SOMERVILLE, Texas — When discussing the matters of mental health, it can be easy to overlook the individuals that need to be the most mentally strong to do their daily duties: police officers.
Jake Sullivan, the Chief of Police for Somerville PD, said that mental health used to not be prioritized in the field of law enforcement. It's something he said many agencies have now shifted to put further emphasis on for their officers.
"If you had an issue dealing with a particular incident that you weren't fit for duty," said Sullivan.
In fact, a study done by the American College of Emergency Physicians showed that officers are 54% more likely to commit suicide compared to that of the average civilian. Another study included in the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health shared statistics regarding the employees at risk of suicide in relation to the size of their department.
Sullivan said that statistics like this have raised concerns about the need for additional services to be provided for officers.
"We have to put programs out there to make officers feel like they can come forward and get that assistance," Sullivan said.
The Somerville Chief of Police has been in law enforcement for many years and said that their jobs involve much more than the general public is aware of. This includes looking at past shift reports, attending community events, and regularly monitoring high crime areas, among a host of other things.
He also shared that law enforcement, as a whole, has been put in the line of criticism from the public.
"You see the public through a different lens in a person's most desperate need of help," said Sullivan.
Sullivan advised that officers in need of assistance should look for officer peer groups as well as employment assistance programs as most cities are able to provide these services.
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