Richards introduces bill to give NYPD
more access to mental health programs
BY BILL PARRY
When NYPD police officer
Robert Echeverria, 56, committed
suicide in Laurelton on Aug.
14, he became the ninth officer to
kill himself already this year.
The list includes NYPD
Deputy Chief Steven J. Silks,
the 62-year-old deputy chief of
Patrol Borough North Queens
who was discovered dead of a
self-inflicted gunshot wound
on June 5, one month before his
mandatory retirement.
In response to the series
of suicides in the NYPD, City
Council Public Safety Committee
Chair Donovan Richards
and Health Committee Chair
Mark Levine introduced legislation
on Sept. 12 that will seek
to expand access and awareness
of mental health services available
to officers.
“The members of the NYPD
respond to the most traumatic
events we see in our city, which
combined with all of the other
struggles in life can often lead
to feelings of hopelessness and
depression,” Richards said. “No
matter how tough a person is,
sometimes they need help and
they need to know who they can
go to when the time comes. We
want every member of service
to do these sessions and have
an annual reminder of the options
that are available to them
to address how they have been
feeling. The NYPD is taking the
right steps to address the current
crisis among officer deaths
by suicide, but we want to make
sure we’re doing everything
in our power to help the effort
and eradicate the stigma that
officers cannot come forward
to get the professional help they
need.”
Levine said “the heartbreaking
number of suicides this
year by active-duty and retired
NYPD personnel should shock
us into action.”
The bill would require the department
to contract with a sufficient
number of licensed clinicians
to provide mental health
City Councilman Donovan Richards, speaking at a recent 113th Precinct clergy meeting, introduced
legislation to increase access to NYPD mental health programs as cop suicides spike this year.
Courtesy of Richards’ office
support services to all NYPD
officers, including those in special
units. It would also mandate
that annual first responder wellness
sessions are available to all
members of the service. These
sessions would be conducted by
licensed clinicians and would
provide information to officers
on mental health conditions and
symptoms, available resources
provided to the department and
by third parties, peer-based organizations
and offer personal
consultations.
“If we are going to stop the
suicide epidemic among our officers,
we must find ways to break
the stigma associated with mental
health issues,” said Councilwoman
Adrienne Adams, a
co-sponsor of the bill. “NYPD
officers are repeatedly exposed
to traumatic encounters and
events that take a tremendous
toll on them. I am proud to join
my colleagues is support of this
important legislation that will
provide the necessary support
for these first responders.”
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