ATLANTA — A day rarely goes by when Officer Jonnie Moeller-Reed’s eyes don’t fall on a small, framed photograph on the bookshelf in her office. It shows two smilingyoung men in casual, colorful shirts and shorts. Both died by suicide in the past few years. Looking at the photo of her late colleagues “is my daily reminder of what truly motivates me,” says Moeller-Reed, her voice quivering ever so slightly.
Moeller-Reed is a law enforcement veteran of 25 years and the wellness officer at the Marietta Police Department in suburban Atlanta. It’s a new position the agency created a year ago.
The move is part of a larger trend that’s tied to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020. Waves of anti-police protests swept the country, exacerbating the already poor state of officers’ mental health and bringing the issue onto a broader public radar…