Research and analysis

» Develop peer support/critical incident stress management (CISM) protocols that include debriefing opportunities for officers affected by the suicide of a colleague.

» Provide bereavement support services to family members and peers of the officer who committed suicide.

» Develop a spouse/partner/significant other awareness program that should:

» include a step-down CISM awareness element

» implement suicide awareness training

Research and analysis

Law enforcement is a public service, yet developments in recent years prompted calls by the public to defund law enforcement agencies. According to Dr. Jorey Krawczyn (personal communication, 2021), trainer and consultant for the Blue Wall Institute, negativity resulting from social pressure and media coverage has led to increased withdrawal of law enforcement personnel from service and the profession. Remaining officers who are not yet eligible for full retirement benefits experience this negativity daily, which takes a toll on their mental health. Officers who resign and leave the service take these mental health problems with them and are lost to follow-up. Moreover, new recruits brought into service to replace those who retired may bring with them their own issues. Krawczyn explained that for law enforcement recruits who have experienced trauma early in life, fear response can become a learned behavior that affects their decision making, judgment, perceptions, and reactions. When expressed in the career environment, these may manifest as cognitive and behavioral risk factors (e.g., excessive use of 17