A cop’s suicide has Roselle Park raising money

I can only passively imagine the pressure police officers are under. I will never know it intimately. Yet I care about the problem of suicide among the ranks of law enforcement. I wrote about it in July when a Trenton officer took his own life in a Plainsboro parking lot.

It happens too frequently.

Nationwide in 2018, 172 cops killed themselves. In 2019 it was up to 228. Studies show the risk of suicide is higher in police work with than any other job. It happened last year in Matawan to Roselle Park officer Edward Nortrup. He was a 13-year veteran and a father and husband.

Now the Roselle Park Police Department is doing something.

They are extending “No Shave November” and cops who participate and give up grooming for an extra month will donate $100 to COP2COP. That’s a helpline which offers mental health support to officers and their families. You can read more about that helpline here.

The November portion of the now-extended “No Shave November” raised $2,000 for a homeless cause so hopefully they’ll raise a good amount for this great effort. According to the non-profit Blue Help over 3 dozen police offers succumbed to suicide in the 3 years between 2016 and 2019 here in New Jersey. It’s a problem that has the potential to strike any community.

We should all care.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski. Any opinions expressed are Jeff Deminski's own.