BOSTON — Police officers who have suffered through the suicide of a family member and the widow of a State Police captain implored lawmakers on Thursday to get behind a bill to require mental wellness and suicide prevention training for police personnel.
Six Massachusetts police officers have already taken their own lives so far this year, according to Karen Solomon, founder of police mental health awareness group Blue HELP. In 2016, five officers killed themselves in Massachusetts, versus two killed in the line of duty.
"It is a privilege that we allow individuals to hold onto something that causes harm and death. It is a privilege to have a car license, it is a privilege to have a gun license."
— Massachusetts State Representative Marjorie Decker, Democrat from Cambridge
