More Than the Badge: Law Enforcement Suicides Likely Outpace Line-of-Duty Deaths

In police work, courage is measured not just by confronting danger on the streets, but by facing the unseen battles that rage within. Officer Ryan*, a decorated veteran of 15 years, responded to homicides, domestic violence, child abuse, and car crashes. But it wasn’t a bullet that ended his life—it was silence. Ryan took his own life in 2023, leaving behind a family, a department, and a thousand unanswered questions. His story is not unique.

While much attention is paid to officers who die in the line of duty, a quieter epidemic continues to take lives at an alarming rate: suicide. In recent years, the number of law enforcement suicides has rivaled or exceeded felonious line-of-duty deaths. Yet suicide remains underreported, underaddressed, and misunderstood—even within the ranks.

According to the FBI’s Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection (LESDC), the following suicide data has been reported:

• 2022: 50 suicides and 9 attempts from 25 reporting agencies.

• 2023: 41 suicides and 11 attempts from 28 agencies.

• 2024: 39 suicides and 10 attempts from just 17 agencies.

These figures include officers who were active, retired, or in special status (e.g., suspended, on medical leave, or limited duty). Despite a drop in total suicides reported from 2022 to 2024, the number of agencies participating in the data collection also declined—potentially masking the full scope of the crisis.

In contrast, line-of-duty death statistics from the FBI and the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) show:

• 2022: 284 total deaths (60 felonious, 58 accidental, 83 COVID-related).

• 2023: 136 total deaths (60 felonious, 58 accidental).

• 2024: 147 total deaths (47 felonious, 29 accidental).

What becomes clear is this: suicide has become one of the leading causes of death for law enforcement personnel in the United States. And unlike line-of-duty deaths, suicide is often hidden from public record and ceremonial honors.

The impact of officer suicide is more than a statistic. It shatters families, destabilizes departments, and leaves officers questioning their own resilience. Those who take their lives while on suspension, medical leave, or facing disciplinary action may fall through institutional cracks—isolated, unsupported, and stripped of identity.

Unlike a shooting or a vehicle crash, suicide rarely receives a formal investigation, flag-draped funeral, or media coverage. Often, departments and cities are unsure how to classify or talk about the loss. The result is a culture of silence around a growing problem.

Police officers live with a toxic combination of cumulative trauma, hypervigilance, and organizational stress. On top of the high-stakes and high-adrenaline nature of the job, they must often suppress emotions and maintain a stoic façade. Officers are trained to run toward danger—but not to admit weakness.

A 2021 report by the Ruderman Family Foundation estimated that police officers are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty. Exposure to human suffering, long shifts, lack of sleep, poor coping mechanisms, and internal affairs investigations can all contribute to poor mental health (Heyman et al., 2018).

And when an officer is placed on limited duty, suspended, or forced into early retirement—without identity, connection, or access to department wellness services—the risk escalates.

The LESDC only receives voluntary submissions. There is no federal requirement for agencies to report officer suicides, leading to inconsistent data across the nation. Smaller or rural agencies may lack wellness programs altogether, and many departments only act reactively—offering support after a suicide occurs.

Even when mental health resources exist, stigma prevents officers from using them. Officers fear losing their jobs, their firearms, or the respect of their peers if they admit to struggling.

Some departments have begun to adopt innovative solutions:

• Peer support teams allow officers to talk confidentially with trained colleagues.

• Mandatory annual wellness check-ins normalize mental health care without stigma.

• Anonymous hotlines and culturally competent therapists offer external, judgment-free support.

• Family engagement programs include spouses and children in wellness education.

At the national level, advocates continue to push for mandatory suicide tracking, increased funding for first responder mental health programs, and policy reforms that protect officers who seek help.

The reality is that an officer’s risk doesn’t end when they clock out. The true danger lies in the trauma that follows them home, the guilt they bury, and the silence they endure.

As a society, we honor those who fall in the line of duty. We must now broaden that definition to include those who fall while carrying the invisible burdens of the job.

Support for officer wellness must be more than lip service—it must be systemic, proactive, and unwavering. Because when we save the mental health of an officer, we protect the heart of our communities.

FBI. (2024). Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection (LESDC) Annual Reports. Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/lesdc

Heyman, M., Dill, J., & Douglas, R. (2018). The Ruderman White Paper on Mental Health and Suicide of First Responders. Ruderman Family Foundation. Retrieved from https://rudermanfoundation.org/white_papers/police-officers-and-firefighters-are-more-likely-to-die-by-suicide-than-in-the-line-of-duty

Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). (2024). Fallen Officer Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.odmp.org

*Name changed for privacy.