The
FBI's Behavioral Science Unit released a compendium entitled
"Suicide and Law Enforcement." It is a comprehensive
look at suicide and its impact on law enforcement. Police
officer suicide comprises the main focus of the book but
other aspects of law enforcement-related suicide receives
attention, as well. As first responders, police officers
often become vicarious victims of citizen suicide. The
cumulative effect of multiple exposures to these experiences
can have pronounced negative results on police officers'
families in addition to the individual law enforcement
officers. Suicide By Cop receives extensive attention
because of the devastating effect such an act can have
on a conscientious officer who lawfully uses deadly force
on a person whose motive is self-destruction.
The
book consists of 61 articles divided into 6 sections entitled:
Organizational Approaches; Psychological Approaches; Behavioral
Approaches; Quantitative Approaches; Alternate Approaches
and Suicide By Cop. Not every article fits neatly into
a particular category but the sections do help organize
the vast amount of material the authors so generously
shared with the law enforcement community.
The
report is a collaborative effort drawing from the strengths
of a cross-section of the leading experts on suicide.
Contributing to the report were professionals in the disciplines
of criminal justice, psychology, psychiatry, sociology,
victim advocacy, and public health. It is being distributed
to several thousand law enforcement agencies to strengthen
training in suicide awareness and prevention.
In
an effort to examine this multifaceted problem, the FBI's
Behavioral Science Unit hosted a Suicide and Law Enforcement
Conference, during September 1999, at the FBI Academy
in Quantico, Virginia. The week-long conference brought
together a diverse group of professionals with vastly
different perspectives to exchange views and lend their
expertise to the law enforcement community. The result
was a compilation of articles which are incorporated in
this book. The contributing authors addressed many of
the areas of concern; delineated problems; discussed prevention;
recommended training and suggested organizational responses.
It emphasizes awareness, prevention and intervention.
The
FBI is distributing copies of the book at no charge to
law enforcement agencies as long as supplies last. A copy
may be obtained by making a request on departmental letterhead
to:
The
Behavioral Science Unit
FBI Academy
Quantico, VA 22135
A
CD version will be available in the near future.
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