Police officers experience trauma all the time on the job. Now, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is creating the first-ever mental health seminar to address this issue.
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The local sheriff said this is a much-needed program for police officers across the state and here at home. Last July, JSO announced that one of them committed suicide while on duty.
Over a month ago, JSO posted this video describing an officer-involved shooting that occurred in December. This is one of the traumas that police officers experience every day.
“By the grace of God, I am still standing here before you, ready to take my own life,” said Doug Monda, president of Survive First.
Mr. Monda joined FDLE today, along with other agencies, in a press conference to address the stigma that has plagued police officers for years.
Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper has seen it firsthand.
“While I was on Highway Patrol, my best friend committed suicide,” Sheriff Leeper said. “And that’s someone I never thought would do something like that. But you never know what’s going on in people’s minds.”
FDLE revealed some shocking numbers today. In 2021, 41 police officers committed suicide in the state, 14 of them on active duty. In 2022, he had 12 active players, up from 48. According to the latest tally in 2023, 44 police officers committed suicide, 10 of whom were on active duty.
“What this tells us is that for the past three years, a law enforcement officer, corrections officer, or probation officer has died by suicide every eight days,” said FDLE Deputy Director Matthew Walsh. “That’s once every eight days. Frankly, that’s unacceptable.”
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Walsh said the new post-critical incident seminars will be clinically based education and all will be confidential. And the entire retreat is free for law enforcement officers, correctional officers, probation officers and their spouses.
“The goal is to explain to them that they’re not alone and that their friend who hasn’t told them could be going through the exact same thing,” Walsh said.
Everyone deals with trauma differently, and Sheriff Leeper says this program is long outdated. He says it’s time to protect the heroes who risked their lives to protect us.
“They are putting their lives at risk,” Sheriff Leeper said. “They never know when they’re going to leave home for the day or if they’re going to come back. And we need to make sure they’re mentally and physically healthy for that. there is.”
The three-day retreat begins this Thursday in St. Lucie County. According to FDLE organizers, seats are already full with 35 participants.
Organizers say the seminars will be held at least four times a year. The next one is scheduled for May.
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