What is the world’s most difficult job? I would vote for police officer. That’s especially true in this country, when there are so many complex situations that can arise, and most of them require split-second judgment — mental illness, drug addiction, spouse abuse, hostage situations. And the underlying assumption is that anyone, anywhere could be armed.

With all these threats, what is leading cause of death among law-enforcement officers? According to The New York Times, it is actually themselves.

 The sad fact is that more police end their own lives every year than are killed by suspects. According to First H.E.L.P., a nonprofit that collects data on police suicide, at least 184 public-safety officers die by suicide each year. That’s compared to an average of 57 officers annually killed in the line of duty, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This means law-enforcement professionals are 54 percent more likely to die by their own hand than the average American worker, according to Dr. John Violanti, a research professor at the University at Buffalo who analyzes death-certificate data. 

In a sense, it’s understandable — a high-stress job with frequent exposure to trauma held mostly by men (a higher-risk group to begin with), a lot of work at odd hours, and ready access to firearms. But the problem isn’t being given much visibility.

So what can be done? Better data collection would be a good start. But perhaps the first step is a better recognition of the problem. The Times quotes Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF): “Suicide is something you just didn’t talk about in law enforcement. It was shameful. It was weakness.” Consequently, many jurisdictions don’t consider suicide as line-of-duty deaths, and PTSD symptoms can go untreated.

If we want to be tough on crime, perhaps the best place to start is with the foundational mental health of the law-enforcement profession?

To view this subject in greater detail, read “Why Do More Police Officers Die by Suicide Than in the Line of Duty?” by Jamie Thompson at https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/magazine/police-officer-suicides-ptsd.html?