THE MYSTERY WITHIN:UNDERSTANDING POLICE SUICIDE

MS. ANTONELLI

PROBLEMS OF RESEARCH

• CONSIDERABLE OBSTACLES HINDER THE STUDY OF POLICE SUICIDE• STUDIES SUGGEST THAT SELF INFLICTED DEATHS WITHIN LEO’S

ARE CONTINUING A DRAMATIC UPWARD TREND WHICH BEGAN IN THE 1980’S• THE PROBLEM OF POLICE SUICIDE REFUSES TO DISAPPEAR, YET

IT IS STILL IGNORED!

PROBLEMS OF RESEARCH

• CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY EXISTS IN STUDYING POLICE SUICIDE• RESEARCHERS OFTEN FIND THAT INFORMATION ON

OFFICER SUICIDE IS EITHER NOT COLLECTED OR DEPARTMENTS ARE RELUCTANT TO ALLOW ACCESS TO SUCH DATA• WHY?• LETS DISCUSS

PROBLEMS OF RESEARCH

• LEO SUICIDES MAY BE MISCLASSIFIED ROUTINELY AS EITHER ACCIDENTS OR UNDETERMINED DEATHS• LEOS TRADITIONALLY SUBSCRIBE TO A MYTH OF

INDESTRUCTABILITY • LEOS TEND TO VIEW SUICIDE AS PARTICULARLY DISGRACEFUL

TO THE VICTIM OFFICER AND TO THE PROFESSION• MEMBERS OF LEO SUBCULTURE “TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN”• HIGHLY COHESIVE SUBCULTURE

PROBLEMS OF RESEARCH

• THE DESIRE TO SHIELD VICTIM OFFICERS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEIR DEPARTMENTS FROM THE STIGMA OF SUICIDE MAY LEAD INVESTIGATORS TO OVERLOOK CERTAIN EVIDENCE INTENTIONALLY DURING THE CLASSIFICATION PROCESS.• CHICAGO STUDY: ONE STUDY OF THE CHICAGO POLICE

DEPARTMENT ESTIMATED THAT AS MANY AS 67% OF POLICE SUICIDES IN THAT CITY HAD BEEN MISCLASSIFIED AS ACCIDENTAL OR NATURAL DEATHS

PROBLEMS OF RESEARCH

• FAILURE TO CORRECT FOR SUCH BIASES COULD LEAD TO FALSE CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE CAUSES AND FREQUENCY OF POLICE SUICIDES.• THEREFORE, ACCURATE RESEARCH MUST GO BEYOND

OFFICIAL RATES• THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF AN ONGOING STUDY OF

POLICE SUICIDES OVER A 40 YEAR PERIOD INDICATE THAT NEARLY 30% OF POLICE SUICIDES MAY HAVE BEEN MISCLASSIFIED

PROBLEMS OF RESEARCH

• MOST RESEARCH FOCUSES ON LARGE CITIES• VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT SUICIDES IN SMALL OR

RURAL DEPARTMENTS• DATA RELIABLY INDICATES THAT POLICE OFFICERS

AREA AT A HIGHER RISK FOR SUICIDE THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION• HOWEVER, WE MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT

THE RESEARCH IS NOT PERFECT

WHY LEO’S COMMIT SUICIDE

• STUDIES HAVE REVEALED SEVERAL FACTORS RELATED TO POLICE SUICIDE• SUICIDES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE MORE COMMON

AMONG OLDER OFFICERS• THESE ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL,

PHYSICAL ILLNESS, OR IMPENDING RETIREMENT

WHY LEO’S COMMIT SUICIDE

• OTHER CLUES HAVE BEEN CITED TO HELP EXPLAIN THE HIGH RATE OF SELF INFLICTED DEATH AMONG POLICE OFFICERS

• REGULAR AVAILABILITY OF FIREARMS• CONTINUOUS DUTY EXPOSURE TO DEATH AND INJURY• SOCIAL STRAIN RESULTING FROM SHIFT WORK• INCONSISTENCIES WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM• PERCEPTION AMONG LEO’S THAT THEY LABOR UNDER A NEGATIVE PUBLIC

IMAGE

DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT STUDY

A STUDY OF THE DETROIT POLICE DEPARTMENT FOUND THAT A VAST MAJORITY OF DETROIT POLICE OFFICERS WHO TOOK THEIR LIVES WERE:

YOUNG MALESWHITEHIGH SCHOOL EDUCATEDMARRIED

DETROIT PD STUDY

• ALCOHOL ABUSE WAS FAIRLY COMMON AMONG THE SAMPLE: 42%• FORMAL DIAGNOSIS OF PSYCHOSIS: 33%•OF ALL THE PROBLEMS, MARITAL PROBLEMS APPEARED TO BE THE MOST PREVALENT AMONGST THE DETROIT SAMPLE

QUEBEC STUDY

• EXAMINED 27 CASES OF POLICE SUICIDE• FOUND THAT ½ OF THE OFFICERS HAD A HISTORY OF

PSYCHIATRIC AND OR MEDICAL PROBLEMS• MANY HAD SEVERE ALCOHOL PROBLEMS• MOST LEO’S IN THE SAMPLE EXPERIENCED

DIFFICULTIES AT WORK• IN EVERY CASE, A NOTABLE DROP IN WORK

PERFORMANCE HAD BEEN OBSERVED IN THE 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE SUICIDE

STRESS

• THE HIGH STRESS OF POLICE WORK GENERALLY IS CITED AS A PRIMARY CONTRIBUTING FACTOR

• THE CONSTANT BARRAGE OF STRESSORS INHERENT WITH DANGER, AND FOR POLICE MANAGERS, THE PRESSURES OF ADMINISTRATION, CAN OVERWHELM EVEN THE STRONGEST PERSON

• WHEN LEO’S LOSE THE ABILITY TO COPE IN NORMAL WAYS, THEY MAY TURN TO AN ULTIMATE SOLUTION TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURES OF STRESS

FRUSTRATION AND HELPLESSNESS

• FRUSTRATION IS A PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FACTOR IN LEO SUICIDE• OFFICERS ENTER INTO POLICING WITH HIGH IDEALS AND A

NOBLE DESIRE TO HELP OTHERS, BUT………• OVER TIME, THIS SENSE OF IDEALISM MAY TRANSFORM INTO

HARD CORE CYNICISM• CYNICISM DEFINED: AN ATTITUDE OF SCORNFUL OR JADED

NEGATIVITY, ESPECIALLY A GENERAL DISTRUST OF THE INTEGRITY OR PROFESSED MOTIVES OF OTHERS: THEFREEDICTIONARY.COM

FRUSTRATION AND HELPLESSNESS

• THE ROOTS OF FRUSTRATION EMANATE FROM THE CENTRAL IRONY OF AMERICAN POLICING• SOCIETY CHARGES LEO’S WITH THE TASK OF REGULATING A

PUBLIC THAT DOES NOT WANT TO BE REGULATED• UNSYMPATHETIC PRESS• LACK OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT• IS THIS HAPPENING TODAY IN OUR COUNTRY?• LETS DISCUSS

FRUSTRATION AND HELPLESSNESS

• A SENSE OF SOCIETAL ISOLATION OFTEN ENSUES, COMPELLING OFFICERS TO GROUP TOGETHER IN A DEFENSIVE STANCE

• WHEN AN OFFICER FEELS THAT THE FRUSTRATION NO LONGER IS TOLERABLE OR THAT NO COPING ALTERNATIVE IS AVAILABLE, SUICIDE MAY BECOME AN ATTRACTIVE OPTION

• A SENSE OF HELPLESSNESS IS A DISTURBING REALIZATION FOR ANYONE, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR LEO’S WHO ARE CONDITIONED TO VIEW THEMSELVES AS SUPER HEROES, CAPABLE OF ANYTHING

• WHY DO LEO’S GET INTO THE FIELD?• DO LEO’S FEEL THAT THEY ARE REALLY HELPING THE COMMUNITY?

ACCESS TO FIREARMS

• MOST LEO’S CARRY OR HAVE ACCESS TO FIREARMS• 95% OF LEO SUICIDES IN THE UNITED STATES

INVOLVED THE USE OF THE OFFICER’S SERVICE WEAPON

NEW YORK CITY VS. LONDON

• A STUDY COMPARED SUICIDES IN NEW YORK CITY AND LONDON• THE POLICE SUICIDE RATE IN NEW YORK CITY WAS TWICE THAT OF THE

GENERAL POPULATION• THE POLICE SUICIDE RATE IN LONDON WAS SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE CITY’S

CIVILIAN POPULATION• NOTE: OFFICERS DO NOT CARRY FIREARMS IN LONDON • THOUGHTS? DO YOU THINK THERE IS A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN

FIREARMS AND POLICE SUICIDES?

ALCOHOL ABUSE

• SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN POLICE SUICIDE• CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT STUDY SHOWS ALCOHOL WAS A

FACTOR IN 60% OF THEIR SUICIDES• ALCOHOLISM MAY LEAD TO OTHER WORK PROBLEMS SUCH AS

HIGH ABSENTEEISM, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, OR INTOXICATION ON DUTY

• HIGH CORRELATION BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND SUICIDE, THEREFORE THESE SYMPTOMS SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED. THEY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED INDICATIONS OF A LARGER PROBLEM

FEAR OF SEPARATION FROM THE POLICE SUBCULTURE

• SEPARATION FEAR IS REAL! • SEPARATION FROM CAMARADERIE • OFFICERS MAY HAVE CLUSTERED WITH OTHER OFFICERS DUE TO

A GENERAL ISOLATION FROM SOCIETY AND ITS PREJUDICES TOWARD THE POLICE• OFFICERS MUST THEN ENTER INTO A SOCIETY THAT THEY

PERCEIVE AS ALIEN AND HOSTILE

FEAR OF SEPARATION

• INCREASING AGE• LOSS OF FRIENDS• LOSS OF SELF-DEFINITION• LOSS OF STATUS AS A POLICE OFFICER• A RECENT STUDY FOUND A 10 FOLD RISK OF SUICIDE AMONG

POLICE RETIREES

OTHER FACTORS• CONTINUOUS EXPOSURE TO HUMAN MISERY • CONSTANT GIVING OF THEMSELVES• THANKLESS• BUREAUCRACY: A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN WHICH MOST OF THE IMPORTANT DECISIONS ARE MADE BY STATE OFFICIALS RATHER THAN BY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES.•NEGATIVITY•OVERBEARING REGULATIONS

OTHER FACTORS

• “LONER” OFFICERS WHO FEEL ISOLATED FROM AND UNINVOLVED WITH THE POLICE SUBCULTURE ARE AT RISK• CONFUSING MESSAGES FROM SOCIETY: EXAMPLE:

POLICE ARE GIVEN GREAT DISCRETIONARY POWERS, BUT THAT POWER IS ROUTINELY TRUNCATED BY THE COURTS, THE PRESS, AND THE ADMINISTRATORS• THIS CONTRIBUTES TO A SIGNIFICANT SENSE OF

CONFLICT AND CONFUSION

OTHER FACTORS

• POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME• MOST OFFICERS ENCOUNTER DEATH WEEKLY, IF NOT DAILY• THE AVERAGE CITIZEN GENERALLY DOES NOT WITNESS IN A

LIFE TIME THE AMOUNT OF DEATH AND VIOLENCE A POLICE OFFICERS ENCOUNTERS IN A SINGLE MONTH• PTSD MAY LEAD TO A BREAK DOWN OF NORMAL COPING

PROCESSES

OTHER FACTORS

• THE EFFECTS OF THESE STRESSES ARE CUMULATIVE• THIS LEADS TO A BREAKING POINT WHICH CAN LEAD TO

SUICIDE• ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE CONDUCTED A STUDY

WHICH FOUND THAT 15% OF THE MOUNTIES WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE RECENTLY HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO A TRAUMATIC WORK INCIDENT

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS

• IT IS POSSIBLE THAT EXPOSURE TO DEATH AND HUMAN SUFFERING PRODUCES A NUMBING EFFECT

• DEATH BECOMES EASIER TO ACCEPT AS A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE PROBLEMS

• PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA IS ASSOCIATED CLOSELY WITH THIS EXPOSURE TO DEATH AND VIOLENCE

• LEO’S INVOLVED SUCH INCIDENTS (VIOLENCE, DEATHS, SHOOTINGS) EXPERIENCE POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYMPTOMS

• SYMPTOMS: NIGHTMARES, FLASHBACKS, FEAR OF RETURNING TO DUTY

ASKING FOR HELP

• TRADITIONALLY, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR PROBLEMS ARE, LEO’S REFRAIN FROM ASKING FOR HELP

• LEO’S DO NOT WANT TO APPEAR WEAK OR VULNERABLE IN FRONT OF THEIR PEERS

• SOME LEO’S WHO FEEL THAT THEY CAN NO LONGER TOLERATE PSYCHOLOGICAL PAIN CHOOSE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM THEMSELVES THROUGH SUICIDE RATHER THAN BY ASKING OTHERS FOR HELP

EFFECTS ON SURVIVORS

• SURVIVORS MUST COPE WITH THE AFTERMATH OF SUICIDE• SUICIDE IS OFTEN PERCEIVED AS “DISHONORABLE”• BECAUSE OF THIS, FAMILIES MAY NTO BE AFFORDED THE FULL HONORS OF A

POLICE MILITARY-STYLE FUNERAL• POLICE DEPARTMENTS OFTEN ABANDON SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS AFTER

1 OR 2 WEEKS OF CONDOLENCES• AGENCIES MUST GO BEYOND DEPARTMENTAL BOUNDARIES TO ASSIST THE

FAMILIES

PREVENTING POLICE SUICIDE

• TRAIN OFFICERS TO COPE BETTER WITH PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL PROBLEMS• TRAIN SUPERVISORS TO RECOGNIZE WARNING SIGNS • AGENCY INTERVENTION AT AN EARLY STAGE