At least five Chicago police officers, three of them on duty or on police property, have committed suicide since last July, a longstanding problem now spurring action by officers, Chicago Police Department and mental health officials, WBEZ reports. Some former officials and mental health professionals are asking if the city is doing enough and whether it’s focused on the right problems.
Police suicides have been a problem in many cities, but Chicago’s high rate plus its struggles with police reform and street violence lend urgency to its problems. Clinical psychologist Carrie Steiner said officer suicides are “absolutely” a sign of deeper problems within the department — especially the three on-duty suicides. “To me, those officers that committed suicide on duty, in uniform, at work, is showing me that ‘this job killed me,'” Steiner said. “And I think we as a culture, the police culture, need to hear them, so their lives are not taken in vain.” Brian Warner, a former officer who suffers from PTSD and is an outspoken advocate for police mental health, said the department fails to follow through on its promises to improve services. “The department will tell you, ‘oh yeah we have these resources,’ but they don’t put anything in place to make it accessible,” Warner said.