PlusPolice Suicides: in the Ranks, a Neglected TopicPolice Suicides: in the Ranks, a Neglected TopicThe Associated PressSuicide among the ranks is a problem all law enforcement agencies will deal with sooner or later. A police officer in Wisconsin came close to pulling the trigger, but stopped. Now, he says officers are not invincible and need help, too. (July 22)[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE] [Notes:VO TS of badge, name strip][Notes:SOT under video] SOT: I had the gun to my head and a finger on the trigger.IT WAS MARCH OF 2007 AND SERGEANT CHUCK CROSS OF THE MILWAUKEE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS AT HOME ... READY TO KILL HIMSELF.CROSS SOT: I don't know what it was. Something just made me hesitate for that second. And I realized you know what? This is ridiculous. So I stopped. [Notes:VO police cars with officers on street]POLICE OFFICERS ON THE BEAT ... A JOB OF EXTREME STRESS ... STRESS THAT PUSHES SOME WEARING A BADGE TO SUICIDE. IT IS SOMETHING LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES NOT ALWAYS WANT TO TALK ABOUT. [Notes:VO gun in background, overlay with text] OFTEN, SUICIDES ARE CLASSIFIED AS ACCIDENTAL DISCHARGES ... UNDETERMINED DEATHS.DOUGLAS SOT: Why is it that if you know it's the number one killer of law enforcement officers today, why is it that we would not address it? [Notes:VO Setup shot]ROBERT DOUGLAS IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL POLICE SUICIDE FOUNDATION ... HOPING TO RAISE SUICIDE AWARENESS AMONG EMERGENCY WORKERS THROUGH EDUCATION AND COUNSELING. DOUGLAS IS A RETIRED BALTIMORE COP.DOUGLAS SOT: What we're trying to do in law enforcement today is change a culture. Because in the law enforcement culture, suicide is unacceptable. It's something in some officer's mind that is unacceptable. [Notes:VO police officers on street, corrections facility b-roll]THIS IS A CULTURE WHERE OFFICER SUICIDES CAN BRING LIABILITY ISSUES ... LEAVE FAMILIES WITH NOTHING ... AND SHATTER AN *IMAGE.*CROSS SOT: Our job is all about keeping everything inside, tucking it away, going on with your other life. I say it's almost like wearing a Superman's cape, where the world can't effect you. [Notes:VO officers at accident scene, training on firing range]THERE IS NO RUNNING TALLY OF HOW MANY OFFICERS HAVE KILLED THEMSELVES ... OR TRIED TO. BOB DOUGLAS OF THE NATIONAL POLICE SUICIDE FOUNDATION SAYS SINCE 2004, HE'S VERIFIED MORE THAN 17-HUNDRED AROUND THE COUNTRY.BUT SOME IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE NOT READY TO CALL OFFICER SUICIDES AN EPIDEMIC. [Notes:SUPER: Dr. Andrea Honig / LA County Sheriffs Office]HONIG SOT: We are denigrating the resiliency factor of our personnel, and we need not to do that. Law enforcement personnel are very, very resilient. And that's very empowering.DR. HONIG IS CHIEF PSYCHOLOGIST FOR THE L-A COUNTY SHERRIFS DEPARTMENT. SHE SAYS SUICIDE NUMBERS CAN BE MISLEADING, DEPENDING ON WHO IS COUNTED ... OR WHO IS NOT. [Notes:VO Cross working, room shots of seminar]AT THE MILWAUKEE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SERGEANT CHUCK CROSS GOT HELP AND WON HIS JOB BACK. AFTER SIX SUICIDES IN THREE YEARS, HIS DEPARTMENT STARTED TO PROVIDE SUICIDE AWARENESS TRAINING.SOT: I don't think anyone knows how to handle it. What do we do with somebody like that? Just because you're depressed doesn't mean you're not a valuable employee.PROTECTING THOSE WEARING THE BADGE, WHO PROTECT EVERYONE ELSE.Lee Powell, The Associated Press.(****END****) ANCHOR VOICE:-------------------------VIDEO PRODUCER: Lee Powell------------------------------VIDEO SOURCE: AP; file--------------------------VIDEO APPROVAL:------------------------------VIDEO RESTRICTIONS:----------------------------------SCRIPT/WIRE SOURCE: Police Suicides------------------------------------