COMMUNITY VOICE - Major James Bullock, Precinct 3 Commander

The Reality of Suicide Within Law Enforcement

With over 30 years of service in the military and law enforcement, Major James C Bullock, Cobb County Precinct 3 Commander, has experienced the reality of suicide among friends, teammates, and coworkers far too many times Despite having experienced these tragedies, James has also seen the hope that saves more lives than it takes:

“Several months after the deployment, one of our team members lost his unseen battle and ended his life, leaving behind a young family. During my 30-plus years in law enforcement, I have seen similar tragedies including those who retired and ended their life as well as several young officers in the last couple of years who have succumbed to these unseen traumas and ended their lives.

There are bright moments in these battles. The awareness of suicide and suicide prevention for military and law enforcement has significantly grown over the last 10 years and many have received life-saving interventions. I had a friend several years ago struggling but was showing no apparent outward signs. Her struggle only became noticeable with her growing dependency on alcohol. One night when she disappeared from a military celebration, me and a peer went to find her. We were able to intervene with only moments to spare This success story ends with the end of a military career and the beginning of a successful life, family, and career as an educator.

Although many here in our community, our state, and our country suffer with unseen traumas, our military and law enforcement outnumber the general population by tremendous percentages. As we continue to reach for a solution to this plague, let us learn as friends, family, and community to look for signs of struggle and intervene to achieve the greatest outcome!”

There are many things that could lead someone to suicidal thoughts or actions, but why are military and law enforcement officers at such a greater risk? Major James Bullock has seen up close how factors like stigma, toxic stress, and the challenges of returning to civilian life after combat have had significant impacts on his fellow officers.

“During my deployment to Iraq, I was part of some teams working to protect forces in the country. My small team worked with other small teams and were exposed to the extreme conditions, sights, smells, and loss of lives due to combat. As we returned from the long-extended mission, many found it difficult to return to civilian lives. As soldiers, law enforcement officers, and first responders, we have jobs where family and community are not immersed in the environment of being exposed to constant accounting of the worst moments in the general population’s lifetimes In other words, they see every day the worst days of individuals' lives. This overexposure to trauma, grief, suffering, and many times injustice leaves deep scars that are unseen on outward appearances. Therefore, it is difficult to understand the unseen trauma related to combat and law enforcement.

One of the biggest factors is the perception by military members and law enforcement officers they must be the strong ones. They believe they must always be the ones in control of bad situations and restore others' lives. They believe many times they can’t show weakness or seek help in fear of being considered incapable of being the situational solutionists.

As far as access to weapons being a factor in suicide, this is not necessarily an issue specific to law enforcement as the access is no greater for military or law enforcement than that of the general population. Although they are issued weapons as part of their duties, the general population can just go to their local sporting goods or gun store and purchase a weapon. Additionally, a large portion of the US population has some firearm in their home and accessible to most people in the home.”

If you are a first responder considering suicide, or you know someone who is considering suicide, reach out for help The Cobb County Police Department has support in the form of the Peer Support Program, Chaplain Program, Cobb County Employee Services, and Certified Counselors. In addition, the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) sponsors a crisis line, and the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) provides assistance to law enforcement officers.

The Impacts

The impact of stress and traumatic events on military, law enforcement, and first responders can be difficult to process, thus, the impact on day-to-day life can be overwhelming due to the lack of understanding by those around them. As mentioned, family and community often struggle to understand their experiences as they may have never faced the level of trauma that these individuals are exposed to on a daily basis. This only adds to the challenge that law enforcement and other first responders find it difficult to talk about the sights, sounds, smells, grief, and suffering they encounter. This can leave them with a feeling that they won’t be understood or even worse, accused of being part of the overall problem

The Solution

For the Department: “As a law enforcement leader, I strive to assist the men and women of the Cobb County Police Department in maintaining the best mental and physical wellness possible. Our department has committed to being on the forefront of mental health offering Peer Support networks, on-call counseling, and treatment as necessary. Our department has also committed to providing state-of-the-art fitness facilities to ensure our men and women have 24-hour access to physical fitness ”

For the Community: “The leaders of the Cobb County Police Department and the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office are dedicated to seeking the most positive resolution when dealing with citizens facing mental health crises. Both departments now have crisis intervention teams with the Cobb County Police Department with our Crisis Response Teams. These teams have a specially trained police officer partnered with a licensed mental health counselor. They are called to critical incidents involving citizens in mental health crises or are referred to citizens potentially facing mental health crises and then monitor citizens on their progress with mental health treatment.”

“We have seen great overall improvements in the well-being of our officers with the programs we have implemented but there is still much work to be done. We must work to recognize the signs of struggle in those not willing to come forward and continue to build our capabilities to provide services to our men and women. Furthermore, our community must work together and work to develop a more centralized conduit for mental health services. “