Data to Action: Using Violent Death Data to Address Officer Suicides in Maine

Violence is preventable, and data can be used to transition prevention efforts into actionable strategies. In Maine, officer suicides outnumbered line of duty deaths by 6 to 1 from 2015 to 2021. In addition, the life expectancy of retired officers (police, corrections, game wardens, and marine patrol) is an average of 12-15 years less than individuals in the general population. These data come from a study conducted by the Maine Violent Death Reporting System (ME VDRS) and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. The results of this study were then taken to the state Criminal Justice Board of Trustees, Maine Sheriffs Association, Maine Chiefs of Police Association, and the Maine State Legislature’s Joint Committee for Criminal Justice and Public Safety and led to new laws to increase mental health resources for first responders, changes to the curriculum of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, and conversations about how to support retired officers. Panelists from Maine will discuss how their data resulted in tangible changes to policy and practice regarding the mental well-being of active and retired police officers in the state. IACP staff will present how police reporting data at the state level to the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) strengthens violence and suicide prevention efforts, including those aimed at supporting police officers.