Following two police officer suicides in the span of just over 24 hours this week—the eighth and ninth of the year for the department—the president of the Patrolman's Benevolent Association delivered a blunt message to officers who might be approaching crisis leading to self-harm: "Don't f—king do it!"
According to the New York Post, PBA president Patrick Lynch bluntly said in a video posted Thursday, "It solves nothing and leaves devastation behind you. Just don't do it."
The bluntness of Lynch's remarks are reflective of the increasing sentiment of urgency in New York and across the country about the need for police officers to seek assistance and not succumb to temptation to commit suicide.
Lynch called on elected officials to provide better health benefits and accommodations for those who need help.