International Peace Officer Suicide Prevention: A Collaboration Involving the Polizia di Stato Italiana and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Saturday, October 19, 2024

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

Location: 258A

Submitter and Speaker(s)

Pietro D'Ingillo, Psy.D.

Law Enforcement Psychologist
Los Angeles County (CA) Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles, California, United States

Speaker(s)

Giovanni Ippolito, Ph.D.

Assistant Director II Division of the Psychology Service
Polizia di Stato Italiana
Roma, Lazio, Italy
SS

Stephen Seetal, Ph.D.

Director of Psychological Services Bureau
Los Angeles County (CA) Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles, California, United States
George Suarez

Sergeant
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Officer suicide is an international concern. The Polizia di Stato Italiana (PS) and the Los Angeles County Sherif's Department (LASD) have been collaborating on this critical issue and have exchanged valuable information. PS provided a video of officers who shared testimonials about their past suicidality, which LASD has replicated. These videos will be shown with the intent to diminish stigma related to help seeking and to instill hope and direction. LASD offered their newly developed Suicide Prevention Kit (SPK), which is methodically designed for usage during briefings and other similar department congregations. The kit is intended to address emotional and cognitive aspects of the barriers officers experience in seeking help, and LASD will provide samples at this presentation.