Founders of 'A Badge of Honor' talk to Chicago officers about trauma, suicide prevention
CHICAGO (CBS) -- More than 125 police officers nationwide have died by suicide this year – and nine of those deaths were in Chicago.
Preventing those deaths is the reason behind an organization funded by two retired law enforcement agents, who were in Chicago on Tuesday.
As CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov reported, a typical law enforcement officer suffers 800 traumas in one career. A typical civilian suffers only five traumas.
"Out of 800 traumas, maybe you'll be able to process 400 of them," said retired New York City Police Detective John Salerno. "But you still – the brain is not capable of handling that much stress."
Salerno's own trauma, and suicide threat, is one reason he founded "A Badge of Honor" with former Secret Service Agent Samantha Horwitz. Both were first responders during the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
"After two suicide attempts, getting well, getting back into law enforcement – I knew that I couldn't keep what happened to myself," Horwitz said.
Salerno and Horwitz came to Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police lodge Tuesday to conduct a workshop for officers. They taught the officers how to recognize and deal with their own stress – and help fellow officers to do the same, in a year in which nine Chicago Police officers have died by suicide.
Kozlov: "Do you consider law enforcement suicide to be an epidemic right now?"
Horwitz: "Absolutely – 100 percent. There's no doubt about it. And we have the power to change."
Salerno said removing the post-traumatic stress and mental health stigma is an ongoing battle, especially in the suck-it-up world of law enforcement.
"What that does is it closes up officers," Salerno said.
By sharing their own experiences, Salerno and Horwitz hope officers will open up instead.
"We don't open up to just anybody, so it's easier to open up to a peer member," said Metra Police Capt. Danny Zapata.
Horwitz said the issue is especially important in the CPD right now, because even though the department has implemented some mental health services, officers tell them those services are not working.
"We hear from the men and women – 'It's like they put together this program, we reach out, and we have to wait,'" Horwitz said.
Sometimes, that wait lasts two months. So something like the forum set up by "A Badge of Honor" can be a lifeline.
"If we can draw on each other's strengths; bring us all together; offer us this buffet of options to where an officer – all they have to do is either click on a logo, pick up the phone – they've got help right there," said Horwitz.
The co-founders of "A Badge of Honor" hope to take their workshop to other cities and other departments in the future. But most importantly, they hope that officers will take the tools they have been taught, and share them in hopes of preventing future suicides.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, or hurting yourself, there is help available. You can call or text 988 to reach the nationwide Suicide Prevention Hotline.