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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
Statement of the Problem Police officers witness numerous tragic and traumatic scenes in the course of their duties, an occupational hazard that is often overlooked. One specific experience police officers are sometimes forced to encounter consists of completed suicides. From 1977 through 2001, according to the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), there were over 742,000 completed suicides in the United States. In 2001 alone, there were 30,622 completed suicides in the United States, which averages out to 84 per day. The rate of completed suicide for 2001 was 10.8 per 100,000 population. In addition, it is estimated that 765,000 people attempt suicide annually in the United States. AAS statistics also estimate that each suicide intimately affects at least six other people. A police officer is likely to be one of these people who are forced to absorb the effects of completed suicide. When a suicide is completed, police officers are very often among the first responders to the scene. They are expected to secure the environment and investigate. They are expected to do their jobs, then move on to the next task. Very little attention has been paid to the emotional and psychological impact on the police officer in this specific situation.