OJP, the COPS Office, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police teamed up on a recent police suicide webcast as part of their ongoing officer safety and wellness efforts.
On October 10th, the U.S. Department
of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and Office of Community Oriented
Policing Services (COPS) teamed up with the International Association of Chiefs
of Police (IACP) on an Officer Safety and
Wellness Police Suicide webcast as part of our ongoing efforts
to protect the health and safety of law enforcement officers. The purpose of
the webcast is to raise awareness among law enforcement about the issue of
police suicide and to provide practical information and resources on
prevention.
By some estimates, more than 140 law enforcement officers committed suicide in each of the last four years, a startling and unacceptable number. Many law enforcement agencies lack the resources to prevent officer suicide and are unable to respond effectively when it occurs.
The webcast features OJP’s Acting Assistant Attorney General Mary Lou Leary, joined by COPS Office Director Barney Melekian; IACP Immediate Past President, Chief Walt McNeil; and two experts, John Violanti and Jim Sewell; who discuss how they are working to assist law enforcement agencies by increasing suicide awareness training, improving access to resources, and identifying best practices for law enforcement agencies. Presenters take questions from participants on a variety of issues related to police suicide and officer safety.
The webcast is available at:
http://www.ojp.gov/newsroom/multimedia/20121010policesuicideweb.wmv (435 mb).
You can also view the presentations by John Violanti and Jim Sewell.
The conversation features:
- Mary Lou Leary, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. DOJ
- Bernard K. Melekian, Director, COPS Office, U.S. DOJ
- Walter P. McNeil, Chief of Police, Quincy, Florida; Immediate Past President, The International Association of Chiefs of Police
- John M. Violanti, Research Professor, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
- James D. Sewell, Assistant Commissioner (ret.), Florida Department of Law Enforcement
