Proactive Approach to First Responder Suicide Risk

Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center staff member, Jamie Wren, who oversees data collection of violence and drug-related deaths was recently mentioned in an article about the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department’s proactive approach to reduce first responder suicide risk.

Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols and Sergeant Ryan Close asked the question, how many law enforcement officers in Maine die by suicide? They spent a year researching and working with Jamie Wren, who oversees data collection on violence and drug related deaths for The Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center in Maine, to find out the answer. The National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) is a state-based public health surveillance system that collects data from death certificates, the medical examiner’s office and law enforcement reports. By collecting this information state organizations and officials are able to better understand contributing factors and create prevention programs to lessen violent deaths in their states.

Nicole Lund, Daily Bulldog