Suicide is by nature an irrational act.
In the case of terminal illness or other devastating life events, you can almost understand the rationale, but usually we struggle to find the sense of it.
The stressors on LEO's from the job are cumulative. Like military combat veterans, they see and experience things that the general public cannot imagine. PTSD is common. Macho, and the stigma of seeking help often discourages officers from seeking counseling. Many self medicate with alcohol. Indifference of administration and lack of public support add fuel to the fire. Add personal financial, health, or relationship crises on top of everything and some are overwhelmed. LEO's are especially lethal once they have decided on suicide. The suicide rate in LEO's is 21 per 100,000 population while it is 14 in 100,000 in the general population. I think they die at a higher rate because they have seen it and know how. That S.O. has about 2500 deputies, over 5000 total employees. I have always felt suicide can be contagious. A strong support system is important for mental health in LEO's, take that away and many feel lost. My former department had a mandatory periodic mental health evaluation, and mandatory evaluations following critical incidents. We uncovered some early stage pathology that could be addressed before they got out of hand. These services make a difference but are costly. We also established a robust chaplain program that did wonders for officers working through personal crises. But you sadly can't save them all.
I am going out on a limb here wondering if there were interpersonal relationships between a couple of the decedents.
