A week ago today, Richland County Senior Deputy Derek Fish ended his life at the Sheriff’s Department Region 3 headquarters with his duty weapon.
Law officers are twice as likely to commit suicide than to be killed in the line of duty. Sheriff Leon Lott aims to implement changes in the Richland County dept. to identify + provide help for officers who struggle with PTSD and suicidal thoughts. (After the 2007 suicide of a Richland County deputy, Lott added a full-time psychologist to his staff, chaplain service and pre-PTSD training.)
Here’s what else is being done to prevent officer suicide:
👮 The S.C. Criminal Justice Academy now requires a psychological screening for all potential law enforcement officers.
👮 Gov. Henry McMaster passed a bill earlier this year that enforces continued training of officers to recognize PTSD + other mental disorders in fellow officers, in addition to a course on stress + mental health that new officers must take.
👮 Gov. McMaster’s new law also permits the S.C. Law Enforcement Training Council to recommend counseling for officers who were involved in a traumatic incident (causing injury or death) through the S.C. Law Enforcement Assistance Program.
👮 Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) provides peer support groups to all 17,000+ S.C. law officers.
