Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams released the following statement today with law enforcement Fraternal Organization Leaders Anthony Miranda, Chair of the National Latino Officers Association, and Charles Billups, Chair of the Grand Council of Guardians, in response to the ninth NYPD officer suicide this year.
STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE WILLIAMS & FRATERNAL LEADERS
"We offer our condolences, empathy, and support to the families of those officers who have lost their lives in recent days, weeks, and months as this devastating trend continues and spreads. In the last five years, an average of five NYPD officers have taken their lives each year, and nine have died by suicide in the last eight months-- two in the last two days. It's vital that we all come together and respond with compassion, understanding, and resources. "This is a crisis that often goes unseen as officers suffer in silence, now made visible in tragedy and loss. It's often extremely difficult -institutionally, societally, personally - to talk about mental health or seek help in a time of need. We need to break down the stigma preventing officers from seeking help and ensure that such aid is there when needed. By policy or legislation, our city must also create a system that permits all officers to seek confidential mental health treatment. "It's critical that throughout the city and across all ranks, New York City's police force is equipped with the support systems and resources needed to address mental health concerns, both in times of emergency and proactively, to prevent such a crisis moment."
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