Officer Arrested On Family Violence Charges

We need to remove the stigma and create regular access to mental healthcare support systems for our first responders and require regular mental health checkups to protect their mental health just like you're supposed yo get yearly physicals and dental checkups every six months to prevent missing indicators of an issue.

Three whole years what an asset

@Heather

Stop with the excuses for every bad act. Sometimes people act like idiots and get arrested, and it doesn't mean there's some looming mental health crisis.

The bigger question is since neither of these officers can carry a firearm due to their arrests why should they be on PAID administrative leave. The leave should be unpaid. The Department and the taxpayers didn't create this issue, state law and the officer did.

Stop making us pay the tab. If they can have their gun rights set aside they can have their paycheck set aside too.

Fact Finder- I'm not making excuses for Officer involved domestic violence. There are ample studies that show that the rates of first responder domestic violence incidents and mental health issues are related to the daily stress and trauma that our first responders experience on a daily basis, and that the stigma and potential punitive measures a first responder faces if they try to access mental health is damaging and discouraging. Our first responders, police, fire, emergency care providers like EMTs and Paramedics, experience repeated trauma and stress and are exposed to ptsd related to their jobs. We have had a lot of firefighters and police officers who are struggling with their mental health and behavioral issues and interpersonal relationships, and seeking help should be encouraged the same way a yearly physical or a twice a year dental check up is considered ideal for catching physical issues before they can escalate. There should be no stigma attached, no impact on their career if they seek assistance to help manage stress, exposure to trauma, or anxiety or depression. A healthy well cared for mind creates a healthier and more effective first responder and is better for the first responder and their loved ones, and a better employee for their job serving society under highly stressful positions.
They put their lives on the line for us, and they deserve the support from us to be able to access the mental healthcare that would help them to not be adversely impacted by their jobs.