A first-of-its-kind effort is underway to draw attention to a problem police agencies have traditionally swept under the rug -- police officer suicides are on the rise.
But the Pinole Police Department is hoping its latest effort will both honor the lives lost, and highlight the need to start talking about the problem.
“What most people don’t know is law enforcement loses double the amount of officers to suicide than all other line of duty deaths combined. We’re talking about shootings, collisions, we’re talking about medicals . We’re losing double the amount of officers to suicide and there’s no one covering that, nobody knows about that nationally,” said Neil Gang of the police department.
Now, the Pinole Police Department is on a mission to change that.
They’re getting ready to roll out a “Smash the Sigma” squad car, a police vehicle that’ll display the names of about 300 police officers who’ve died by suicide.
The department is currently reviewing names of officers to be included, among them Jeffrey Smith, a DC Metropolitan police officer who died by suicide less than two weeks after responding to the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot.
Each name has a heartbreaking story of trauma, PTSD, and other struggles, and families often left feeling unsupported.
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“When you read through the stories it’s devastating to hear that person, dedicated their entire life to their professional organization, but felt not treated well when the person died by suicide, or forgotten, maybe the agency was embarrassed about what happened,” said Gang.
“A police officer sees more trauma in 30 days of their job than a traditional citizen sees in their entire lifetime,” said Sherie Mahlberg.
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Mahlberg, clinical director of Restoration Family Counseling Center , who specializes in treating first responders, says 40% of police officers have contemplated suicide during their career.
She said mental health support is critical to keeping officers safe and healthy.
“Anything we can do to publicize the issue we’re having and the crisis officers are in the midst of is amazing,” said Mahlberg.
Chief Gang’s made it a priority to focus on officers' emotional health. He lost his partner and friend Asher Rosinsky to suicide 25 years ago.
“We have to create an environment where it’s OK for them to say ‘I don’t feel OK.’ I need help and I need to talk to somebody. Taking these conversations out of the shadows and into the open where we can allow people to get resources to get help,” said Gang.
As the Tiburon Police Department prepares to say goodbye to an officer who died by suicide just last week, Gang hopes his Smash the Stigma car can help drive home the issue, inspire other departments and hopefully prevent deaths.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
