JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – Over 70 officers from several agencies across the East attended a Jacksonville seminar on Monday to discuss the importance of mental wellness in law enforcement.
Concern is growing as 87% of officers suffer from some form of PTSD, according to the Southern States Police Benevolent Association. That same organization also says more officers are dying by suicide than by an assailant.
Kimberly Webb was one of the speakers at the seminar. Her husband, Donald Webb, a lieutenant for the Greensboro Police Department, died by suicide on June 28, 2022.
“There were no signs, warning signals, symptoms, nothing to prompt me that that was going to happen. We were just having a conversation about strength and resilience, and he told me that my daughter and I were the strongest people he knew and that we would be okay, and the gunshot went off,” Webb said.
Lt. Webb left behind his wife, Kimberly, and their daughter, Maddy. Kimberly Webb said when the 911 call came in about her husband, everyone thought it wasn’t him because there were no signs he was struggling.
“One of the things that was found on him after he passed was a letter. It was a very simple letter. But at the very end of that letter, it said please tell the nation that police suicide is a real problem,” Webb said.
Since then, Webb travels and speaks to officers about her experiences as a spouse, encouraging people to seek help if they need it.
Lt. Vanessa Smith of the Jacksonville Police Department said that officers regularly see difficult things, and it’s important for them to remember they are not alone.
“We see a lot of critical incidents in law enforcement, and we start seeing the effects of how important it is to talk about, and it lets everybody know they’re also feeling the same way,” Smith said.
Smith said Jacksonville police and other agencies encourage officers to speak within their department about struggles they’re facing.
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