CPCA_2019_Winter Magazine.Final | Page 12

TAKING CARE OF THE HUMAN

BEHIND THE BADGE Bringing Suicide Out of The Shadows

By Jennifer Tejada , Chief , Emeryville Police Department

Suicide is a topic that is near and dear to my heart . My younger brother Paul died by suicide at the age of thirty . I know how suicide deeply impacts loves ones . I know the heartache of questioning why . I also know the futility of seeking answers when there are none . I also know that as a law enforcement officer I have a higher probability of death by suicide than I have of being killed in the line of duty . I also know too well that many of the warning signs of suicide are now part of my experience .

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