An officer who retired from the New York Police Department reportedly died by suicide on Staten Island on Monday.
According to the New York Post, the 48-year-old man—whose name has not been released—shot himself in the head while in his personally owned vehicle.
The NYPD and the police union have repeated calls for officers in crisis to seek help, but even Chief of Department Terence Monahan admitted last month that the city’s insurance system makes it tough for officers to receive mental health care.
Editor's Note: If you or someone you know has ideation of suicide or is approaching crisis, please know that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255), provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Safe Call Now (1-206-459-3020) offers those services specifically for first responders.
On a website maintained by BlueH.E.L.P.—an organization that tracks officer suicides while simultaneously seeking to prevent such tragedies from occurring—a first responder need only enter a few data points—such as their location and what kind of assistance is needed—and the individual will be provided with a list of options for help from a searchable database dedicated to helping first responders find emotional, financial, spiritual, and other forms of assistance.
