Investigating Police Suicides: An Update on Psychological Autopsies

Sunday, October 20, 2024

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM ET

Location: 253B

Submitter and Speaker(s)

Jeff Thompson, PhD

Doctor
Columbia University Medical Center
New York City, New York, United States

Speaker(s)

Jacqueline Drew, PhD, PhD

Associate Professor
Griffith University
Nathan, Queensland, Australia
Michele Lee

Programs Manager
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) – Massachusetts Chapter

In recent years, the term “psychological autopsy” (PA) has entered policing conversations across the United States and beyond, yet the actual implementation of utilizing them to investigate police suicides has long lagged. We are here to change that. Join us for this science-based and practice-oriented panel to learn how the PA can be put into practice when leaders in suicide pre and postvention, researchers, and police leaders partner together. The panel will discuss how to train police personnel, create a regional network, and appropriately conduct psychological autopsies. During this interactive session, experts will provide an understanding into how an investigatory protocol was developed, explain how trainings are conducted, and provide insight into police suicide findings based on the protocol.