Case Analysis of Suicide Precursor of POLICE Officers: Focusing on Suicide Exposure

Purpose: In this study, we examine the factors related to the suicide of police officers and discuss about the suicides caused by exposure to suicide news in order to suggest basic materials which will be helpful for preven-tion of police officers. In addition, we examine the relations among the variables through case analysis of sui-cide precursor and desire to develop a model of diagnosis and prediction for actual problems. We hope that this study will be utilized as good material for countermeasures against suicides of a lot of members in police or-ganization. Method: In this study, we trace suicide cases of domestic and overseas police officers and desire to prepare efficient plan to prevent those suicide cases. For this we also conduct literature search, statistical analysis, case study, expert interview and interview investigation by utilizing studies on suicides and suicidal thoughts of po-lice officers and precedent researches on domestic and overseas suicides. Moreover, we found the relation be-tween the cases of suicide causes and cases of suicide exposure through analysis of present condition by ages, causes, social status and departments by utilizing the frame of case analysis of suicide exposure. Results: It is discovered that main causes of police officers’s suicide exposure are as follows: First, they wit-ness various events and accident and suffer extreme heartache followed by posttraumatic stress disorder and extreme labor; Second, they are exposed to extreme work stress due to too heavy comprehensive performance system for public safety; Third, front-line police officers suffer from stress and depression from night-time work and day/night shift; and Forth, the risk of suicide is increased by unique characteristics of police work, posses-sion of guns. Conclusion: In order to prevent and reduce the suicide of police officers, the following plans must be pre-pared. First, the work environment of police officers must be renovated, regular consultation program must be permanently established and spare place and spare time for sufficient rest should be provided. Second, it is necessary to revitalize family participating program and expand training center and sports facility. Third, inno-vative evaluation system must be adopted in order to alleviate work stress from required public safety perfor-mance. Fourth, a department dedicated to support for police officers engaged in work-related incident should be established. Fifth, a plan for expanding wearing taser gun substituting gun must be prepared.