For “September” Mental Health and Suicide Awareness
To all my Law Enforcement partners: Miranda- We learn it, we say it and we have to live by it daily so that statements don’t get supressed. We created this law enforcement version for mental health and suicide awareness after my son passed in 2017 so that we no longer have to suppress our own statements and can recite it to ourselves or others when needed It’s time to change the culture ladies and gentlemen It’s time to realize that the countless calls for trauma leads to cumulative trauma, whether you think your prepared or not the reality is our minds store far more data and images then the worlds best computer hard drives. When computer hard drives get full they slow down, get viruses or crash. Think of all the times we are trying to do reports and the we get the fatal error messages. Our minds are no different yet they are far superior to any computer but with the inability to isolate some things without help. It’s ok to dump some memory and keep things running so we don’t crash. Personally speaking, trying to compartmentalize 37 years of public safety work and finding my son dead from a self inflicted gun shot wound didn’t work. The academy or any other “college of cop knowledge” does not have a curriculum for grief and trauma. Ongoing fitness tests for duty along with stipends are great but clearing our minds for duty will pay far more dividends to those we live with, work with and serve than any money will bring. Continue to advocate for yourselves and others so we all can better this profession. It is my hope that all departments will take advantage of mental health roll calls and our Miranda For Cops Please contact me for more information at [email protected] or 617-908-6046 American Police Beat Police Executive Research Forum Police1 American Foundation for Suicide Prevention