing their honor. This silent nature and practice usually makes police officers, who are in dire need of dealing with stress or depression, to turn their backs from their worries and eventually kill themselves instead of seeking help. With such reluctance, police officers who have temporarily lost their badges or been put on modified duty or preventive suspension pending investigations are the ones at high risk because it could well cost them their professions and dignity. The said editorial concluded that the fear of losing reputation and loved ones is more than enough mitigating factor to drive them over the edge and motivate police officers to kill themselves (The New York Times, 1994).
As members of the government armed force, police officers enjoy special administrative and judicial power that is often admired and envied by other members of society. However, very few people understand the heavy psychological burden caused by circumstances of stressful work and labor-intense responsibilities that police officers have to bear. Because of this, police officers are a group of people who are prone and easily succumb to psychological conditions. Psychological problems are obviously the root cause of some police officers’ abnormal behavior, which are usually caused by an internal conflict that has nothing to do with their political or professional status. A hectic and demanding work pace is likely to trigger fatigue, weariness and anxiety.
Brown (2003) said that in most cases, police stress results in suicide by cop. With exception in cases where the suicidal cop attempts to inflict harm or actually did harm a colleague or civilian, some degree of delaying post-incident stress is inevitable (Brown, 2003). There are instances when the post-incident stress can even develop into chronic post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD (Brown, 2003). The Mental Health website defines Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a condition “characterized by grave fear, helplessness, or horror because of exposure to extreme injury” (n.p.). A clinical diagnosis of a patient manifests the following characteristic symptoms: “continued or repeated experiencing of the traumatic event, persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness, and persistent symptoms of increased autonomic arousal” (n.p.). If the complete signs are being experienced by the patient for more than one month, the disturbance can cause significant medical distress or damage in social, occupational, or other significant functioning areas.
To further understand PTSD, the book of Kates (1999) discusses the various suicidal thoughts or actions apparently symptomatic of the said condition. According to Kates (1999), although there are a lot of pieces of evidence which claim that PTSD causes suicidal thinking, the suicidal thoughts or actions are actually not symptoms of PTSD. This was proven by more than 100 police officers interviewed by Kates (1999) who were diagnosed with PTSD but mostly had either entertained the though of killing themselves or had attempted suicide. Kates (1999) presented in his book the case of one police officer who did not consider suicide as an option. The subject was diagnosed with Panic Disorder but he did not meet the criteria for PTSD. However, there are times when Panic Disorder is sometimes considered to be a precursor to PTSD (Kates, 1999). Another research included in the book claims that PTSD is a stimulus for suicide. This can be the explanation for police officers with PTSD who often try to subdue PTSD symptoms by thinking about suicide and experimenting with suicide attempts. There could even be instances that they actually take away their own lives (Kates, 1999).
To recognize the danger signs and risk factors, it is necessary to understand why an individual commits suicide. A research compiled by a group called “Survivors of Loved Ones’ Suicides” or SOLOS reports that people often mistakenly regard that a person kills himself or herself as a conclusion, a means of dominance, and as a voluntary action (Kates, 1999). This kind of person may have an emotional and personality disturbance or poor coping skills. However, the SOLOS’ research challenges these notions, arguing that the primary purpose of suicide is not so much to end life but more to end the pain and suffering being experienced by the troubled person (Kates, 1999).
The same study said that there are really no alternatives involved. The suicide act is no more than a means of dominance as an impact of severe stress and psychological suffering (Kates, 1999). It is not really a voluntary action, but actually an involuntary reaction. The suicidal person is not capable of making a logical decision because he or she is regarded as a victim. Instead of having a mental or psychological condition or poor coping skills, a person who has suicidal tendency is inclined to have a biochemical disorder created or aggravated by pain and suffering. In other words, the group said that suicide happens when the stress brings about so much pain and is unbearable that taking one’s life is perceived as the only comfort or even the solution (Kates, 1999).
According to Kates (1999), the study conducted by SOLOS is logical and has a lot of sense especially in the context of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Any person such as a police officer, who is suffering from severe anguish and mental pain, inclines not to end his or her life but the agony. The pain which is caused by PTSD symptoms that are usually too unbearable makes the sufferer see death as the only relief. The research conducted by SOLOS claims that approximately 80 percent of suicide incidents are the result of untreated depression or other mental and psychological disorders (Kates, 1999). Those who survived the suicide had a wrong notion that the triggering effect of a relational breakup or personal failure and even professional failure are causes of the deadly act (Kates, 1999). Despite what survivors and the people left behind by those who committed suicide may read in an apparently rational, logical and even explicit suicide note, suicide act is a hopeless way out or attempt to escape a severe and often lasting mental anguish, pain, and stress (Kates, 1999).
Moreover, suicide is more associated with a person’s ability to cope than his or her logical reaction to real life happening and sufferings (Kates, 1999). Depression and other mental disorders motivate one’s low self-esteem and weaken one’s confidence and ability to correctly understand and efficiently handle stress. A person who manifests these traits is unlike a healthy person who takes depression in pace or who can immediately and successfully adjusts to the challenges of life (Kates, 1999).
Furthermore, Kates (1999) states that
[d]espite the fact that suicides often appear well-planned, the act itself is typically an impulsive one. He or she may not have known until the crisis hit that the moment to do-and-die had arrived. Those serious about killing themselves often wait until an opportune time when they know they can succeed without being rescued. This is why people known to have a plan are considered to be at highest risk.
Chaplain Robert Douglas (1998), author of “Death With No Valor,” identified the risk signs that someone has suicidal tendency. These include sudden loss of motivation; not concerned about physical fitness or physical appearance; isolation, withdrawal, doesn’t talk much or confide in anyone; heavy drinking or drug taking; more accident prone, especially with own car and service vehicles; reckless behavior; not sleeping, looks tired all the time; has told others about suicidal thoughts; frequent use of tranquilizers; mood swings, displays inappropriate emotions, gets angry at small things; unable to concentrate; frequent injuries; discipline problems at work, picks fights with superiors; becomes arrogant, aggressive, impulsive, violent; unable to deal with frustration; cries easily; nervous, may experience shaking or tremors; plays with gun, points it at self or others; delusional; suffers from high blood pressure; previous history of suicide attempts or family history of suicide; combines tranquilizers and alcohol; sudden desire to make last wishes known, and preparing will and getting papers in order. In addition to those symptoms, a suicidal person might start to give things away and, after a long period of depression, appear suddenly euphoric or happy (cited in Kates, 1999).
On the other hand, the Police Suicide Prevention Center said that, although a suicidal person may sometimes show little tendencies that they plan to kill themselves, there are signs that should be considered. Aside from affirming the danger signs described by Douglas (1998), the Center’s list of suicide risk factors include the following:
if the person had a close relative (like a parent) commit suicide; if the person attempted suicide in the past; talking about or threatening suicide; depression signs such as mood changes (gradual, or sudden), changes in behavior (gradual or sudden), gain or loss of weight, lack of interest in a favorite activity or sports team (be concerned if a child or teenager who is a great sports fan suddenly loses interest in his/her favorite team), lack of interest in life in general, changes in a child’s behavior patterns, trouble sleeping, or excessive sleeping, poor concentration or indecisiveness, withdrawing from others, lack of self-confidence or low self-esteem, tiredness, agitation and hopelessness (The Police Suicide Prevention Center, 2007).
According to Baker and Baker (1996), the strongest behavioral warning is a suicide attempt. Generally, the more recent the attempt, the higher the risk sign for the police officer to commit suicide. Police training officers should include suicide warning signs information and consciousness to become a regular part of a police force’s mental health program (Baker & Baker, 1996). In cases when police officers did not perform at their best level and for a longer period, this can be considered as a warning sign that could be associated with major depressive episode and which can lead to suicide. Baker and Baker (1996) agreed with clinicians’ findings that depression usually performs a major role in suicide attempts. While it is acceptable that anyone can have an occasional bad day, suicidal people dealing with depression suffer from a deeper and lasting discomfort (Baker & Baker, 1996).
Depression is a mood swing condition that can be manifested by a person’s overall “climate” rather than be regarded as a temporary “weather condition.” Important depressive signs last until two weeks. Baker and Baker (1996) reported that when a person is depressed, the following signs can be observed: changes in appetite or weight; altered sleep patterns and reduced psychomotor activity; reduced energy levels; feelings of worthlessness or guilt; difficulty thinking, concentrating, and making decisions; and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. In the end, a person suffering from the said danger factors might plan or attempt to commit suicide. Behavior such as exhibiting persistent anger, responding to events with angry outbursts, or blaming others over petty things should be regarded as possible distress symptoms (Baker & Baker, 1996).
Help to Overcome Police Suicides
Kates (1999) said that there are groups that provide outlet and comfort to suicidal people and the grieving families of those who died from suicide. One is the online organization called “Tears of a Cop’s” whose main function is to give all the possible details about police officer suicide. It offers survivor support, a chat room and an email support list. The organization features an online memorial in honor of police officers who killed themselves. An affiliate of “Tears of a Cop” is another organization called “Survivors of Law Enforcement Suicide” or SOLES. This organization supports and heals the bereaved survivors of officers who committed suicide. The survivors (family members) usually feel abandoned by the police force and the colleagues of their love one who died. SOLES tried to end that notion by helping in the design of the first memorial quilt with its clothing and messages coming from the survivors. Like the previous group called SOLOS, SOLES is a support group not only for police survivors, but also for all survivors of suicide. Both provide online support, survival tips and information about memorial events. Another important organization is the National Police Suicide Foundation. This foundation gives suicide consciousness and prevention programs as well as support services for all people concerned with suicide (Kates, 1999).
Aside from the said specific groups and services, what the police officers with suicidal tendencies really need are sincere communication, professional counseling and honest understanding of the situation. Baker and Baker (1996) said that a lot of police officers under distress feel that seeking mental health professional would mean the loss of their honor and profession. With this value system and because of the similar belief of the police officers, their supervisors and the police force in general, appropriate action is not done. Belonging in a group entails that the police officers and supervisors usually protect those officers having depression and they all denied the existence of such warning signs. However, such obvious and dangerous cover-up does not help the suicidal person and even add injury to the affected officers by denying them the essential help and preventive measure (Baker & Baker, 1996).
Troubled officers noticeably resist asking mental and emotional assistance because they feel that seeking help would threaten their employment and financial security. When dealing with potential suicides, this should be eroded through policies, approaches and counseling coming from the police supervisors, the police force in general, and medical professionals (Baker & Baker, 1996).
Constant and effective information on depression and suicide should be implemented for all police officers. In this way, officers who receive assistance and are saved from attempting to commit suicide might even become better law enforcers. They should realize that seeking professional help, especially emotional and psychological assistance, will not mean the end of their profession but rather the beginning of an improved and stable career and personality. Asking for emotional and psychological guidance actually shows strength, not weakness. Thus, this should be included in any suicide prevention program of all police forces (Baker & Baker, 1996).
According to Baker and Baker (1996), the effectiveness of any suicide prevention program depends on the members of the police force. Police administrators and supervisors must not be retaliatory in their approach. Rather, they must let the officers realize that seeking help will not result in job termination or punitive action. The administrators must also assure the officers that there is confidentiality of information. There is always an option to every problem, and lastly, they can always turn to someone for help (Baker & Baker, 1996).
Conclusion
Being a police officer increases the risk of suicide. Timely and effective intervention and prevention can occur. Within the police culture, however, assistance is oftentimes delayed by denial. The police force in general and all the police officers must stop pretending that police suicide does not exist or that it will go away. Someone must realize that suicide is increasingly deadly, their silence must be broken and solutions must be taken in order to save a police officers’ life. Seeking help during troubled times does not mean weakness but rather strength. An increased awareness and involvement will enable a timely and effective prevention to suicidal cops and support to the survivors. This will eventually be a big factor in minimizing the recurrence of similar police suicides in the future.
References
Baker, T. E. & Baker, J. P. (1996). Preventing Police Suicide. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, 65(10), 24.
Brown, H. (2003). Suicide by Cop: There’s Always Police Stress as a Result. Police Stressline. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from Geocites Database.
Kates, A. (1999). CopShock, Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Cortaro, AZ: Holbrook Street Press.
Lewis, C. (2000) Police Suicide is an Alarming Problem Rarely Discussed Publicly. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from Tearsofacop Database.
Loh, J. (1994). Police Suicide: Hidden Epidemic Across the Country. The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 14, 2008 from Tearsofacop Database.
The New York Times. (1994, September 10). When Cops Commit Suicide. Retrieved
February 14, 2008, from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html res=9E07E0DB163BF933A2575AC0A962958260
The Police Suicide Prevention Center. (2007, June 18). To Save One Life. Retrieved February 14, 2008, from http://www.policesuicide.com/
