Unveiling an Unfortunate Tragedy: 4 Current and Former LA Sheriff's Employees Succumb to Suicide Within 24 Hours
Unveiling the dark reality: 4 LA sheriff's employees tragically succumb to suicide within 24 hours, shedding light on the immense pressure endured in a depleted police force A desperate call for help goes unheard as officers silently suffer, leaving an unsettling void
Former police officer Omar Delgado sympathized when he learned that four current and former members of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department had died by suicide within a span of less than 24 hours last week. He compared the situation to a pressure cooker, explaining that if one doesn't release the steam gradually, it will eventually lead to a catastrophic explosion.
Arriving at the scene of the Pulse nightclub attack in Orlando on June 12, 2016, Delgado was among the initial officers present. The traumatic events of that night left him with post-traumatic stress disorder, leading to two suicide attempts, as he described, "They simply burst."
The LA County sheriff's department has announced the deaths of three current members and one retired member. Homicide detectives are currently investigating each of the four deaths separately. The names of the deceased individuals have not been revealed. Sheriff Robert Luna expressed his shock and stated that the news has deeply impacted the department's emotions.
Richard Pippin, the president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, expressed his strong confidence that there is no connection between the deceased individuals, who passed away from Monday morning to Tuesday morning.
A stressful job in a field struggling to fill the ranks
Law enforcement experts said the deaths were unprecedented, occurring within a single agency in a remarkably short span. Consequently, there is a pressing need to provide improved mental health resources and incentives for officers to acknowledge, seek, and accept help whenever required. Pippin mentioned that these losses have significantly impacted an agency already struggling with low morale and severe understaffing.
The numbers are alarming. Every day, there is a shortage of approximately 4,000 employees in a department that is supposed to have over 17,000, as stated in a department budget report published earlier this year.
"Despite the department's efforts to hire new staff over a six-month period, they were only able to add 15 employees in total. In essence, they are barely managing to maintain their current workforce. New hires are leaving at the same rate they are being hired," Pippin remarked.
In some cases, officers are working up to 70 hours per week, Pippin said. "They arent seeing their families. Its an arduous, stressful job," he said.
Law enforcement agencies across the country, including the Los Angeles County sheriffs department, have faced difficulty in recruiting and retaining personnel due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the widespread scrutiny of law enforcement biases, triggered by the death of George Floyd in 2020, leading to protests.
Law enforcement officers encounter individuals during the most challenging moments of their lives, from one call to another, which takes a toll on them due to the constant exposure.
Nine members of the department have died by suicide this year, a number far surpassing recent years: one in 2022, three in 2021 and two in 2020, Pippin said.
Police rarely seek help
According to Dr. John Mann, a neuroscience professor at Columbia University and director of research and molecular imaging at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, the occurrence of four suicides can be defined as a "cluster," a term associated with suicide contagion. Mann explains that clusters have been observed to affect tightly-knit groups, especially those in uniform, as one suicide can heighten the likelihood of others attempting or dying by suicide.
Police officers face a significantly higher suicide risk of 54% compared to the general population in the United States, as revealed by a study conducted by John Violanti, a research professor at the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions. Violanti is internationally recognized as an expert on police stress.
Finding assistance
Assistance is readily available for individuals facing suicidal thoughts or mental health concerns. In the US, contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 via call or text. For global support, the International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers worldwide. The hesitancy of police officers to express themselves stems from their concerns about the potential impact on their careers. Pippin stated that officers are aware of the liability issues that arise when sending someone with emotional or psychological challenges into the public while armed.
The stigma surrounding mental health in police culture contributes to an attitude of dismissing and disregarding emotions, as noted by Charles Ramsey, a former chief of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC and current CNN law enforcement analyst. Ramsey vividly remembers the most horrific incident he encountered throughout his 50-year law enforcement career - a crime scene where five individuals were brutally murdered.
"It's simply abnormal to witness something like that," he remarked. "In response, what can one do? You restrain it. You repress any feelings. However, this does not imply that the emotions cease to exist. If left unaddressed, they accumulate gradually."
During his tenure as the Chief of the Philadelphia Police Department from 2008 to 2016, Ramsey instituted compulsory yearly examinations with mental health experts. Consequently, he discovered that officers willingly returned for subsequent appointments, sometimes even for a third time.
"The ones that need it the most are the ones less likely to reach out and try to get help," Ramsey said.
Looking for signs
According to Michael Harrison, a former police commissioner in Baltimore and New Orleans who improved officer wellness programs in both agencies, any slight alterations in an officer's behavior, appearance, mood, and performance can indicate that they may require support.
"They may already be experiencing emotional, mental, or spiritual difficulties, but it is important for us to avoid policies that make them feel penalized when they reach out and ask for assistance," stated Harrison.
Dr. Jeff Thompson, a research scientist at Columbia University Medical Center and a former NYPD hostage negotiator, warns against oversimplifying the reasons behind police suicides. He emphasizes that it is important to recognize the combination of stress and untreated psychiatric illnesses as contributing factors, according to studies conducted on police suicides.
So far this year, the website Blue H.E.L.P. has tracked that 86 police officers nationwide have died by suicide. However, Karen Solomon, the co-founder of the organization, states that this number is underreported by at least 25% due to the stigma in police departments when it comes to reporting mental health issues.
Everybody is scared to bring it up
Law enforcement officers continue to have apprehensions about the repercussions of addressing mental health issues with their superiors, despite ongoing attempts to diminish the associated stigma.
Upon arrival at the Pulse nightclub shooting, Omar Delgado bore witness to the atrocities inflicted by a gunman, wherein 49 individuals lost their lives and numerous others suffered injuries. During the prolonged standoff with the perpetrator, Delgado found himself in the company of the deceased inside Pulse for several hours.
In Orlando, on Thursday, June 23, 2016, Eatonville Police Department officer Omar Delgado can be seen standing beside a makeshift memorial at Lake Eola. The memorial serves as a tribute to the victims of the tragic Pulse nightclub shooting.
After the shooting, the ex-Eatonville Police Department officer, hailed as a hero by many, was deeply affected by the violence. Consequently, Delgado was unable to resume active duty for half a year and ultimately returned to the police force in a non-field position.
Delgado lost his job at the department where he had been working for almost ten years due to his PTSD. According to him, a doctor employed by the agency deemed him unsuitable for duty. The department, in compliance with privacy regulations, declined to provide any additional information as previously reported by CNN. Delgado currently works in the field of private security.
"I became a symbol of PTSD because I reached out to my supervisors and expressed my concerns about not feeling well. I knew something was amiss and I needed assistance," Delgado explained to CNN. "Unfortunately, things only worsened from that point on."
Delgado stated that the Pulse tragedy had a profound impact on police officers, convincing them to become more open about their mental health issues and seek assistance. However, when Delgado was terminated, it conveyed a message to other officers that they too could face similar consequences.
"I was continuously haunted by that horrifying experience, unable to escape the images of those bodies. I had no control over my own thoughts to prevent them from resurfacing," expressed Delgado.
The stresses of his profession made him contemplate potential remedies.
"Is there a possibility of gradually releasing the tension, perhaps on a quarterly or yearly basis?" Delgado pondered. "I'm uncertain because everyone is afraid to address it. No one wants to risk losing their job."
