{"id":1998482,"date":"2023-08-12T00:05:56","date_gmt":"2023-08-12T04:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/police-chief-in-texas-speaks-about-mental-health-stigma-following-officers-suicide\/"},"modified":"2023-08-12T00:08:17","modified_gmt":"2023-08-12T04:08:17","slug":"police-chief-in-texas-speaks-about-mental-health-stigma-following-officers-suicide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/police-chief-in-texas-speaks-about-mental-health-stigma-following-officers-suicide\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Police Chief Addresses Mental Health Stigma After Officer&#8217;s Suicide"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpolice-chief-in-texas-speaks-about-mental-health-stigma-following-officers-suicide%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1998482&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>A police chief in Texas\u200c is urging officers to prioritize their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/scotus-may-soon-face-emergency-appeal-on-trans-surgery-for-kids\/\" title=\"SCOTUS may soon receive urgent appeal on transgender surgery for minors.\">mental \u200dhealth<\/a> and support one another\u200c following the tragic suicide of\u2063 one of their own.<\/p>\n<p>According to data from \u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/lookerstudio.google.com\/reporting\/930d17a9-0020-4725-9942-44f2a3f40413\/page\/Kh2dC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BlueHelp<\/a>, an organization that tracks and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/police-chief-in-texas-speaks-about-mental-health-stigma-following-officers-suicide\/\" title=\"Texas Police Chief Addresses Mental Health Stigma After Officer's Suicide\">honors law\u200c enforcement officers<\/a>\u200c who die \u200cby suicide, over 185 police officers in the United States have died from suicide between 2017 and 2022.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The leading cause of death of the American <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-sheriffs-tell-newsom-they-wont-enforce-covid-curfew\/\" title=\"California Sheriffs Tell Newsom They Won't Enforce COVID Curfew\">police officer<\/a> is suicide.\u2064 [The] leading cause of death is by our\u200c officers&#8217;\u2064 own hands,&#8221; said Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia in an interview \u2063with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wfaa.com\/article\/news\/local\/after-officers-suicide-dallas-police-chief-urges-officers-not-to-hesitate-if-they-need-help\/287-d1fe0f95-bae3-43ae-922f-a927306d8f6c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WFFA-TV<\/a>. &#8220;This\u2063 is not just\u2064 a Dallas thing. This is a\u2062 national thing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border border-[#D3D3D3] px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\">\n<div class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related \u2062Stories<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/us-suicide-rates-hit-record-high-of-nearly-50000-in-2022-provisional-cdc-data-show-5458976\">US Suicide\u200b Rates Hit Record High of Nearly 50,000 in 2022, Provisional CDC Data Show<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-[14px] leading-[18px] text-[#737373]\">8\/11\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/us-suicide-rates-hit-record-high-of-nearly-50000-in-2022-provisional-cdc-data-show-5458976\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/army-officer-court-martialed-after-refusing-to-soften-findings-of-probe-of-suicides-at-base-5453298\">Army Officer Court-Martialed After\u2064 Refusing to Soften Findings of Probe of Suicides at Base<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"text-[14px] leading-[18px] text-[#737373]\">8\/9\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/army-officer-court-martialed-after-refusing-to-soften-findings-of-probe-of-suicides-at-base-5453298\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>This year alone, there have\u200d already been over 55 recorded suicides among police \u2062officers.<\/p>\n<h2>What Happened?<\/h2>\n<p>On August 8, Matthew Bacon, an 18-year\u200c veteran of the Dallas Police Department, tragically took his own life, just one day after being involved in\u2062 the fatal shooting of a murder suspect. At the time, he was part of the\u200b U.S. \u200cNorth Texas Fugitive Task Force.<\/p>\n<p>On that\u2064 day, Bacon and\u2064 three other\u2062 officers were serving an arrest\u200b warrant \u200bto homicide \u200dsuspect Corey Thomas, 36, at a Dallas \u200bapartment complex. \u200cAccording to <a href=\"https:\/\/dpdbeat.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">authorities<\/a>,\u2062 Thomas pointed a gun at\u200d the officers as they tried to block his escape\u200c with their vehicles. \u200bIn \u200bresponse, the officers fired \u200dat Thomas, ultimately causing his death. Fortunately, none \u200dof\u2064 the\u200b officers were injured during the incident.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 following day, Matthew Bacon was found dead from an apparent suicide, as\u2064 confirmed by the Dallas Police Department.<\/p>\n<h2>Addressing Mental Health\u200b Issues<\/h2>\n<p>While the exact reasons behind Bacon&#8217;s suicide remain unknown, Chief Garcia is determined to break the cycle.<\/p>\n<p>He believes it \u200cis crucial to eliminate the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/get-well-wishes-pour-in-for-casey-desantis-following-cancer-diagnosis\/\" title=\"Get-Well Wishes Pour In For Casey DeSantis Following Cancer Diagnosis\">stigma surrounding mental health<\/a>\u200c in law enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Back in\u200d 1992,\u2063 if \u200dI experienced a traumatic incident and confided in my partner, saying, &#8216;Hey, that call really affected me,&#8217; my partner would have told me to toughen up because we \u200bhad more hours to work,&#8221; Chief Garcia shared.<\/p>\n<p>He emphasized\u2063 the importance\u2063 of preventing such dismissive responses and ensuring that officers have access to\u200c the help they need.<\/p>\n<p>The Dallas Police Department implemented \u200da wellness\u2062 program over a year ago to assist officers in managing the trauma they encounter on the job. Additionally, an \u200calcohol rehabilitation\u200b program is available.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;When officers seek help, \u200cwe must ensure \u2063that all available resources are accessible,&#8221; \u200dChief Garcia stated.<\/p>\n<p>He also emphasized the need for \u200dofficers to feel comfortable asking for help without \u200dfearing the impact on \u200btheir careers.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Just as we prioritize officer safety \u2064in \u200cdealing with violent suspects and protecting one another&#8217;s lives, we \u2063must\u200c prioritize their mental well-being,&#8221; he explained.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Ultimately, I urge any police officer going through trauma to reach out for help. Help\u2062 is available. I want our officers to be well and healthy, not only for \u2063themselves but also for their families. That&#8217;s what matters most,&#8221; Chief Garcia concluded.<\/p>\n<p>Matthew\u2062 Bacon, who received over 80 commendations during his career, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/texas\/news\/dallas-police-chief-eddie-garcia-absolutely-devastated-by-veteran-officers-suicide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KTVT-TV<\/a>, played a significant role in developing a database.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>police suicides. In light of this alarming statistic, a Texas police chief is emphasizing the importance of seeking mental health support and fostering a supportive environment among officers. Tragically, one of their own recently took their own life. Let&#8217;s prioritize the well-being of our law enforcement personnel and ensure they receive the care they need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1556,"featured_media":1998483,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1998482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1556"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1998482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1998482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1998483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1998482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1998482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1998482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}