Silence kills 

To the editor:

Once again, NYC police are grappling with another officer suicide. Regrettably, tragedies like these are not foreign. Since 2010, more than 50 NYPD officers have died by suicide. 

Then-NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill declared that cops were facing a mental health crisis. His sentiments remain accurate, because police officers are more likely to die by suicide than by other work-related tragedies. Policing is an increasingly taxing occupation. 

The unavoidable stressors include staffing shortages, rotating shifts and constant responses to traumatic incidents. These recurring challenges were exacerbated by the pandemic and defund-the-police rhetoric. Police officers experience traumas more frequently than the general public. Cops therefore are at greater risk for incurring health ailments associated with unmanaged stress. 

However, the frequency of trauma exposure is only part of the problem. The true calamity is police officers’ unwillingness to seek mental health assistance. Despite some progress, policing remains a male-dominated profession. Arguably, machismo is an integral part of police culture and fortifies the misguided belief that cops are invincible and shouldn’t show their emotions. In addition to mental illness being a perceived sign of weakness, cops generally believe their department’s policies do not support officers who request help.

Research suggests when cops seek counseling, they are labeled and their career is adversely impacted. Sadly, these outcomes fortify the stigma associated with mental illness and block cops from seeking assistance. This is tragic because the prevalence of mental illness among police officers is well-documented.

Because stigmatization prevents cops from receiving help, police agencies need a paradigm shift. Although changing police culture is daunting, the transformation must begin with policies such as mandatory mental health screenings and annual wellness training.

James T. Scott

The writer is an associate professor of criminal justice at Albertus Magnus College and a retired sergeant with the Connecticut State Police