WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — National Police Week honors law enforcement who give so much to keep their communities safe and pays homage to those who gave their lives in the line of duty, but experts are highlighting the impact of stress on the job.
Police officers often carry scenes in their heads that many people outside of law enforcement don’t understand, and constantly face a fear of not returning home to their families.
America’s law enforcement and first responders are facing substantial mental health challenges as a result of the nature of their jobs. According to one estimate, law enforcement personnel face at least a 50% greater risk of suicide than the general population.
Law enforcement and first responders don’t always get proper care for mental health. To combat the issue, Wisconsin State Sen. André Jacque pushed to pass legislation that made it easier for police and firefighters to receive workers’ compensation for PTSD.
Other resources like Copline, a suicide helpline, operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the retired officers taking the calls have been trained to offer a sympathetic ear from someone who has been in the field.
Officers are also facing dangers during traffic stops. According to the FBI, half of the 118 officers killed in the line of duty in 2022 died in accidents; the majority of which were traffic accidents.
“We all realize that we’re all going through that same moment of loss, the same moment of remembrance for the men and women that you see on the wall. So being together, it is a feeling of comradery and that solitude doesn’t become quite so when you have someone to share it with,” said Lt. Mark Tovar of the Phoenix Police Department Honor Guard.
Reckless driving and traffic deaths surged during the pandemic. According to the FBI, 60% of all accidental deaths of officers last year involved motor vehicle crashes, with 35 officers killed.
Experts say that risk is only getting worst.
“Really the biggest danger to police officers is being struck by other traffic while out on doing any kind of roadside interaction that results in lots of fatalities and injuries every year to police officers,” said Chief Joel Shults, of Smart Street Training. “The sheer volume of traffic contacts that a lot of officers make just increases the odds of a dynamic encounter that might turn violent or resistive. So both those things are a great concern to an officer making a traffic contact.
Meanwhile, several special events will be held leading up to National Police Week. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy laid a wreath Thursday at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC during a “Back the Blue Tour.” Officers across the county are meeting in the nation’s capitol to honor fallen brothers and sisters.
“This country has to turn away from this movement of defunding the police – we honor what you do, the job you provide to us, the safety you provide to us. We want the country to know we don’t believe in defunding, we believe in supporting,” McCarthy said.
National Police Week is May 14, 2023 – May 20, 2023.
