Conclusions and recommendations, policy implications, and future research

Suicide deaths among our first responder populations have gained growing national attention. Yet, many remain misinformed about the true extent of suicide within law enforcement ranks, with some believing this is a new phenomenon. However, those working and researching in the field know suicide has been a leading cause of mortality for decades. Unfortunately, because stigma and shame often accompany these types of death, many who die by their own hand often remain unknown, and all too often forgotten. Seemingly, only sensationalistic cases or cases of murder-suicide seem to receive any kind of attention. This surreptitious threat to our public safety professionals has yet to receive the same level of concern or attention as other threats, though this is slowly changing.