The Brief
- Several Tampa Bay area law enforcement agencies are working to break the stigma surrounding mental health in policing.
- Thirteen officers from across the region graduated on Monday from a unique mental health peer training program offered at St. Petersburg College.
- The program aims to equip officers with tools to recognize, respond to, and support mental health needs—both in the community and among their peers.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – First responders—our community’s heroes who rush in when danger strikes—are facing a mental health crisis of their own.
By the numbers:
In 2023, more than 180 law enforcement officers across the U.S. died by suicide. That’s about four times more than those who died in the line of duty.…