This isn't the kind of news anyone enjoys, but we need to stay aware. Pending our final report, it appears there were 148 police suicides in 2009, compared to 141 in 2008. We hope to have our report out during February with data on locations, ages, time on the job, etc. We try to make it as all-encompassing as we can, although we don't include names.
The big question remains "why." For two years in a row, now, not a single suicide has been attributed to the stresses and traumas of the job. If an officer suffers PTSD from the job, holds a gun to his head and is stopped, he is retired with a work-related pension. If he pulls the trigger, he's called a coward and his family is shunned. There's something missing in this equation. We're not saying all are work related--we're saying "some."
Either way, these are the numbers, this is what's happening.
More info if you want it on our website.
http://www.policesuicidestudy.com/
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