GREAT IDEAS 2020: IACP Recognizes Texas First Responder Peer Network

POLICE LEADERS WORLDWIDE ARE AWARE THAT SUICIDE AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IS ENDEMIC.
In 2019, at least 228 police officers died by suicide in the United States alone, eclipsing line-of-duty deaths in the same year by nearly 60 percent, and many other countries are also encountering high suicide rates among their police forces. Despite the fact that so many in policing have pledged to do all they can to address it, in Texas (and in many other states), there is no statewide, coordinated effort to end first responder suicides. The Caruth Police Institute at the University of North Texas at Dallas (CPI-UNTD), under the direction of Interim Executive Director B.J. Wagner, wants to change that. To do so, CPI-UNTD has partnered with the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI); 22Kill, a well-respected and culturally competent clinical services provider; and Boulder Crest, an institute dedicated to training first responders in the posttraumatic growth approach to healing.

Read the full article available on page 24 of the July 2020 issue of Police Chief magazine