Blue H.E.L.P. Reports 228 Verified Law Enforcement Suicides in 2019

by

Karen Solomon

President and Co-Founder / Blue H.E.L.P. 



We honor and remember all the officers we lost in 2019, including those we lost to suicide.  At the time of this writing, the verified law enforcement officer suicides number at 228.   We need to restore respect to their families and, smash the stigma associated with seeking help.

In this video, we did our best to memorialize our losses in 2019.  We know we may not have captured all of them, we only know what we’ve been told, but we will honor and remember them all. While we are only able to share some of their photos with you, please know there are over 200 families suffering this loss in 2019. We hope you will watch to the end to see your call to action; your resolution in 2020. May all of these officers rest in peace, may we always remember their service.





About Karen Solomon

Married to a police officer since 2001, Karen understands today’s challenges and puts her knowledge to work on behalf of the entire profession. She is the co-Founder of Blue H.E.L.P. and the creator of www.1sthelp.net. Karen is a passionate advocate for suicide prevention and has chosen to bring that intensity to law enforcement.

Since 2014, Karen has been giving a voice to the thousands of officers in the field who can’t or won’t speak out. She has interviewed hundreds of law enforcement officers and their families to gain insight into trauma, stress and emotional survival. Bringing the human side of the profession to the forefront is her specialty. Her books Hearts Beneath the Badge and The Price They Pay are used in citizen’s academies throughout the country and endorsed by law enforcement leadership. Karen’s articles can be found on Calibre Press, PoliceOne, LawOfficer and Law Enforcement Today.

Karen has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Eckerd College. She’s a member of the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), and the Public Safety Writers Association.




About Blue H.E.L.P.

Our Mission
It is the mission of Blue H.E.L.P. to reduce mental health stigma through education, advocate for benefits for those suffering from post-traumatic stress, acknowledge the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers we lost to suicide, assist officers in their search for healing, and to bring awareness to suicide and mental health issues.

Our History
Blue H.E.L.P. began in 2015 after The Price They Pay was written by two of it’s founders; Karen Solomon and Jeffrey McGill. It became clear to Karen, Jeff and Steve Hough that suicide prevention and care for the families afterward was not offered in law enforcement; compassion and understanding took a backseat to stigma and shame. In 2017, they incorporated and received their 501(c)3 designation and are now the only organization in the country that collects law enforcement suicide data and regularly supports families in the aftermath.