Four NYPD committed suicide in three weeks

Already four New York City police officers have committed suicide in the last three weeks.

Фото: Depositphotos

All levels of police leadership, commenting on the situation, stressed the need for police officers to take care of their mental health, writes NBC New York.

Kevin Preiss, officer of the 50 Plot in the Bronx, who worked in law enforcement agencies of the 24 of the year, 27 June shot himself at his home on Long Island. He left a wife and children.

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Frank Dowling, a psychiatrist and medical advisor to POPPA, a confidential, non-profit assistance program for NYPD officers, in his tweet urged the officers not to hide their problems, but ask for help.

“The fourth suicide of New York City police officers in a very short period of time. NYPD officers - look in the mirror - take a good look at your colleague. Ask for help. Ask your partner if he is doing well. Ask them to get help. POPPA. This is confidential. This is a career saver. Family salvation. Saving a life,” Dowling wrote.

Officer Preiss, who killed himself, saved the life of a man who had a heart attack near Dunkin 'Donuts cafe in Manhattan three days before Christmas in 2016.

Preiss later said that after the incident, he and his partner visited the rescued man, who worked as a security guard at Manhattan College.

“I've always loved that part of being a police officer where you actually help someone in need. We often do what you call lifting work, where we help older people who have fallen out of their beds—that's the part of the job that I enjoy,” Preiss said at the time.

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The death of this officer followed the suicide of 5 Jun officer Stephen Silks; 6 June suicide cut short the life of detective Joseph Calabrese, and 14 June killed 29-year-old officer Michael Caddy, who worked in 121-th district in Staten Island.

After the death of Silks and Calabrese, with an interval of one day, New York Police Commissioner James O'Neill called on police officers to seek help if they had thoughts of suicide.

He also sent a letter to all 55 NYPD officers and civilian employees saying, “Before you can take care of others, you need to take care of yourself. Asking for help is never a sign of weakness—it is a sign of great strength.”

The problem of suicides of police officers is relevant not only for New York. An I-Team survey conducted among police officers across the country showed that 78% of respondents were experiencing critical stress at work, while 68% admitted that stress had led to emotional problems.

16% noted that they had thoughts about suicide. Despite these numbers, nine out of ten officers said that asking for help is a shame.

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O'Neill urges the leadership of all police stations to talk more often about this and emphasize the normality and the need to seek psychological help for the police.

O'Neill asks New York City police officers who need help to call the helpline hotline for department employees on 646-610-6730.

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