Dallas Police Suicide: This week, Dallas Police Officer John Kipp died by apparent suicide. This is the latest tragedy for the department, which has lost several personnel. This is the latest tragedy in a long line of terrible department deaths. After 16 years in the force, Kipp led the open records unit. Officer Matthew Bacon, who died in a suspected suicide three weeks earlier, and Senior Cpl. Jose De La Rocha, who died of a heart attack off duty on August 20, died first.
Chief Eddie Garcia emailed officers, “This is another heartbreaking loss for our D.P.D. family.” Besides Officer Kipp and his family, he requested the police to think about themselves. Garcia provided contact information for the department’s wellness unit, which promotes police mental health. Last year, the wellness team was revealed. It has a commander, lieutenant, supervisor, and five officers. It offers phone “check-ins” with cops following a serious occurrence, a monthly mental health newsletter, surveys, and training.
Police mental health concerns are developing nationwide. Studies demonstrate that police officers commit suicide at a higher rate than others. Police officers murder themselves more than they die on the job. Blue H.E.L.P., a foundation that tracks police enforcement suicides, reports that New York has the highest, with 93 since 2016. Texas and California rank second and third.
This issue is being addressed, but cultural and systemic issues are preventing it. Law enforcement’s “suck it up” approach makes it hard to reform society and stop stigmatizing mental health. There are plans to fix this. Local groups launched the Texas Blue Chip Program this month to aid police with mental health privately. According to state officials, hundreds of officers joined the Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network last year. The purpose of this initiative is to reduce police officer suicides and self-harm.
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The F.B.I. began tracking police suicides in 2022. This helped other agencies address the issue, although the information is limited. Assistant Chief Reuben Ramirez of the Dallas Police Department helped form the wellness squad and said officers struggle with daily trauma and stress. Dallas police respond to 100 suicides, 450 unexplained deaths, 510 natural deaths, 170 fatal accidents, and 230 murders annually. Recently, the department has arrested multiple domestic abuse and D.W.I. officers and has a divorce rate above 70%.
The Dallas Police Department’s mental health crisis is a symptom of nationwide police department issues. The department mourns another cop’s death, but what will it take to overcome the mental health issue that impacts police?
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