Bill to memorialize cops killed by suicide step in the right direction, officer says

In 2002, the Highway Memorials for Fallen Police Officers Act was introduced, allowing for bridges and other structures along provincial highways to be named after Ontario's fallen police officers.

Now, New Democrat MPP France Gelinas wants to amend the act to include officers who have taken their own lives as a result of being on the job.

In the years since the legislation was first enacted, our understanding of mental health and wellbeing has evolved, Gelinas said, shedding light on how vulnerable police officers are to post traumatic stress disorder and suicide. 

Constable James Jefferson,wellness co-ordinator with the Greater Sudbury Police, said he's one of the many officers who suffered from post-tramatic stress disorder.

"I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2010 after being involved in a fatal shooting," Jefferson said. "And then working years later within our drug unit and just developing that accumulation of post-traumatic stress...I went off work for some time and I really had to fight in order to claw back into life and live again."

Jefferson said his own struggles have allowed him a unique perspective, and given him the opportunity to bring back strategies for other officers.

Now, he said he feels a tribute to officers who have taken their own life would allow the community to understand, and maybe address some of the mental challenges police face every day.

It would also help spouses and families make sense of the loss.

"We need to be able to talk about these sorts of things," Jefferson said. "We need to support our families...We can't underestimate or understate the fact of how important the families are because they are the rocks to these officers."

"Spouses keep our heads above water," he said. "And statistics show that relationships are one of the biggest catalysts in mental health and support in terms of officers that are going through trauma."

"So it's so vital that we educate our spouses on how to take care of the first responder, but at the same time take care of themselves."

It's not a matter of 'if' in policing, it's 'when' it's going to hit you- Const. James Jefferson

As for the misunderstandings around mental health, Jefferson said officers are beginning to get a finer understanding of the causes and risks around the job.

"It's inevitable," he said. "80 plus per cent of police officers experience mental health symptomatology. One in four, or one in five, experienced PTSD in their career."

It's not just the typical calls that end up taking a toll on officers, Jefferson said. 

"It's estimated that officers attend up to 140 traumatic calls in their career. These are the worst that humanity has to offer," he said. 

"They are seeing, hearing and experiencing it in real time. And it's not a matter of 'if' in policing, it's when it's going to hit you."

"That's why in this policing profession it's so important to value mental health and to see officers as human beings that are really experiencing trauma on a daily basis."