It is no secret that law enforcement officers today are facing harsh extremes in their work environments. It is not uncommon for us to open social media or a news app and hear of another attack on another of our nation’s fine officers in blue. The amount of stress these brave men and women are under is unimaginable. They strive to help those in need and provide protection for the citizens of their communities. When one is attacked, they all hurt and mourn for their brothers and sisters in uniform. It is our duty, as those protected by these fine law enforcement individuals, to provide assistance to those officers who are in need. There are multiple, reputable organizations that exist whose sole purpose is to help those officers and their families in their time of need.
One extremely unfortunate fact is that suicide among law enforcement officers is happening more and more. The stress these brave individuals experience sometimes becomes too great and they feel there is no other solution. It is sad and heartbreaking knowing there are those out there who need help and feel they have nowhere to go or have no one they can talk to about what they are experiencing and feeling.
Blue H.E.L.P is an organization that offers comfort and honor to the families who have lost an officer to suicide. All officers, regardless of method of death, deserve thanks; all families deserve your support. Blue H.E.L.P. began in 2015 after The Price They Pay was written by two of its founders; Karen Solomon and Jeffrey McGill. It became clear to Karen, Jeff and Steve Hough that suicide prevention and care for the families afterward was not offered in law enforcement; compassion and understanding took a backseat to stigma and shame. In 2017, they incorporated and received their 501(c)3 designation and are now the only organization in the country that collects law enforcement suicide data and regularly supports families in the aftermath.
It is the mission of Blue H.E.L.P. to reduce mental health stigma through education, advocate for benefits for those suffering from post-traumatic stress, acknowledge the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers we lost to suicide, assist officers in their search for healing, and to bring awareness to suicide and mental health issues.
The organization, which allows individuals and agencies to report officers' suicide deaths on its website, says this is the fourth year it has collected data.
Currently, the organization's website reports 172 officer deaths due to suicide in 2018, 168 in 2017 and 143 in 2016. Citing data from the Officer Down Memorial Page Inc., 132 officers were killed in the line of duty in 2019, data that includes deaths due to 9/11 illness and heart attacks. Blue H.E.L.P. hopes to help lower the number of officer deaths due to suicide with advocacy work, including increasing the availability of mental health resources for officers across the country.
The Blue H.E.L.P. website has numerous resources available for those in need. One of these is 1stHELP. 1stHELP is a searchable database dedicated to finding emotional, financial, and spiritual assistance for first responders. In addition to assisting first responders in finding crisis-specific help, it will collect data on suicide and traumatic-stress events. This information will be used to save lives and improve the quality of life for first responders. This tool will always be free to first responders, and there is no charge to register your organization to be listed in the database.
If you’d like more information about the Blue H.E.L.P. organization, need assistance after a suicide loss or have a general inquiry, please visit their webpage at www.bluehelp.org
Blue H.E.L.P. encourages everyone to get involved in any way you are able. This can be done through direct family support, creating and/or helping organize events designed to raise awareness and provide assistance, volunteering your time and resources, donations to Blue H.E.L.P. or other reputable organizations, etc. If you are unable to provide direct or financial assistance there are numerous other avenues you can take to show your support for the law enforcement communities and their needs. Several non-profit organizations websites list ways you can show your love for law enforcement. More than ever in today’s environment our officers need our support and assistance. Please do anything possible to show them they are not alone. Show your appreciation for the sacrifices these brave men and woman make for us day in and day out. Thank them when you see them in public. Pray for their safety. You never know when a kind word from you could change their outlook for that day. It could be the kind word that keeps them going.
If you live in an area with a First Financial Bank location I encourage you to stop in and request a Back the Blue debit card. Thank this fine institution for everything they do to support all law enforcement.
