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Two
officers and one Sergeant for the Chicago Police Department have
taken their own lives since the beginning of July.
On March 12, Sgt. Edward Dougherty committed suicide. On July 2,
Officer Patricia Swank died after an apparent suicide, and
officer Durand Lee passed away on July 15.
On July 17, Sgt. Andrew Dobda also took his life.
At an unrelated news conference Monday, Lightfoot said Chicago
has an opportunity to address issues related to its law
enforcement officers' mental well-being.
"I think the three suicides presents us with an opportunity to
remember that our police officers endure incredible stress and
trauma," Lightfoot said. "The challenge and opportunity is to
make sure we recognize the reality of our officer's jobs."
Lightfoot was asked if she thinks the city is doing enough for
its officers. The mayor pointed to extra funds in the city's
2023 budget.
"With the city council's approval, we put an additional $20
million into the budget this year," Lightfoot said. "It is to
expand the mental health offerings to the officers and their
families."
Lightfoot urged the public to think of the families during this
difficult time.
"We are obviously all grieving for the loss of these three
lives," Lightfoot said. "We need to say a prayer and keep the
families front and center because they will be living with this
grief for quite some time."
Since Lightfoot took office in 2018, more than a dozen Chicago
Police officers have committed suicide. The U.S. Department of
Justice in 2017 reported "CPD’s officer suicide rate is more
than 60% higher than the national average of 18.1 law
enforcement suicides per 100,000."
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached by
dialing 988.
Andrew Hensel has years of experience as a reporter
and pre-game host for the Joliet Slammers, and as a producer for the
Windy City Bulls. A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University and
Illinois Media School, Andrew lives in the south suburbs of Chicago.
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