HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The Hollywood Police Department remembered its fallen officers during a ceremony Thursday morning.
It honored their service while offering a moment of reflection for loved ones in attendance.
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Stephanie Shivers lost her mother, Frankie Shivers, in the line of duty when she was just 4 years old.
All these years later, the grief of moments missed remains palpable.
“She was going into a (burning) car, attempting to rescue someone, and they grabbed her gun and they shot her,” Shivers said. “I lost the person who was supposed to teach me how to be woman, how to raise my children, that was taken from me, so doesn’t matter when you lose someone, the scars run deep.”
Also recognized were two officers who took their own lives, Lakeesha Boyd and Lt. John Graham.
“Our officers are very attuned to what is going on and checking in with each other,” said Hollywood Police Assistant Chief Jeffrey Devlin. “We have recognized that this is an issue.”
A Connecticut-based suicide prevention organization for officers in the United States and Canada has found that more police officers die by suicide than by gunfire and traffic combined.
According to the CDC, first responders have an elevated risk for suicide. The occupational stress of their profession is associated with increased risk of mental health issues to include anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress.
“I started in 1998, it wasn’t really talked about or recognized as much as it is today,” said Devlin. “There are plenty of resources out there, it’s okay to talk about it, reach out to somebody.”
For more information on the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, visit www.988lifeline.org or call dial 988.