Cops twice as likely to commit suicide than die in line of duty

Cops have a lot more in common with the troops than any other group. They not only witness traumatic events, they participate in them as well.

Tragic cases like Celina Cass a challenge for investigators
WCAX
Burlington, Vermont - August 3, 2011

"As a trooper, I can remember just about every mile marker where I had a fatal car crash," said Sonny Provetto, a licensed clinical social worker.

Provetto is a former Burlington Police officer and Vermont State Trooper. Now he helps other cops work through job-related trauma. He says the mental images of gruesome crime scenes stay with law enforcement officials long after the incident has passed.

For the hundreds of investigators working on the Celina Cass case in West Stewartstown, N.H., putting the little girl's tragic death out of their minds when the investigation is over could prove challenging. Provetto says incidents involving children rank fourth in job-related stress, behind killing in the line of duty, losing a partner or having a near death experience themselves.

"They will always remember exactly what it was like for them," Provetto said.

Stressors like these-- if left untreated-- can take their toll. Provetto says cops are twice as likely to commit suicide as die in the line of duty; 25 percent abuse alcohol to cope with their experiences and 6 to 14 percent suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. But unlike war, police officers don't get to leave the geographical area that sparks the trauma.
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Tragic cases like Celina Cass a challenge for investigators