Suicidal officer

[Shelby Rush]

What is your department's policy for treating an officer who is discovered to be suicidal? At what point would he be allowed to return to patrol? Would he first be put on desk duty--if so, how long?

[Iowa #1603]

What is your department's policy for treating an officer who is discovered to be suicidal? At what point would he be allowed to return to patrol? Would he first be put on desk duty--if so, how long?

That is going to vary widely depending on the situation.

[just joe]

"Discovered to be suicidal" covers a pretty wide spectrum of behavior. What are the circumstances?

[PhilipCal]

Term paper? Research project?

[just joe]

Term paper? Research project?

Good call.

[jcioccke]

We bring them on top of a building and say " Do you really wanna jump, Do you?
Then when they are not looking we handcuff them and say it again but look crazy, then we jump off the building into a blown up cushion and they think I'm crazy and all of a sudden they have a zest for life... Then IOWA says " He's too old for this sh--"

[Kieth M.]

Unfortunately, we can't (nor should we) treat suicidal cops any differently than we do suicidal non-cops.

If we cut them "breaks", we get accused of double-standard by public & media.

If they die at their own hand after a break was cut, family sues saying "Department didn't do enough!"

So here's an idea...time off, department issued gun retrieved. If state law (like California) allows, book all personal firearms for safekeeping. Get the employee into TREATMENT. Soft duty is okay, providing you have a spot for them, but this isn't a one size fits all situation - a ten officer department where everyone but the chief works patrol, isn't going to have the places to shelve them like a 1000, or even a 100 officer department.

Have Department Psychologist determine "fitness for duty". California has a mental health court which allows previous held psych patients to get all their rights, including firearm possession back (although no attorney, or even the NRA has EVER assisted any party in trying to get their guns back).

[CruiserClass]

Like an old lady's underwear, Depends.

We've had people get time off, get treatment, and get back to work after a few months. We've had people never return to work and eventually be separated from the department. We've also, unfortunately, had several who were successful in killing themselves.

[Zeitgeist]

Like an old lady's underwear, Depends.

We've had people get time off, get treatment, and get back to work after a few months. We've had people never return to work and eventually be separated from the department. We've also, unfortunately, had several who were successful in killing themselves.

^ This, though we have more than a few that are quietly drinking themselves to death and other destructive behaviors in their off time.

[Shelby Rush]

Term paper? Research project?

Actually ... novel.

[CCCSD]

Then state so at the outset.
My agency would assign them to the Rangemaster, that way they can be directly evaluated while handling weapons...

[Shelby Rush]

Thanks everyone, for your responses! If it helps, here's some additional info:

This fictitious officer is one of 1300, so I'm imagining desk duty will be an option for him, once he's up to it.

How'd he get in this mess? He's the first responder to a bad wreck; he comforts a victim as she dies (he can't do a thing to help her). Normally, that wouldn't have gotten to him, but he's also dealing with a good friend who's recently been diagnosed with stage III cancer, and his ex-wife leaves him a second time (he was really hoping to reconcile). That and ten years of police work ... he's worn out. He's an all or nothing kind of guy, so finding a balance is hard for him. He internalizes too much. A shame since he's well liked and respected as the shift's FTO.

Thanks again for your input.

[hemicop]

Let's take this a step further.......... What do you with a dept. that pushes an officer into it???????

[CCCSD]

How about this gets moved to a non-cop thread so people don't waste their time on responding to a non-event.

[Iowa #1603]

How about this gets moved to a non-cop thread so people don't waste their time on responding to a non-event.

You know the mods don't read threads............................they have to be messaged or the thread reported for them to take any action