This Police Officer Has Talked More Than 200 People From Jumping Off the Golden Gate Bridge

Kevin Briggs is the “Guardian of the Golden Gate Bridge.” For more than 23 years, Briggs worked as a California Highway Patrol officer. Most of his time was spent stationed at the Golden Gate Bridge just north of San Francisco.

When he first started his job, he frequently handled traffic incidents and never expected what his job would grow into. He had no training on how to handle a situation in which someone was contemplating suicide. He didn’t realize how pervasive the issue at the bridge was — that about five suicidal people would come to the bridge each month.

“I stand back, and I'll just introduce myself,” Briggs told

CBC. “I'll say, 'Hi, I'm Kevin' or 'I'm Kevin with the Highway Patrol, is it okay, is it alright if I come up and speak with you for a bit?' I want to get their permission and empower them."

Since he started his job, he’s talked to more than 200 people standing on the edge of the bridge. Although he can’t fix any of the problems people are dealing with, he knows he can lend a listening ear and try to understand what they’re going through.

Briggs retired from the California Highway Patrol in 2013, and he now works in suicide prevention.