BOSTON (WHDH) - Families and officials hope a new memorial to fallen officers at the Boston Police Department will lead to life-saving conversations about suicide in law enforcement.
The memorial honoring 12 BPD members who have taken their own lives was unveiled in a ceremony at department headquarters Tuesday as part of National Suicide Prevention Week. BPD officials said the memorial, two years in the making, is the first of its kind for a U.S. police department.
Police Commissioner William G. Gross said the memorial remembered those lost to suicide and was intended to reduce the stigma of asking for help because of depression or other mental health issues.
“Each and every year we’ll return here to honor our loved ones and hope through their sacrifices that we don’t have to add to the wall,” Gross said.
Kate Donovan was at the ceremony to remember her little brother Patrick, a BPD officer who took his life in October 2014. Kate said Patrick, a husband and father, was also her best friend, and said she hoped the wall sent a message to other officers.
“Just ask for help – not even ask for help, just tell someone what’s going on inside,” Donovan said. “Everyone needs help at some point … you can’t always be the one helping.”
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