Since the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues have spread globally, taking a toll on the police protecting state parks and colleges.
Members of the State Police Charity Association are tasked with rescuing people in need in the state’s forests and campuses. Sometimes that means helping someone who is contemplating or about to take their own life.
Robert Praczkajlo, a 22-year-old state ranger, says he helped find women early in his career. She committed suicide after stabbing herself repeatedly in a national forest next to a large oak tree.
When he recalled the incident, he immediately burst into tears.
“It was really hard to understand,” he said, adding that he was afraid of the dark for a while afterward. was.”
Nearly 20 years have passed, but the grief lives on in the minds of the officers who responded.
“Firefighters who see crazy things, see people on fire, see their heads get messed up,” Platz Cairo recalls. “Their reaction in the woods was just them yelling….I was screwed. I was new and didn’t talk to anyone.”
Park police in the Niagara area of western New York, including Niagara Falls, regularly respond to people struggling with suicidal thoughts.
“It draws people in because it’s so beautiful,” said Haley Boland, State Parks Officer for the state’s Niagara area.
A 14-year-old boy committed suicide in Niagara Falls this spring. Borland said a woman drove her car into the sea last December.
Cops often push through it and work hard to stay strong for the person’s family.
“Everyone copes differently,” Borland added. “Families need your support, so you have to stay strong for them.”
People planning to self-harm often head to the woods for a few days. Suicide, usually by overdose of prescription drugs or other substances, or by hanging or jumping off a cliff.
“Sometimes I get the time of death from the coroner and say, ‘Oh, we were already looking for them… but we still haven’t found them,'” Platzcairo said.
Suicide attempts are most common among teens and young adults, who can leave notes, keys, and wallets as breadcrumbs for police to find.
It’s a difficult topic to discuss, but it’s becoming standardized.
“If you need help, ask for the help you need,” said Jeffrey Eckhart, the Niagara Regional Parks Police Officer.
He noted a changing culture of talking about traumatic phone calls among law enforcement and first responders.
“They said, ‘Don’t talk about it, boy,'” Eckhart said. “…[but] It has become recognized that asking for help is a better way to deal with it than to keep it inside and let it all pile up. “
Officers say most other successful rescue calls are worth the job. It’s not uncommon for police to keep someone off a rock or water edge, save their life, and get the professional help they need.
University police also saw an increase in mental health calls as law enforcement was relied upon early in the pandemic when most other industries were shut down.
“We were the first to come to the scene, probably even for what wasn’t a police call,” said Caitlin Clark, a PBA member of the University Police Department. “But they didn’t have anyone else.”
It has taken its toll on PBA officers and has already affected a dire staffing crisis.
DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos and Chris Kostoss, a forest ranger who helped educate PBA police about mental health laws, committed suicide this spring after more than a decade of mental health treatment.
Kostoss is one of Praczkajlo’s closest friends and is working to remember his beloved friend’s legacy of continuing mental health education for law enforcement.
“This is an amazing man, an incredible Ranger. He couldn’t stand it anymore because of his work…and because of the other stresses he had in life,” Platzcairo said.
He advised: “Don’t wait until it’s too late”
Mental health assistance is available to members through the State Police Employee Assistance Program. Many officers on Friday said they were uncomfortable using available crisis peer mentoring programs to talk to fellow officers.
a Bill to Reform PBA’s Retirement System in 2020 25 awaiting Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature. About 97% of state law enforcement can retire after 20 years of his life. The PBA police are one of the few exceptions and he is forced to serve five years.
Kostos’ suicide occurred after more than 22 years of service. Union members said it was an example of why other police forces should retire after 20 years of service while others do.
Ho-chol’s office said Friday she was reviewing the law and would not answer questions about the link between the 25-year retirement plan and the mental health crisis among police officers.
PBA supporters say she is unlikely to sign the bill before the November 8 gubernatorial election.
Union representatives recently met with Ho Chul’s staff to provide statistics on a bill to reform the PBA’s retirement system.na
