Reflections & Resources ; Suicide in Law Enforcement Leaders
By Cherie Castellano , CSW , LPC , AAETS
The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | February 2024
Reflections For 25 years I have responded to law enforcement suicides as a psychologist and director of the Cop2Cop program in NJ . Besides being an LEO wife , I am also a proud Catholic and humble servant in my efforts to support New Jersey ’ s LEO ’ s who serve all of us so heroically every day . In the recent tragic loss of Sheriff Berdnick I had a day like no other . I witnessed a spirit filled church with Monsignor Salvo ’ s magnanimity in a homily that literally healed hearts and broke through barriers and stigma regarding law enforcement suicide like never before .
When I began my career in 1999 many leaders , chiefs and priests , would not support honor guards , formal masses or ceremonies due to the stigma around police suicide .
Myself and my Cop2Cop team respond often to suicides offering crisis counseling and critical incident stress debriefing services to stunned , broken hearted officers and their families in the wake of a suicide . After too many funerals to count and many years of serving , I was weary in the aftermath of this tragedy in Passaic County . Prayerfully I found my way to the church in desperate need of an increase of faith .
The officers in this unique mass seemed lifted up in grief and hope because the priest had the courage to say the “ suicide word ” and acknowledge anger as a normal reaction to complex grief after a suicide in his homily . This public magnificent funeral for a magnificent man and public servant highlighted the way he lived not just how he died . It was unprecedented and perfectly framed in mercy and love and I could see the grief in every participant dissipate . One obedient servant , a life altering priest , renewed my spirit and I will always cherish the words shared , the stigma exposed and the chance to witness mercy and faith firsthand with grace and gratitude .
But then I went back to work , and the suffering , trauma and suicides continue . Therefore , I am compelled to share information and resources for you , our law enforcement leaders , NOT just for your officers in your agency , but for YOU .
In the FBI Bulletin article “ Police Chief Suicide : An Overlooked Issue ” ( Salvatore 2021 ) the author recounts that in 2020 , a well-respected police chief of a township in suburban Philadelphia took his own life . Like most suicides , no one close to him saw any warning signs . This death came just 3 months after the chief of a department one county over also died by suicide . Losing police chiefs in this way occurs far more commonly than people think . It also raises questions : How widespread is the problem ? What are the risk factors ? What can be done ?
We need to talk about it . A lack of attention on law enforcement leader suicide in the literature is one of the problems . A considerable amount of literature exists pertaining to suicide and suicidal behavior among officers . There appears to be no research specifically addressing the same for police chiefs . There are articles on how chiefs can prevent suicide in their departments , but none on preventing it among themselves and their peers .
Reporting is another issue . Law Enforcement leaders are prominent municipal officials , their appointments , resignations , retirements , terminations , and deaths are generally reported in the local media . Issues that arise during their tenure are also considered newsworthy . A lack of clarity characterizes initial media reports of police chief suicides , often described as sudden or unexpected deaths or sometimes as an “ apparent suicide .”
The fact is this is a serious issue according to the numbers for the population of law enforcement leaders . According to Salvatore , police chiefs represent a small subset of law enforcement professionals in the United States . In 2016 , there were 15,322 “ general purpose law enforcement agencies ” in the United States , of which 12,251 were municipal police departments . A “ local police chief ” has overall command of each agency .
The only other statistical data for police chiefs is that when last surveyed , in 2008 , 97 % were men and 90 % were white . These demographic features have likely changed significantly since that tabulation . However , the prevailing gender / race makeup of police chiefs as a group remains pertinent to their suicide risk because adult white males account for most suicides in the United States .
22
Continued on next page