Maddie and Kitty Webb lost their father and husband to an officer’s suicide. Photo submitted by SSPBA.
Asheville – On June 10, a Behind the Badge seminar was held at Harrah’s Cherokee casino, conducted by the Police Benevolent Foundation in cooperation with the Law Enforcement Alliance for Peer Support (LEAPS). The seminar raised awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and law enforcement officer (LEO) suicide prevention, what to do if an officer is seen sliding down a slope, and how to deal with high stress on the job for a better life and relationships.
The day-long class discussed the horrors, horrors, images, threats and horrible things officers see every day. This life comes with great rewards when officers see good accomplished, but it also comes at a rarely discussed price – 87% of officers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). So far in 2024, the risk of suicide is 224% greater than dying from a gunshot in the line of duty.
Instructor Tim Rutledge
Timothy (Tim) Rutledge is co-owner of LEAPS Training, LLC, formed to train law enforcement officers in peer support, officer-involved shootings, and other topics. LEAPS has trained more than 15,000 officers, chaplains, prosecutors and dispatchers in peer support related to these complex issues. Tim was an agent with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics from 1983 until his retirement in 2009. Director of Training for the Regional Drug Enforcement Training Academy, part of the National Guard Drug Enforcement Training System, 2009-2020 .
Rutledge said. “Research shows that the suicide rate among law enforcement agencies far exceeds that of the general population. The classes provide law enforcement with valuable resources, such as opportunities for therapy and peer support, and end with tips and tricks for reducing stress, such as connecting with family and friends and living a healthy life.” According to Rutledge, officers may experience an average of nearly 190 traumatic events over the course of their careers.
Randy Byrd of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association
Randy Byrd, a 29-year-old retired veteran from North Carolina and director of Foundation and Media Relations for the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, coordinates these seminars. Byrd stated, “These seminars are extremely important to the health and well-being of officers. We are now equipping them with the tools to recognize the trauma-related dangers they experience at work and providing them with coping mechanisms that could potentially prevent them from taking their own lives.”
Surviving family members speak out
Kitty and Maddie Webb, family survivors of police officer suicide, spoke at the seminar, giving participants another insight into the impact of officer suicide on families.
Lt. Donald Webb, a 26-year Greensboro police officer, took his own life while talking to his wife Kitty on the phone, leaving her and her daughter Maddie devastated. Kitty, Maddie and Lt. Webb’s colleague, Sgt. Danielle Rasecke, who was the first on the scene after Webb’s suicide, shared her experience and the costs.
“I’m here today because of a letter Don left addressed to the police,” Kitty Webb said. “One of these letters said: ‘Please tell the nation that police suicides are a real problem.’
Representatives of local branches
According to Byrd, the rally was attended by more than 120 participants representing 55 agencies from across WNC and the state, including officers and deputies from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office and the Asheville Police Department.
Lynn Aly was one of those present from the Asheville Police Department. Aly, a forensic technician, has been with APD for over 27 years. She felt like listening to her family and co-worker talk about Lt. Webb’s suicide really brought it home to her. Aly said, “Listening to my daughter and how she had to go through major stages of life without her dad was one of the best parts of the presentation. It wasn’t just about looking at charts and graphs and reading things. It was real life. I thought the presentation was great. It’s very good that this topic has come to the fore. Now we can identify it and know how to help
Help is available
Byrd and Rutledge saw some of the horrors these officers endure on a daily basis. “I want to help these officers survive and thrive. They are suffering and most citizens have no idea what they have seen,” Rutledge said. Byrd said, “We hope the seminar saved lives. If it saved even one life, it was worth it.”
Rutledge ends by saying, “Our message is simple. We can help, free of charge and confidentially. This seminar helps more officers in Western North Carolina know about it.”
