Recent Rising Number Of Officers Dying By Suicide Has Sparked An OPP Internal Investigation

The OPP have announced that they will be conducting a thorough internal investigation after the number of suicides and attempted suicides have risen recently.

The OPP commissioner, Vince Hawkes, states that three officers recently died by suicide or attempted suicide and this sparked the need for an investigation into the matter.

Grieving the sudden loss of #OPP Sgt. Sylvain Routhier, who proudly served his community for 13 years. I commend his wife, Sarah, for her bravery in building #mentalhealth awareness. Our thoughts are with friends and family during this difficult time #HeroesInLife pic.twitter.com/ysFH0fSfSy

— JVN (Vince) Hawkes (@OPPCommHawkes) August 8, 2018

One of the officers who completed suicide was Sylvain Routhier. He died on July 31st, 2018 in Belleville, Ontario. He was a member of the OPP for 13 years. 

Hawkes also stated that in the past 30 years, at least 24 active members of the police force have died by suicide. In addition, nine retired officers have also died by suicide. 

The OPP is responding to the recent deaths by launching a three-part plan that will investigate the OPP's suicide cases and attempts over the past five years. The investigation will assess the stressors that the officers faced, psychological services they were able to access and their training. The province's chief coroner will also help with the investigation.

What are @fordnation @RalphGoodale @LaurieScottPC @TarasNatyshak @JYakabuskiOnPC @jennkfrench going to do about what #police services are doing to their members? #harassment #reprisal #isolation #alienation #PTSD #nomoreliveslost #kristacarle pic.twitter.com/26Nr71K9MJ

— Fit4Duty™ (@Fit4Duty_Ethics) July 10, 2018

Just last month, we reported on a case where a female officer died by suicide after she spoke out about sexual harassment in the service. 

This is an issue that the OPP cannot ignore and it needs to be addressed immediately. 

Source: CBC News