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Tracking Police Suicides 2008, 2009 "Line of Duty Police Suicides"
Ours is the first scientifically conducted, case-by-case verifiable effort to track police suicides in the United States and, at the same time, provide accurate profile information on the cases.
Our 2008 study was based on actual suicide cases gathered through a web-based year long surveillance of news reports on police suicide. Approximately 119,000 suicide-related news articles were scanned during the year for information relating to police suicides in the United States. The results were revealing. We found, following necessary adjustments for variables, there were 141 police suicides in the US during 2008. This result is in keeping with current credible research, CDC and NOMS data, and other information available in the field today. Further, testing of our data against blind sources and data gathered by non-media sources, we found solid confirmation of our findings. To test our figures, we even made a comparison with a group we thought would be much higher: The US Army. Discussions have suggested that police work, over many years, has its comparisons to the shorter tours of duty (albeit more frequent, today) by the military in a war zone. Without debating the merits of that premise, however, we compared suicides in the Army, with its combined regular, National Guard and Reserve population of approximately 1,100,000 soldiers, with that of police officers, population nearing 900,000. The Army reported 140 suicides in 2008, compared to the 141 we found for law enforcement in that same year. We find the similarities remarkable, and it truly makes one think about the environment of the police officer over 15, 20 and 30 years. To suggest that law enforcement suicides (if truly 450 to 500, as suggested by some) are over three times higher than the Army in a time of war and multiple deployments, however, requires some exotic mathematics. Show us the data behind it. 141 officers represents almost three times the number of officers being killed by felons. Yet not a single suicide in 2008 was attributed to police work. While police departments announce that law enforcement is a "highly stressful, truamatic job," they prefer to place the blame on the family or on the officer for having some kind of "personal problem." CDC and WHO data reveal the suicide rate for the national population to be 11/100,000. Based on the NSOPS study of police suicides occurring in 2008, the rate for police officers is 17/100,000. What is remarkable is the fact that police officers are expected to enter police work as a healthy population after screening, testing and training, and should be LOWER than a general population that includes criminals, the elderly, the mentally ill and other high-risk groups. We need to know "Why? more than we need to know "How many?" The latter tells us nothing that can save lives. Knowing the causes (and who among us can argue that many of these suicides should be attributed to the job, not the family?) is the only way we can build our programs to save police lives and better the health of the living.
"LINE OF DUTY SUICIDES." We have found that determining a reliable number of police suicides each year (130 - 150) is achievable. The greatest challenge remains "WHY?" Not a single suicide in 2008 was attributed to the stresses and traumas of the job--even though officers and administrators are unanimous in saying it's a stressful and traumatic job.Departments seem willing to report the cause only when it places blame on the family, on some personal weakness of the officer, or on criminal activity. Otherwise, the standard is "family problems," personal problems, "We don't know why he/she did it," or "no comment," leaving open the question--how many are job related? When the officer is arrested for shoplifiting before he commits suicide, the press is told about the shoplifting. They are not told about the 20 years of carnage, horror and death that the officer endured. "He was an officer "gone bad." They are not told about how many critical incidents he endured or the soul wounding of years of cumulative trauma. Because of the unwillingness of departments to acknowledge that police suicides could actually be the result of the job, we have stepped forward to begin a new category, called "Line of Duty Police Suicides (LODS)." This is the first first step in recognizing the true cause of these tragedies, the depth of the wounds these officers suffered, and hopefully open the door to caring properly for the surviving families of these officers who fell to horrific soul wounds from their work. We believe that if rebuttable presumptions can be so handily made for heart attacks and strokes, it should be no giant leap of faith to presume that a sizeable number of our suicides are due to the job. If, however, a department disagrees, they are welcome to present the evidence to support statements that it was "personal," "family problems," or a "good officer gone bad."
Go here for a complete listing of 2008 suicides 2009 LINE OF DUTY SUICIDES
June 23, 2009: A Herington, Kansas police officer was reported as suicidal and driving his vehicle when it was spotted by local police. Attempts at low speeds were made to stop him without success, until his vehicle was finally stopped in a yard by spike strips. At that time, the officer took his own life in his car by gunshot. The mayor stated the officer had been with the department "a few years." "It's a tragedy for a young man like this and his family." He was described in the press report as a "promising" officer.
June 20, 2009: A New Brunswick, NJ Police officer, 46, was found dead in his home of a self inflicted gunshot wound. He had been with the department 14 years. He had received awards and commendations, including a Medal of Merit for capturing an armed robbery suspect, a Lifesaving Award, and several other commendations. The police chief announced the officer's death "in a three-paragraph news release but declined to elaborate." Private services were being held.
June 11, 2009: A Carthage, MO police officer, 32, was found dead in a motel room of an apparent drug overdose. He had been on the police department for eight years. The chief described the suicide as a "shock." "He was an outstanding individual and an outstanding policeman. There's no way I would ever dream he would do anything like that." The Chief added that the officer was having some "non-work related personal issues that I think would be the cause."
June 10, 2009: The Barry Township, Michigan, Police Chief was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the morning behind police headquarters. He had been with the department 30 years, 29 of them as chief. He was the only full-time officer on the department. His death was described only as a "shock."
June 7, 2009: A Charleston Police Officer, 33, was found dead in his home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No one was available for comment.
June 6, 2009: A department in lower New York state reportedly lost an officer to an apparent suicide. He had been with the department for approximately 20 years.
May 27, 2009: A seven year veteran of the Delaware State Police took his own life by unstated cause in his Smyrna home. He was 32 and was facing allegations of criminal misconduct.
May 27, 2009: A New York State Trooper, 35, was found dead of an unstated cause in her home. She lived alone and was one of three siblings on the State Police. While only six years on the job, she had been honored for her "excellent road skills" and "exceptional investigative skills," having made 286 criminal arrests. Prior to becoming a state trooper, she had been a Dispatcher and had been honored for being a "Real Hero" during a major metropolitan crisis.
May 26, 2009: An Illinois State Police Trooper in his first year on the job was found out in a vacant field, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 25. No other information was released.
May 21, 2009: A Hallettsville, CO police officer was found dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound under a bridge on a highway. No further details were provided.
May 19, 2009: A Bedford, Indiana police officer, 35, was having relationship problems with his girlfriend. He entered her residence, killed her and then killed himself.
May 2, 2009: Oklahoma investigators have declared the death of the Texhoma Police Chief a suicide. A police officer found Hoffman dead Thursday in a horse barn. Hoffman, 45, went out to the barn in the 700 block of North Third Street between 11 a.m. and noon and shot himself, Investigators said no suicide note was found with the body, but personal problems may have played a role.
May 1, 2009: Chicago, IL - An off-duty police officer apparently committed suicide after being involved in a hit-and-run traffic crash. A spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office said the victim suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The spokesman said the victim was an off-duty police officer, but he could not say from what agency.
May 1, 2009: A Cook County, Illinois Sheriff's sergeant assigned to the jail, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 40 and had been with the department for 13 years. The sergeant was described as a "model employee" and "well respected." Apparently, he had been moved to a "less stressful" position several weeks before, then was involved in a hit and run accident, after which he killed himself.
April 21, 2009: St. Paul, Mn. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer was found dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound in his vehicle at the St. Paul-Minneapolis Airport. He was 46 and had 7 years on the job. No further details were given.
April 15, 2009: A retired Detroit police officer took his own life Friday evening following a standoff with Dearborn police outside an apartment complex. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. “We believe he was dealing with some kind of depression,” said one investigator. Investigators focused on the fact that he had been involved in an altercation with his ex-wife earlier that day.
April 12 2009 — A retired New York City police officer wounded an off-duty officer in the hand that he suspected was having an affair with his police officer wife, then killed himself in the driveway of his suburban home, police said. He was age 51. He had also been ill with heart problems and was awaiting a heart transplant. New York City police wouldn’t comment on the shootings..
April 11, 2009 A 7-year veteran of the Dobbs Ferry, NY Police Department died of a self-inflicted gunshot in his home. He was 33. Details are still pending release. The officer, remembered for loyalty, dedication and an infectious laugh, served on the SWAT team, marine and bicycle units. He was also a volunteer firefighter. He leaves behind his family and a fiancé. He was Officer of the Year and had received six commendations. The department did not comment on the cause of the suicide.
April 10, 2009: A Haines City, Florida police officer, 27, died of a self-infligted gunshot wound in his residence. He had been on the department for two years. The suicide was described as a surprise. “He had not had any conflicts with supervisors, the Chief said, and there was no indication that he was depressed or was considering taking his own life.”
April 2, 2009: California Highway Patrolman Aaron Gilliland, Officer of the Year, recipient of the Medal of Valor for Heroism and other awards died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In 2002, he arrived at the scene of an overturned, burning vehicle. He was able to carry the elderly driver to safety, but returned to find the passenger trapped. In extricating the woman, the growing flames around him burned his uniform and hair. Finally freeing her, he fell and broke his back. Within seconds of the rescue, the entire vehicle burst into flames. He was remembered as an excellent officer.
March 31, 2009 A Monroe, MI police officer, shot himself in his car early this morning, said Monroe Police Chief John Michrina. The officer was found dead from a self-inflicted gun shot wound at Roessler Field at 12:30 a.m. Fellow officers became concerned when he failed to appear for the midnight shift roll call at 11 p.m. They checked the area and discovered his body. The officer had been a member of the department since 2001. He was age 31 and on the department 8 years. It was stated he was “well liked and respected member of the Monroe Police Department.” The department attributed the suicide to "personal reasons."
February 18, 2009: Job stress and politics were given as the cause in the suicide note of ten year police veteran on the Lady Lake Police Department, who died of a self inflicted gunshot wound in Dearborne, Michigan. Officials, however, seemed surprised at the allegation. There was reference to an unspecified “injury,” in the news article however, but the police chief stated that Valium and Oxycontin may have influenced the tone of the officer’s suicide note (the officer attempted suicide with them and, failing, shot himself).
February 12, 2009: DeWITT, NY -- A DeWitt police officer was found dead in his personal vehicle in the department's parking lot this afternoon. The 16-year veteran of the department died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said Police Chief Gene Conway. The officer did not report for the start of his 3 p.m. shift and roll call, despite colleagues seeing him pull into the department's parking lot. When they went to check on him minutes later, they discovered him in his car, Conway said. According to the Post-Standard, the Chief "refused to release the name of the dead officer saying that the officer was not in uniform, or in his patrol car and in a gated parking lot at the time of this death -- making the suicide a private matter."
February 2, 2009: A former Yakima, WA police officer, fired in 2005 for problems with depression and alcohol, lost his final appeal for reinstatement to his department, led a fellow tropper on a chase, and then took his own life with a handgun. The city manager described his death as "a shock."
January 29, 2009: A retired Baltimore Md Police sergeant died in his home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 62, a military veteran, and had served 26 years as a police officer, retiring in 1998. It was learned that he lived alone and could find no one that could stay at the hospital that day with him, a requirement, for routine surgery on his foot. He had also lost much of his retirement savings in the recent stock crash and had recently been robbed and assaulted, considered a humiliation by many cops. An officer at the nearby station had agreed to take him and drop him off and then return to pick him up, but the retiree was afraid the officer wouldn't be able to stay through the procedure.
January 26, 2009
A nine-year Richard Stockton College of New Jersey police officer was found dead in her home Saturday night, authorities said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The report said the female officer, 42, was found with a gunshot wound to her head shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday in her Egg HarborTownship home, said AtlanticCounty prosecutor's spokeswoman Madelaine Vitale. No reason was given for the suicide. The comment was made, " I have no idea if that's the sole reason -- we have only his words in the note to go by -- but maybe it was the final straw after years of struggle."
January 23, 2009
Fremont, N.C. — An off-duty Fremont police officer was found dead in his home late Thursday, officials said. Russell Herring, 28, had been with the Fremont Police Department since late September, Town Administrator Kerry McDuffie said. His fiancee found him unresponsive in his Goldsboro home, and paramedics pronounced him dead, McDuffie said. No further information was provided.
January 13, 2009: An off-duty NYPD lieutenant killed his wife before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was 48 and had been with the department for 19 years. The family was described as "polite, easygoing, and an ideal family. They were in the midst of a divorce, however. The NYPD noted that he had not record of prior violence.
January 11, 2009 A Dalton, Georgia police officer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the police locker room at the end of his shift. He was a ten-year veteran of the department. The department gave no apparent reason for the suicide, noting they were "shocked, saddened and bewildered." January 10, 2009 Dalton, TN -- A 54 year-old Dalton Tennessee police officer took his own life inside the police department early in the morning. He had been with the department ten years and died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
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