CPD Supt. David Brown held a news conference Monday after a third CPD officer took his own life this month. Brown made it clear that policing has never been harder. “This is such a difficult situation for the Chicago Police Department,” Brown said. Brown’s statement comes as three Chicago officers took their own lives this month. The latest died on Sunday. Brown said he is working to address the stigma within the department about seeking help for mental health crises. “The stigma of even talking to someone in our profession is a challenge,” Brown said. “A lot of officers see that as a sign of weakness.” RELATED: Suicide prevention: New 988 hotline is 911 for mental health emergencies The latest death came just a day after another CPD officer was found dead in her home by suicide and weeks after another took her own life. We are devastated. Two of our members recently died by suicide and we just learned that a third member took his own life earlier today. Much more needs to be done to curb this horrific reality. Click below to hear more from President Catanzara. 🔗: pic.twitter.com/Sy9bYYhBfQ — Fraternal Order of Police – Chicago Lodge #7 (@FOP7Chicago) July 16, 2022 “We ask that the city wrap its arms around this sergeant’s loved ones as they mourn his loss. Please also take a moment to pray for the men and women of the CPD, who are grieving with this sergeant’s family.” , the department said in a statement. The identity of the third officer has not yet been released. “It’s very heartbreaking to know that an officer was under so much stress, so depressed, that they felt the only way out was to take their own life,” said Jamay Nellum-Fane, a former CPD officer. Having served 16 years with the Chicago Police Department, just retiring in April, Nellum-Fane said the emotional stress of being a police officer has become extreme. “Off days get canceled and then we have to be real — the stress our officers face on calls — person with a gun, person shot, domestic battery, child abuse, sexual assault,” he said. She said stress, in part, led to her retirement. “I went through this dark period, dealing with depression, PTSD, PTSD. It was just too much. It was overwhelming,” Nellum-Fane said. “We can always do a better job of looking out for our brothers and sisters by trying to pay attention to potential crisis moments where we can intervene,” Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara said in a statement. RELATED: Chicago’s 22nd Precinct Hosts First ‘Wellness Expo’ To Help Cops’ Mental Health Both the FOP president and Nellum-Fane agree that more can be done. “I think they need to be more creative and actually assign maybe counselors, social workers, whatever the case may be, to actual districts,” Nellum-Fane said. In response to a tweet from the Chicago Police Department on Sunday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot responded: “Please know that we hear you and are working tirelessly to ease the mental and physical burden on our police officers.” Please know that we hear you and are working tirelessly to ease the mental and physical burden on our police officers. 🧵 https://t.co/HTwSjEQImQ — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 17, 2022 I hope all members of the @Chicago_Police who may be struggling will consider contacting the Employee Assistance Program, the Department’s licensed professional therapists, and the Chaplaincy Ministry. Call 312.743.0378 for more details, night or day. — Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 17, 2022 If you are feeling suicidal or worried about someone you know, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. You can also text the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. For more information, visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Copyright © 2022 WLS-TV. All rights reserved.
