RESOLUTION 1*VA\l
WHEREAS, suicide is a public health issue that affects people from all backgrounds and its ^/jl impact is far-reaching both emotionally and psychologically, affecting families, friends, coworkers, and communities; and
WHEREAS, though the physical safety and wellness of law enforcement officers is paramount to all local and state governments, the mental health and well-being of officers fails to receive the same attention and resources within the world of officer safety; and
WHEREAS, suicides leave more officers and firefighters dead than all line-of-duty deaths combined across the nation; and
WHEREAS, according to a recent study by the Ruderman Family Foundation, there were 103 firefighters and 140 police officers nationwide known to have committed suicide in 2017; and
WHEREAS, three Chicago police officers have fallen victim to suicide over a two-month span in 2018; and
WHEREAS, today the national average of suicides throughout the United States is 13 per 100,000 individuals; and
WHEREAS, for police across the United States, the average number of suicides is 17 per 100,000 officers; and
WHEREAS, within the ranks of the Chicago Police Department ("CPD"), the number of police suicides is between 22 and 29 per 100,000 officers according to recent report by the Department of Justice; and
WHEREAS, the report also revealed that the officer-suicide rate in Chicago may be 60% higher than elsewhere in the United States; and
WHEREAS, CPD currently directs officers struggling with mental health to either the Professional Counseling Division/Employee Assistance Program, the peer-to-peer support program, or chaplain's services; and
WHEREAS, CPD's Employee Assistance Program ("EAP") is available to all department members and their immediate families and will soon have a total of 10 counselors to assist officers; and
WHEREAS, in the event other officers or supervisors sense trouble with a colleague, those officers may contact EAP to reach out to the ...
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