LETTERS: POLICE DO GOOD JOB IN SUICIDE CASES

To the editor:

Although somewhat puzzled by your front-page headline, I appreciate Tony Hall's recent article regarding suicidal people. I strongly disagree with the headline, "Police not ready to deal with suicidal people."

While it is true police officers receive a limited amount of law-enforcement training related to stress management and death, Cape Girardeau police officers frequently respond to dangerous calls requiring crisis intervention skills. Although it is challenging to transition from routine patrol to an emergency response, police officers routinely accomplish this task with professionalism, determination and compassion. It is important to understand that the role of the police in responding to suicidal people is generally reactive and limited in duration.

As reflected within the details of the article, in 1999 in Cape Girardeau there was only one death attributable to the 58 suicide attempts reported to the police. Nationally, one in 25 attempts is fatal. These figures would indicate to me that our community is responding well to these unfortunate incidents.

The primary responsibility of the responding police officer is to protect against the loss of life, including his or her own. The men and women of the Cape Girardeau Police Department are not afraid of counseling techniques. It is simply not our primary role. Every report of an attempted suicide is referred by our agency to a mental-health professional for follow-up. Notwithstanding this, emergency responders are often directly responsible for dissuading a person from taking his own life.

Even the most experienced law-enforcement officer or emergency responder often finds it difficult to deal with the complexities associated with serious crime and death. However, the law-enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency responders within the Cape Girardeau community are prepared and do it well.

RICHARD L. HETZEL

Chief of Police

Cape Girardeau

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Jan. 10 story was intended to inform readers about the need for adequate training for emergency personnel in suicide situations. Unfortunately, the headline provided incorrect information, which we regret.