Police officer suicide is one of the most disturbing experiences a police department will experience. Every police
             department should have a standard operating procedure to deal with the possibility of an officer's suicide. Fortunately, the
             suicide rate for police officers has been somewhat distorted. The Surgeon General's historic report on mental health
             concerns indicated that suicide was the 9th leading cause of death in the general population. This rate is higher among
             adolescents and men between the ages of 25-55. Contrary to popular belief, the notion that police officers commit suicide at
             twice the rate of the general public is misleading.
             While it is true that police officers commit suicide 52% more often than the general public, police officer suicide rates are
             virtually indistinguishable from suicide among white men in the 25-55 year old age bracket.
             Most research indicates that police officers commit suicide for the same reasons other people commit suicide: Recent
             losses, relationship difficulties, financial problems, alcohol abuse, and family history of suicide are a few of the factors that
             increase the liklihood of suicide. The fact that it is misleading to state that police suicide rates are not twice as high as in the
             general population should not decrease the attention and concern given to this tragedy.
             There is absolutely no question that police officers fail to receive adequate mental health prevention programs and
             tertiary interventions. If anything, the more accurate figures are a testament to the strength of police officers and the fact they
             can benefit from prevention programs. One suicide is too many. Most police officers are in the 25-55 year old age bracket.
             Why do men in this age group commit suicide at such alarming rates? If anything, correcting misleading statistics can lead to an
             increase in funds set aside for suicide prevention programs. This tragedy is ...