About Us
After 9/11 and again after the Boston Marathon bombings, society’s understanding of law enforcement, the dangers they face, and the psychological impact that creates progressed for a few years, but there was a gradual regression back to old expectations. You are expected never to show weakness, always be in control, not take things personally, and, at all costs, hold that line.
Officers must do whatever it takes to make it home at the end of a shift, but then what? It’s no longer just an issue of surviving the streets. Officers are just as susceptible to a life-threatening danger under the roofs of their own homes. It’s just at the hands of a different adversary. An adversary that’s claiming the life of another officer every 3 days.
In the academy and again during an officer’s field training program, it is drilled into their head that if they can’t respond to a scene safely and effectively, they aren’t doing anyone any good and potentially creating another victim: themselves. Why do we not apply this same concept to officer mental health?
OUR MISSION
After various life experiences, Shayne Melton made it his mission to raise awareness about law enforcement Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as law enforcement suicide.
Melton decided to illustrate the daily traumas that law enforcement officers face through a very personal and intimate account of his own mental health journey in the form of an autobiography. By the end of the book, Melton hopes to connect with his readers and show them they are not alone.
Melton also founded My LEO Wellness, which focuses on law enforcement suicide prevention and intervention by providing training opportunities to agencies, officers, and family members.
THE NUMBERS
In 2019, more than 228 law enforcement officers died by suicide, compared to 132 line-of-duty deaths that same year. In 2018, at least 167 officers died by suicide. Of those, 159 were male and 8 were female. The average age was 42, with the average length of service being 16 years.
California, Florida, New York, and Texas suffer from the highest annual rates of law enforcement suicide, with each reporting around 10 in the year 2018.
Researchers attribute these suicide statistics to easy access to deadly weapons, intense stress, and the human devastation that officers are exposed to daily.
Prevention advocates state that these statistics don’t even begin to reflect the actual number of law enforcement suicides because a portion of suicides go unreported, as such, by the mere way they are classified. This makes it difficult to understand the true magnitude of law enforcement suicides.
The definition of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is persistent mental and emotional stress occurring because of injury or severe psychological shock. It typically involves a constant vivid recall of an experience, often multiple, with dulled responses to others and the outside world.
Officers are the first on scene of some of the most dangerous and demanding situations. Their duties can be very strenuous and emotionally draining.
In addition to the threat of physical harm, officers are constantly witnessing disturbing events such as murder, suicide, child deaths, and fatality collisions. This daily exposure to devastation and life-threatening situations can lead to officers feeling hopeless and anxious.
On average, a law enforcement officer witnesses 188 critical incidents throughout their career. This exposure to horrific events can lead to mental health issues.
According to studies cited by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), as much as 19 percent of law enforcement officers experience symptoms of PTSD, compared to 3.5 percent of the general population. Other studies cite that as much as 35 percent of officers meet the criteria for PTSD.
There are currently over 1,280,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. This includes federal, state, and local agencies. That places potentially 243,200 officers with PTSD-related symptoms nationwide.
Despite the prevalence of PTSD in law enforcement, there is a stigma attached to asking for help and many officers view it as a sign of weakness.
If officers acknowledge that they have a problem with their mental health, then something is wrong with them. Many fear talking about their struggles will lead to criticism from other officers or supervisors and career setbacks.
Only in recent years has the stigma attached to PTSD in law enforcement begun to subside, as officer suicides continue.
It only takes one traumatic event. Now, think about how many traumatic events an officer experiences.
PTSD is often identified as the long-term effects of trauma experienced during a specific event. However, law enforcement PTSD is different and manifests over time, resulting from many trauma-related experiences throughout a career. This is known as cumulative PTSD.
Cumulative PTSD can be more dangerous than PTSD because cumulative PTSD is more likely to go unnoticed and untreated.
When a catastrophic event occurs, such as an officer-involved shooting or death, many departments have protocols and personnel in place to help an officer through the aftermath.
However, the build-up of traumatic experiences throughout an officer’s career generally does not warrant such specialized attention. As a result, an officer with cumulative PTSD is less likely to receive treatment.
Cumulative PTSD can lead to a higher risk of suicidal ideations and completed suicides.
Together, we can foster a culture of understanding and resilience in law enforcement. We must support those who protect us. I want to thank the men and women serving in our armed forces and all police, fire, paramedics, EMTs, dispatchers, and nurses for their unwavering dedication and sacrifice.
Shayne M. Melton
When the Threat Follows Us Home
A Cop's Story
Join us in our mission to raise awareness about law enforcement Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as show support for initiatives focused on law enforcement suicide prevention.
Available in print and eBook.