“Things should never get that bad,” Local police share the need for suicide prevention

by

Jordan Kudisch


TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI)- Traumatic situations are part of the job for police officers but after time it could take a toll on their mental health.

News 10 spoke with Sgt. Matt Ames with Indiana State Police about the importance of suicide prevention.

According to Ames, annually in the United States, there are between 120 to 150 suicide-related officer deaths.

“It’s very upsetting towards me, that’s an opportunity where things should never get that bad you should never have that stigma that you’re bigger and better than everyone but you should realize I need some assistance, I need some help,” said Ames.

Ames tells us that at the end of the day when the uniform comes off, you can’t just turn off what happened at work.

In fact, it’s the opposite, he says you carry the burden with you and that’s why he believes suicide prevention is something that should be brought to light.

“Because unfortunately were losing 120, 150 officers every year to suicide and that’s just something that is not acceptable for that to happen because we are the leaders here in the community, we need to be reaching out,” Ames explained.

Having a spouse, friend, or family member can help those who need it most.

“I’m lucky to have my wife who listens to me, she asks me how my day was so that I have someone to talk to about what I’ve experienced whether it be an active shooting or just a routine traffic stop,” said Ames.

Talking about it can help save a life. There are resources out there to help you. If you or anyone you know has expressed suicidal thoughts call,  1-800-273-TALK (8255). You can also learn more about the signs. To learn more, click here.

This article was originally published here.




About Jordan Kudisch

Jordan Kudisch is a Multimedia Journalist and Producer for WTHI-TV in Terre Haute. She joined the Channel 10 News Team in December 2018.  She graduated with a Bachelor of Communication and Electronic Media from the University of Tennessee in 2018, where she majored in Journalism. Go Vols! While at UT, Jordan worked for a student-run radio station called 90.3 The Rock where she hosted the “Drive at Five” newscast.